On August 3rd, 1987, Def Leppard released their fourth studio album, ‘Hysteria’.  Little did they know this ground breaking album would go on to sell over 25 million records, produce 7 hit singles and go to #1 on the Billboard Charts.  The title track, “Hysteria”, is up next and this was the third single in the U.S. and the fourth in the UK. It was released in the U.S. in January 1988 and the UK in November 1987. The song went to #26 in the UK and to #10 on the U.S. Billboard Charts and no surprise as it was crafted to be a hit. Mutt Lange basically built this song one note at time.

“Hysteria” was written by the whole band including Steve Clark, Phil Collen, Rick Allen, Rick Savage and Joe Elliott as well as the producer Robert John “Mutt” Lange. I say that on every single we’ve talked about because the band decided to credit each member for all the songs. My version is the U.S. version from the Hysteria Singles Boxset, but the B-Side is the same for all version worldwide which was “Ride Into the Sun”.

I’ve seen something from Phil Collen that said the song might be about enlightenment. That moment is the hysteria that you feel. But the song feels like a basic love song. About falling in love so deep and how that intensity feels. He wants to be with her so badly and wants to know if she’s alone tonight and would like some company. He gets crazy when he’s around her and wants to be with her in the worst way. When he is with her, he feels the hysteria of being so close physically. The song is sexy, it is passionate, it is even a little sublime.

A SIDE:

Mutt Lange basically built this song one note at time. The guitars are so crisp and clean and if I’m not mistaken I read they layered at least 11 levels of guitar parts which would be impossible to play live so they only focus on the two most important parts…the ones you can hear clearly.

The layers of vocals on the chorus are so lush and tasty you are surrounded by vocals. The solo is another that is so perfect for the sonics of the song. They are tender and sweet and damn near perfect. A song about spiritual enlightenment is matched by the musicality of the instruments. It feels like you are floating through the universe. A ballad that is unlike any other ballad at the time. The most mature sounding song and the sexiest song that to me sees the band’s songwriting hit another level. This, my friends, is the BEST song on the album.

B SIDE:

The B-Side of the album is the re-recorded and re-written version of “Ride Into the Sun” that appeared on the band’s debut E.P. way back in 1979. You can hear the more modern sound of the song. More production than the raw version we saw earlier in their career. The opening is missing the cowbell and then when the lyrics hit you see if they’ve played around with them as well. It is a significant difference. The chorus is the most similar part through the whole song. I do miss the rawness of the original as there is such a wall of noise, it is almost too much in this version. Sometimes, too much production can be a detriment. Now, if this is the only version you’d heard, then you are going to like it as it still a killer track.

RECREATE ALBUM COVER:

Now, I actually had all the 7″ Singles at one time, but I was always missing the final two puzzle pieces. So, when the band released the Hysteria Singles Box Set, I was finally album to finish the puzzle of the Hysteria Cover art. We will create this picture as we go trough the singles. First up…”Animal”…then “Woman”…”Pour Some Sugar On Me”…and now “Hysteria”…

NEXT UP: DEF LEPPARD – “ARMAGEDDON IT” (1988) – 7″ Single (Part 5 of 7)

THE DEF LEPPARD COLLECTION SERIES

1. Def Leppard E.P. – 7″ Single (1979)
2. First Strikes 1978-1979 (Bootleg CD)
3. Girl – Sheer Greed (1980)
4. On Through the Night (1980)
5. When the Walls Came Tumbling Down (April 26 1980) (2020)
6. High & Dry (1981)
7. Too Many Jitterbugs – B-Sides And Rarities (2020)
8. Raw – Early BBC Recordings (2020)
9. Girl – Wasted Youth (1982)
10. Pyromania (1983)
11. “Photograph” 7″ Single (1983)
12. “Too Late For Love” 12″ Single (1983)
13. Live at the L.A. Forum 1983 (2018)
14. Seattle, August 3, 1983 (Bootleg CD)
15. Pyromania TV Collection (Bootleg DVD)
16. Hysteria (1987)
17. “Animal” 7″ Single (1987)
18. “Women” 7″ Single (1987)
19. “Pour Some Sugar on Me” 7″ Single (1987)
20. “Hysteria” 7″ Single (1987)
21. “Armageddon It” 7″ Single (1988)
22. “Love Bites” 7″ Single (1988)
23. “Rocket” 7″ Single (1989)
24. Animal Instinct – The Def Leppard Story – Book Review (1987)
25. Rarities – Volume One (2018)
26. Live in Mountain View – August 17, 1988 (Bootleg DVD)
27. Historia – DVD (1988)
28. Live: In the Round, In Your Face (CD Video / DVD) (1989)
29. Adrenalize (1992)
30. “Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad” – Cassette Single (1992)
31. “Tonight” CD Single (1993)
32. Live Shefield 1992 (Bootleg DVD)
33. Retro Active (1993)
34. Visualize DVD (1993)
35. Hard Rock Café – Singapore, Malaysia October 26, 1995 (Bootleg DVD)
36. Vault: Def Leppard Greatest Hits (1980-1995) (1995)
37. “When Love & Hate Collide” – CD Promo Single (1995)
38. Video Archive (1995)
39. Slang (1996)
40. Montreal: The Classic 1996 Broadcast (Bootleg CD)
41. Live Bites: FM Broadcast (Bootleg CD)
42. Live in Argentina 1997 (Bootleg DVD)
43. Euphoria (1999)
44. Rarities – Volume Two (2019)
45. Rarities – Volume Three (2019)
46. Tokyo 1999 (Bootleg CD)
47. Cybernauts – Live (2000)
48. X (2002)
49. Hysteria: Classic Albums DVD (2002)
50. Best of Def Leppard (2004)
51. Rock of Ages: The Definitive Collection (2005)
52. Yeah! (2006)
53. Songs from the Sparkle Lounge (2008)
54. Man Raze – Surreal (2008)
55. B-Sides (2021)
56. Yeah! II (2021)
57. Yeah! Live (2021)
58. CMT Crossraods – Taylor Swift & Def Leppard (2009)
59. Down ‘N’ Outz -My ReGeneration (2010)
60. Man Raze – PunkFunkRootsRock (2011)
61. Down ‘N’ Outz -The Further Adventures of… (2014)
62. Def Leppard (2015)
63. The Lost Session (2018)
64. Personal Jesus 7″ Single (2018)
65. Down ‘N’ Outz -This is How We Roll (2019)
66. Hits Vegas: Live at Planet Hollywood – Vinyl (2020)
67. Hysteria: Live – Vinyl (2020)
68. Def Leppard Acoustic Vegas – 10″ Vinyl (2020)
69. Down ‘N’ Outz – The Music Box E.P. (2020)
70. Diamond Star Halos (2022)
71. High & Dry – Picture Disc (RSD) (2022)
72. Drastic Symphonies (2023)
73. Drastic Symphonies – Picture Disc (2023)
74. Definitely: The Official Story of Def Leppard (2023)

PREVIOUSLY POSTED:

1. The Def Leppard E.P. (1979/2017)
2. Def Leppard: Interview Picture Disc (1982?)
3. “Bringin’ On the Heartbreak” – 12″ Promo Single (1984)
4. Live at the Top (Bootleg) (1987)
5. “Pour Some Sugar on Me” –  5″ Shaped Picture Disc (1987)
6. Hysteria U.S. Tour 1988 – Tour Book (1988)
7. “Make Love Like a Man” – 12″ Single (1992)
8. “Let’s Get Rocked” – 12″ Single (1992)
9. Adrenalize: The 7 Day Weekend Tour (1992/1993)
10. X: World Tour (2003)
11. Mirrorball – Live & More (2011)
12. Def Leppard: The Definitive Visual History – Book Review (2011)
13. Viva! Hysteria (2013)
14. And There Will Be A Next Time…Live from Detroit (2017)
15. Hysteria: 30th Anniversary Box Set (2017)
16. The Story So Far – The Best of (2018)
17. The Collection, Volume 1 (2018)
18. Hysteria: The Singles Box Set (2018)
19. Live at Abbey Road Studios (2018)
20. Def Leppard: Concert Review – Charlotte, NC June 9th 2018 (2018)
21. The Story So Far – The Best of Volume 2 (2019)
22. The Collection, Volume 2 (2019)
23. London to Vegas (2020)
24. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 29 March 2019 (2020)
25. The Early Years ’79-’81 (2020)
26. The Collection, Volume 3 (2021)
27. Def Leppard Funko Pop!