Tag: Down ‘n’ Outz

Down ‘N’ Outz – ‘The Music Box E.P.’ (2020) – Album Review (The Def Leppard Collection Series)

Published on by 2loud2oldmusic7 Comments

Back in 2020, Record Store Day was spread out over several months due to this little thing called Covid. The pandemic slowed things down since people couldn’t gather in the same way we had in the past. But by October 20, 2020, this Record Store Day item was finally released. It was an E.P. from Down ‘N’ Outz that was created to compliment the release of their album ‘This is How We Roll’ which we reviewed a few weeks back. This limited edition release was called ‘The Music Box E.P.’ and was limited to only 1,500 copies. Thankfully, I grabbed one. It contains 4 tracks, one of which was previously unreleased. The other three were extended versions or different edits of tracks from the album.

Down ‘N’ Outz, for those that don’t remember, was a side project from Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott that was originally created as a tribute band to Mott the Hoople & Ian Hunter. It turned in to original songs with occasional covers. The rest of the band was Paul Guerin, Guy Griffin, Keith Weir, Phil Martini and Share Ross. It is a stellar line-up and a full of players that love their craft.

THAT SIDE:

This Side kicks off with an extended version of “Music Box” and the original version, I didn’t care for. It was a musical interlude that Joe had written back in 1978. He dusted it off and it turned it to more vaudeville. We have a fairground organ, a recorder, a bass drum and a harp. It is cute and all, but really adds nothing to the album in my opinion. A full flushed out song would’ve been better. I guess this is the full flushed out version. It still feels like a carnival, but much slower and not as lively. I guess these are the sad clowns. Like the original, this does nothing for me.

The next track is the explicit version of The Tube’s song “White Punks On Dope”. And what a killer track. It has the angst and energy of the original. I love the energy, the honky tonk piano, the blistering guitars and bombastic drums. And then there is Joe, he sounds great. Being the explicit version, the “F” word is used where it wasn’t in the original version they did. Ooohh!! So explicit…these virgin ears can’t take it!! (Sarcasm btw).

THIS SIDE:

That Side kicks off the another extended version and this one is the 2nd “Music Box” song from the original and is called “Music Box Reprise (Griff’s Lament)“. This is another brief musical interlude and like the original music box, does nothing for me or the album.

The final track is a Roxy Music cover of “Virginia Plain”. Now, I am not a fan of Roxy Music so I do not know this song at all. It is an upbeat rocker, with a fun little bounce to it (that doesn’t sound like Roxy Music to me). It sounds like a very glam era rocker and it isn’t too bad. Still doesn’t make me want to run out and

The collector in me had to have it, but honestly, I haven’t listened to it since i bought it originally. I only pulled it out for this review and that is enough. I don’t think I will ever listen to this again…sorry boys. The “Music Box” songs aren’t worth the time, and the original non-explicit version on the album of “White Punks On Dope” is fine with me if I listen to that album. The only reason to have this is Roxy Music’s “Virginia Plain” and it doesn’t move me enough to hear that again…probably. My Overall Score is a 1.0 out of 5.0 Stars as this is strictly for collector’s and completists.

NEXT UP: DEF LEPPARD – ‘DIAMOND STAR HALOS’ (2022)

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 Sheffield 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. Cybernauts – The Further Adventures of the Cybernauts (2001)
  49. X (2002)
  50. Hysteria: Classic Albums DVD (2002)
  51. Best of Def Leppard (2004)
  52. Rock of Ages: The Definitive Collection (2005)
  53. Yeah! (2006)
  54. Yeah! Bonus CD with Backstage Interviews (2006)
  55. Songs from the Sparkle Lounge (2008)
  56. Man Raze – Surreal (2008)
  57. B-Sides (2021)
  58. Yeah! II (2021)
  59. Yeah! Live (2021)
  60. CMT Crossroads – Taylor Swift & Def Leppard (2009)
  61. Down ‘N’ Outz -My ReGeneration (2010)
  62. Man Raze – PunkFunkRootsRock (2011)
  63. Down ‘N’ Outz -The Further Adventures of… (2014)
  64. Def Leppard (2015)
  65. Personal Jesus 7″ Single (2018)
  66. Down ‘N’ Outz -This is How We Roll (2019)
  67. Hits Vegas: Live at Planet Hollywood – Vinyl (2020)
  68. Hysteria: Live – Vinyl (2020)
  69. Def Leppard Acoustic Vegas – 10″ Vinyl (2020)
  70. Down ‘N’ Outz – The Music Box E.P. (2020)
  71. Diamond Star Halos (2022)
  72. High & Dry – Picture Disc (RSD) (2022)
  73. Drastic Symphonies (2023)
  74. Drastic Symphonies – Picture Disc (2023)
  75. Definitely: The Official Story of Def Leppard (2023)
  76. Def Leppard – ‘One Night Only: Live at The Leadmill’ (RSD) (2024)
  77. “Just Like ’73” – 7″ Single (2024)

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!

Down ‘N’ Outz – ‘This Is How We Roll’ (2019) – Album Review (The Def Leppard Collection Series)

Published on by 2loud2oldmusic10 Comments

We are on the third studio album for the band Down ‘N’ Outz. A band that was created by Joe Elliott to cover Mott the Hoople and Ian Hunter songs and they did that job gloriously. For this third time, they decided to do something different. They created an album that was almost all original material penned by Joe Elliott himself. There is one cover on it and that is perfectly fine. The band line-up is slightly different. We do still have Paul Guerin, Guy Griffin, Keith Weir and Paul Martini, but they have a new bass player with the wonderful Share Ross from the band Vixen. She is a great addition to this ragged bunch of guys.

The album came out on October 11, 2019 and was produced by Ronan McHugh and the engineer on the album is an old Def Leppard friend by the name of Phil Collen. Cool he lended a hand to the production. We get 12 tracks on a single LP which is a very nice gatefold with the lyrics inside. The album sleeve has some great pictures of each of the band members and the vinyl itself is simply black. I don’t know if this thing charted or any sales figures, but a project like this is done for the love of music, no expectations to be a massive chart success. Joe’s had that, this is a passion project. And let’s see how that passion plays out.

SIDE 1:

The album opens with the first song Joe wrote for the album, “Another Man’s War”. Joe was going for something that was not Def Leppard but more Mott, Bowie and that 70’s glam. and I would say he did a bang up job with that goal. The piano is the driving force on this one while the guitars give it just enough bite to rock the song out. A pure 70’s style gem and Joe’s vocals honor that era greatly. A stellar opening track that sets the mood.

Continue reading “Down ‘N’ Outz – ‘This Is How We Roll’ (2019) – Album Review (The Def Leppard Collection Series)” →

Down ‘N’ Outz – ‘The Further Adventures of…’ (2014) – Album Review (The Def Leppard Collection Series)

Published on by 2loud2oldmusic14 Comments

The Down ‘N’ Outz were formed thanks to Mott the Hoople. Mott the Hoople was doing a reunion show, well a week’s worth of reunion shows. They asked Joe to be a part of it. One thing led to another and with the help of drummer Phil Martini, Ronnie Garrity from Raw Glory, and Paul Guerin, Guy Griffin, and Keith Weir from The Quireboys, the Down ‘N’ Outz were born. They performed as the opening act. The twist was they would be playing songs by bands or artists associated with Mott the Hoople, but not actually Mott the Hoople songs. And that was what the first album, ‘My Regeneration’ covered was songs associated with Mott the Hoople, but not Mott the Hoople songs.

This time around on ‘The Further Adventures of…’ they focus entirely on Mott the Hoople songs and what a joy it is. On April 21, 2014, they released their second album with the same line-up, a little more playing together under their belt and a fresh set of old songs. They set out on a tour and years later would release a live album & DVD of a show from the tour called ‘The Further Live Adventures of…’, but I don’t have that one yet so not sure we will get to that during this series. For now, we will focus on this album so we might as well get to it.

My copy is a standard release, no deluxe edition. But what is really cool is when you open the enclosed booklet and fold it out you get a whole comic book story as you will see below. They even turned themselves in to comic book characters. A fun, different approach and a great packing job. Joe and company are doing these releases right!

The album kicks off with the classic 1969 Mott the Hoople hit “Rock And Roll Queen” which was off their self-titled album. The band is slamming and Joe sounds great. The punchy piano breathes so much life in to the song and the song completely rocks. A great opening track to set the tone.

Continue reading “Down ‘N’ Outz – ‘The Further Adventures of…’ (2014) – Album Review (The Def Leppard Collection Series)” →

Down ‘N’ Outz – ‘My Regeneration’ (2010) – Album Review (The Def Leppard Collection Series)

Published on by 2loud2oldmusic23 Comments

We are in a time in Def Leppard’s career where there is a 7 year break between studio albums. To help fill that gap, the boys in the band kept busy. We’ve seen the Phil Collen side project Man Raze and now we have Joe Elliott’s side project called Down ‘N’N Outz. And during this stretch we don’t get only one album from each, we will actually see two albums from each before the next Leppard studio album. Hey, if I can’t have Def Leppard, I’ll take this stuff just as well.

The Down ‘N’ Outz were formed thanks to Mott the Hoople. Mott the Hoople was doing a reunion show, well a week’s worth of reunion shows. They asked Joe to be a part of it. One thing led to another and with the help of drummer Phil Martini, Ronnie Garrity from Raw Glory, and Paul Guerin, Guy Griffin, and Keith Weir from The Quireboys, the Down ‘N’ Outz were born. They performed as the opening act. The twist was they would be playing songs by bands or artists associated with Mott the Hoople, but not actually Mott the Hoople songs. They even recorded a show and released it on DVD, which I need to one day obtain.

After the gig, the band were having so much fun, they actually recorded an album. There is a 10 song edition that was released first on June 23, 2010 as part of an edition of Classic Rock Magazine (I want that one!!), but the final album actually had 13 songs, one of which was an original by the band. If you liked Joe & Phil’s band the Cybernauts, then this will be right up your alley. On July 13, 2010, their debut album ‘My ReGeneration’ was released. Don’t think it ever charted, but who cares. If you are fan of Mott the Hoople and all their side projects, a fan of Def Leppard or a fan of the Quireboys, then you need this. Let’s get to it! Wait…FYI…the band even started their own brand of beer…thus the bottle cap in the album pictures below.

The opening track is the classic “Golden Opportunity” which is an Ian Hunter cover from his album ‘Overnight Angels’. What is cool about this one is when it starts up you hear a needle dropping and some static like this was vinyl, but my version is a CD. A cool little trick. The band sticks to the essence of the song (and all the songs), but they can’t help put their own little flair on it. When the song is as cool and iconic as this one, how could they screw it up. The musicianship is stellar and Joe sounds awesome! The energy is electric and you can feel the excitement they have for playing this music. A great opening track.

Next up is “Storm” which is a Mott cover (Not a Mott the Hoople cover – just Mott). This one is from the album ‘Shouting and Pointing’. It fades in from the opening track and the tempo is fast. The riffs are cool, the keyboards are slamming as are the drums. Another fun, high energy track that keeps the party going. I have to say I wasn’t overly familiar with this one which I think helps my enjoyment as it feels new to me. The band is swinging and again I can’t get over their playing…these guys are really good.

Then it is time for another Ian Hunter song and this one is the title track to his album “Overnight Angels”. Man, I love this song and the Boyz bring down the house with this one. The gentle guitar riff opening with the heavy bass and drums are a slick contrast. Joe’s vocal delivery is slow and deliberate, well paced. The grit of his vocals adds so much to the song. I think this album so far has been a headphone album as there is so much going on musically and it all sounds like a smorgasbord of tastiness.

Okay, I’ve realized something…the Ian songs I know. The Mott songs I don’t. This next one was new to me as well. It is the song “Career (No Such Thing as Rock ‘n Roll)” from the ‘Shouting and Pointing’ album. It opens with a biting piano with some keyboards that sound like horns. It has this grand, epic tone. Joe’s vocals are more reserved to match the music. It is really beautiful in its presentation. I might need to be checking out these Mott albums. I have Mott the Hoople stuff, but no Mott.

It is time for “Cleveland Rocks”…oops sorry that is The Drew Carey Show theme song. This is actually “England Rocks” the Ian Hunter song that the Drew theme song is based. It is a rambunctious rocker that celebrates the England Rock & Roll scene. A fun singalong song.

It is back to Mott and this time we get the title track to the album that has two other songs here and that is “Shouting And Pointing”. The piano keys are fast and furious on this one. Then it gets dark and powerful. Joe’s attitude is matched in the music. I like the changes and different directions in the song as it keeps it interesting. Another really cool track and man, this Mott band must be something.

We stay with Mott, but now we are on to his ‘Drive Now’ album and the first song is “By Tonight”. This one feels different, a more guitar heavy song less piano/keyboards. While it still sounds good, it doesn’t feel as glam as the prior songs. I was really digging the piano on these songs. But the guitar work on here is stellar so I don’t want to take away from that at all. Overall, I’m not as in to this one, but it is still a really good track.

“Apologies” is up next from ‘Drive Now’ as well and this one is only 1 minute long. It is acoustic with just a guitar and Joe’s vocals. Joe sounds really cool, the guitar is smooth and a nice change of pace. Something completely different. I like it.

Ian Hunter is back with his song “Who Do You Love”. Leppard covered this one for “Yeah! II”. It is a high energy song and the piano is back in full force. They do a good job with this one, but it is not one of my favorites. It wasn’t on the Lep album either.

This time around we get a British Lion song called “One More Chance to Run” off their self-titled album. The Down ‘N’ Outz tackle this one with some major gusto. The guitars are lethal on this one, the heaviness of the opening riff, the crisp, biting notes of other notes. The energy is up to 10 and they dominate the song.

Back to an Ian song with “3000 Miles From Home” which is another acoustic song with the guitars and Joe on vocals. There is a gentleness to it and a sadness. It is a great song, but a little too one-dimensional with the same riff throughout the song.

“Good Times” is up next and this is a cover of The Easybeats classic done by Mott. It is a high energy, rocking track and a total blast…But…it isn’t as good as the Jimmy Barnes and INXS song as their version is the standard a I hold all other versions too. Joe is great and the music is awesome, but you can’t touch Michael Hutchense and Jimmy together. Sorry Joe. Still, I wouldn’t skip this one if it came on.

The final track is an original from the band. It is “The Flipside of the Shameless Whelk”. It feels incomplete, mostly instrumental and doesn’t seem to have any direction. It feels like an outro or something the band was jamming and threw in for good measure. You hear parts of other songs in it to. It is pretty much nonsense for me.

Track Listing:

  1. Golden Opportunity – Keeper
  2. Storm – Keeper
  3. Overnight Angels – Keeper
  4. Career (No Such Thing As Rock ‘n’ Roll) – Keeper
  5. England Rocks – Keeper
  6. Shouting and Pointing – Keeper
  7. By Tonight – Keeper (1/2 Point)
  8. Apologize – Keeper
  9. Who Do You Love – Keeper (1/2 Point)
  10. One More Chance to Run – Keeper
  11. 3000 Miles From Here – Keeper (1/2 Point)
  12. Good Times – Keeper (1/2 Point)
  13. The Flipside of the Shameless Whelk – Delete  

The Track Score is 10 out of 13 Tracks or 77%.  Let me tell you the production on this is incredible as all the instruments and effects are crystal clear and so full and vibrant.  It is a party in your ears.  Do all the songs work?  No, but the majority of them are pure enjoyment and although not normally a covers band fan, I really dig this one. I am sure most of it is Joe as I love me some Leppard, but the musicianship on here is what really made this so much fun.  They seem to really love what they were doing and appreciate these songs.  It isn’t perfect, but it is worth a listen if you are a fan of anything Mott the Hoople adjacent.  My Overall Score is a 4.0 out of 5.0 Stars.  

NEXT UP: MAN RAZE – ‘PUNKFUNKROOTSROCK’ (2011)

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 Sheffield 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. Cybernauts – The Further Adventures of the Cybernauts (2001)
  49. X (2002)
  50. Hysteria: Classic Albums DVD (2002)
  51. Best of Def Leppard (2004)
  52. Rock of Ages: The Definitive Collection (2005)
  53. Yeah! (2006)
  54. Yeah! Bonus CD with Backstage Interviews (2006)
  55. Songs from the Sparkle Lounge (2008)
  56. Man Raze – Surreal (2008)
  57. B-Sides (2021)
  58. Yeah! II (2021)
  59. Yeah! Live (2021)
  60. CMT Crossroads – Taylor Swift & Def Leppard (2009)
  61. Down ‘N’ Outz -My ReGeneration (2010)
  62. Man Raze – PunkFunkRootsRock (2011)
  63. Down ‘N’ Outz -The Further Adventures of… (2014)
  64. Def Leppard (2015)
  65. The Lost Session (2018)
  66. Personal Jesus 7″ Single (2018)
  67. Down ‘N’ Outz -This is How We Roll (2019)
  68. Hits Vegas: Live at Planet Hollywood – Vinyl (2020)
  69. Hysteria: Live – Vinyl (2020)
  70. Def Leppard Acoustic Vegas – 10″ Vinyl (2020)
  71. Down ‘N’ Outz – The Music Box E.P. (2020)
  72. Diamond Star Halos (2022)
  73. High & Dry – Picture Disc (RSD) (2022)
  74. Drastic Symphonies (2023)
  75. Drastic Symphonies – Picture Disc (2023)
  76. Definitely: The Official Story of Def Leppard (2023)
  77. Def Leppard – ‘One Night Only: Live at The Leadmill’ (RSD) (2024)
  78. “Just Like ’73” – 7″ Single (2024)

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!

September 2021 Purchases – Vinyl & CDs

Published on by 2loud2oldmusic42 Comments

Can’t believe it is time for another monthly wrap-up. This year has flown by in almost a blink. October wasn’t as fruitful as other months although it was still pretty good. I only actually hit a record store once during the month. The rest were all bought online whether Amazon, Discogs or directly from the artist.

The first batch is from a trip my daughter and I made to the local antique mall. This mall is really great as it has several booths strictly related to vinyl and that is always where I ended up spending all my time. My daughter wants to look at vintage clothing. It is sad when clothes from when I grew up is now vintage, but that is another story. First up are two Aerosmith releases. One I had on CD, but I had really been looking for a decent vinyl version and finally got one. The other release is a 12″ Maxi Single for “Dude (Looks Like a Lady)”.

The other two items were 12″ Singles for ZZ Top and Bon Jovi. The Bon Jovi is an E.P. and one I had only seen on Mike Ladano’s site when he wrote about a couple years ago. When I saw it, it was an easy decision.

There was only one more vinyl purchase for the month and this one is the coolest. It is the brand new E.P. from Billy Idol called ‘The Roadside’. I’ve ready written a review for it so you can check it out HERE!!!!!. This one is special because it is autographed by the man, the myth, the legend, Billy Idol. You know when you get some autographs they send a picture insert that the artist signs? Well, they do. Except for Billy. Billy sends an actual album jacket with no album and signs the jacket. Then they send a separate sealed album. Strange, but okay.

And that was the last of the vinyl for the month. The rest are all CDs. I have a wishlist on Discogs and this month, I decided each week I was going to buy something from that list. Easy enough right? Except when you decide which seller to use and find out they actually have several items from that artist that are on your list or other artist and that is where the trouble ensues. I figured, well, I have to buy them all because I will save a ton on shipping…and I’m right. There were three shipments and most were Jeff Scott Soto releases because I am wrapping up my purchases before we start the Jeff Scott Soto series in January 2022! It will be a great way to kick off the new year. Here is what I got…

And then there were a few more…and these last 3 came from France. I didn’t read the listing very well and didn’t realize he shipped these without their cases. I guess that is why the shipping was so cheap from France. Luckily I had some empty cases laying around.

Now a few of the first picture I bought and wound up buying stuff from another artist because I saved on shipping. It was two of Joe Elliott’s Down ‘N Outz side project that I had on CD at one and no longer do…but I do again…long story, sad, don’t won’t get in to it!!

And another purchase I ended up buying a Bonus E.P. from Needtobreathe’s album ‘Hard Love’ which I forgot I didn’t actually have on CD. What was I thinking. It is sealed and I’m trying to decide if I will keep it that way…

Then using MyPoints gift cards, I picked up a couple free things on Amazon. They are both from a band called Tait. The lead singer is Michael Tait formerly of the band DC Talk. His voice is like butter. He sounds like Nat King Cole, but rocks out. Really cool stuff. One of the CDs arrived sealed and autographed by the band. I must not have read the description too well because I don’t remember reading it was autographed. Cool enough. And thanks to Lori for getting rid of it.

And the very last thing I got were a couple of CDs from my pal who I mentioned earlier, Mike Ladano or LeBrain from the The LeBrain Train. He was kind enough to send me the new Max the Axe E.P. and threw in the debut Cars CD which for some reason I didn’t have on CD. I do on vinyl, but nice to have a remastered version as well. Thanks Mike. Now, the Max the Axe CD you just read about on Monday so you know all about that one now.

Not a bad haul I guess. It is just weird that most of these I bought online and not from an actual record shop. I hope I get to hit one or two in October. I know there is record show on October 9th, so I will at least hit that. Until next time, happy purchasing!! Here is everything one more time…

November 2020 Purchases – Vinyls & CDs

Published on by 2loud2oldmusic25 Comments

October wasn’t even over before I bought more records, however, the October Purchase post was already done and I wasn’t about to go back and update, too much work. I wrote the post on the October Record Store Day and there was one album I didn’t get that I wanted (well there were two, but I didn’t get the second one). I did get it through another local record store. And when I went and picked it up on that Sunday, I saw another record I didn’t have that was in the new arrival used bin and it was sealed and less than $20 so I bought it.

The RSD record was from the Joe Elliott band Down ‘N Outz…I love the cover with the eerie clown and it almost looks 3D at this angle.

Continue reading “November 2020 Purchases – Vinyls & CDs” →

October Purchases – Vinyl & CDs

Published on by 2loud2oldmusic10 Comments

I realized I have been making a lot of purchases and yet not everything makes its way on to the site.  I figured I would do a wrap up each month of all my purchasing I have made even if they made it on the site during the month or even might make it on to the site down the road.

And this month started out with a bang!  A brand new record store opened up in Charlotte, NC called Noble Records.  They opened on October 5th which was a Saturday and because of that I got their bright and early.  Not grand opening 10am early, but I got there before 11am.  I had to take my daughter to her tutoring class at 10 and family comes first…then vinyl…sorry then God, then vinyl!!  Okay, maybe more order is skewed, but you get it.

I found two album I have been wanting and I had to grab them as I don’t seem them that often and one was a first pressing (not the RAGE album).

IMG_1240
Rage Against the Machine ‘Renegades’ and The Allman Brothers Band at Fillmore East (1st pressing pink label)

I then found two more albums one I for some reason didn’t have in my collection as it is one of the most popular albums of the 70’s and the other is a 12″ Single from Stryper just in time for Christmas.

IMG_1241
Meat Loaf ‘Bat of out Hell’ and Styper’s single “Reason for the Season”

Continue reading “October Purchases – Vinyl & CDs” →

Friday New Releases – October 8th

Published on by 2loud2oldmusic22 Comments

Another great Friday of new releases this week.  I’m telling you this is shaping up to be a great month.  I have another item this week on order that will hopefully be there when I get home from work.  We have lot of Rock this week which is always good, but so much so that there is no way I will get to it all…ever!  My choices are highlighted in Blue.  Let me know what I missed and what you might be interested in hearing.  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful music weekend.  I know I will!!

  • michaelsweettencd  Michael Sweet – Ten – (Frontiers Records):  Lead singer of Stryper is here with his 10th solo release…10 is hard to believe, but it is true. I just did a Michael Sweet album ranking and can’t wait to see where this falls on the list.  I am hoping for some hard and heavy stuff.  Check out the song below and go gran this one.

  • 71yVfmGk8RL._AC_UL115_.jpg  Eclipse – Paradigm – (Frontiers Records):  I love this band.  This Swedish rock band is now on their 8th album and it is pure melodic rock, glam rock, hair metal bliss.  They seem to be getting better with age kind of like a fine wine.  Give them a try.

Continue reading “Friday New Releases – October 8th” →

Friday New Releases – December 1st

Published on by 2loud2oldmusic40 Comments

We are now in December and only 24 more days until Christmas.  Here are some great gifts to give…new album releases!!!  There is a wide variety of music this week so there might be something for everyone today.  My picks are highlighted in Blue.  What do you see that you like and want to get from Santa???  Let me know. Also, if you want to purchase an album, you can easily click on the link below the album and it will take you straight to iTunes.

  • 91wwrHTyssL._AC_UL115_  Chris Stapleton – From A Room: Volume 2 – (Mercury Nashville):  I am so glad there is a Volume 2 because ‘From A Room: Volume 1’ was sensational.  I am looking forward to what he taps into for this one because if it is anything like the outlaw country / southern rock vibe of the first one, you will be in for a treat.

  • 616S2tyrKrL._SS500  Down ‘N Outz – The Further Live Adventures of… – (Frontier Records):  Joe Elliott from Def Leppard returns with his side project that celebrates the music of Mott the Hoople, British Lions & Ian Hunter.  This time it is a live concert and another reminder of how great their music was.  It deserves to be celebrated.  As a Joe fan, no brainer for me.

Continue reading “Friday New Releases – December 1st” →