― M. Agony Von Bontee (M. Agony Von Bontee), Friday, 25 August 2006 16:46 (seventeen years ago) link
That being said, there are no rules without exceptions, and in the case of hair metal, Def Leppard were among the most obvious exceptions.
Great songs, great harmonies, great production. "Photograph" was a better single, but I still see "Hysteria" as a better overall album than "Pyromania", and certainly one of the better album of the somewhat dodgy music year that was 1987.
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 25 August 2006 20:31 (seventeen years ago) link
― ramon fernandez (ramon fernandez), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 19:51 (seventeen years ago) link
― LC (Damian), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:51 (seventeen years ago) link
― Young Fresh Danny D (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:53 (seventeen years ago) link
― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:59 (seventeen years ago) link
― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 21:00 (seventeen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 21:02 (seventeen years ago) link
― Sundar (sundar), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 21:49 (seventeen years ago) link
― LeRooLeRoo (Seb), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 21:52 (seventeen years ago) link
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 21:53 (seventeen years ago) link
Incidentally, why did they release the singles in that order? It makes sense to release two rockers first and then a power ballad, but why "Hysteria" over (at the time) "Love Bites"? Isn't "Love Bites" *clearly* the better/shmaltzier choice for a band seeking a radio hit? Or is this my hindsight talking?
I was a big fan of the album at the time, but didn't get on board (along with millions of others) until "Pour Some Sugar On Me" and didn't even realize that it was the fourth single until months later. So I don't have any firsthand recollection of how the first three singles were received.
― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 22:54 (seventeen years ago) link
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 23:05 (seventeen years ago) link
― M@tt He1geson: Real Name, No Gimmicks (Matt Helgeson), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 23:11 (seventeen years ago) link
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 23:42 (seventeen years ago) link
― ramon fernandez (ramon fernandez), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 23:50 (seventeen years ago) link
No, I meant that if the #3 single was going to be a ballad, why release "Hysteria" instead of "Love Bites"?
― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 23:55 (seventeen years ago) link
― gabbneb (gabbneb), Thursday, 5 October 2006 00:07 (seventeen years ago) link
I'd never seen this vid before -- the one that always used to air featured the band playing on a huge concert stage (IIRC, the same one as the video for "Armageddon It"). The "living room" video looks a bit amateurish, so did they simply film a new one once the album went mega?
― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 20:59 (seventeen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 21:25 (seventeen years ago) link
― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 21:46 (seventeen years ago) link
Animal>Hysteria>everything else on Hysteria
― hearditonthexico (rogermexico), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 22:28 (seventeen years ago) link
dud. dud. dud.
dud. dud. dud. dud. dud. dud. dud. dud.
god, no. def leppard? you've got to be kidding me...potentially the worst band of all time. and I speak from a position of assumed hometown loyalty.
― mister the guanoman (mister the guanoman), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 22:54 (seventeen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 23:03 (seventeen years ago) link
― hearditonthexico (rogermexico), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 23:07 (seventeen years ago) link
― gabbneb (gabbneb), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 23:12 (seventeen years ago) link
― hearditonthexico (rogermexico), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 23:22 (seventeen years ago) link
― Josh in Chicago (Josh in Chicago), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 23:53 (seventeen years ago) link
it is my birth name, yes. and although I was brain-baffled by an excess of red wine last night, which led to some overly vicuperative spouting off, I stand by my statement. horrible band. the kenny G of rock.
― mister the guanoman (mister the guanoman), Thursday, 12 October 2006 06:57 (seventeen years ago) link
― Charlie Howard (the sphinx), Thursday, 12 October 2006 11:07 (seventeen years ago) link
― Euai Kapaui (tracerhand), Thursday, 12 October 2006 11:23 (seventeen years ago) link
― ramon fernandez (ramon fernandez), Thursday, 12 October 2006 11:48 (seventeen years ago) link
1. photograph2. animal3. now4. armageddon it5. hysteria
all of those songs are catchy, melodic, and even get me nostalgic
― Charlie Howard (the sphinx), Thursday, 12 October 2006 11:58 (seventeen years ago) link
― Marmot (marmotwolof), Tuesday, 7 November 2006 19:22 (seventeen years ago) link
― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Tuesday, 7 November 2006 19:25 (seventeen years ago) link
― Marmot (marmotwolof), Tuesday, 7 November 2006 19:42 (seventeen years ago) link
Stumpus Maximus is, in fact, the band's tour manager Malvin Mortimer, and "The Good Ol' Boys" are Def Leppard. It's not a regular version of the old Engelbert Humperdinck song. With every verse, Stumpus is singing higher, until the end when he does nothing but screaming. It was meant as a joke, and was released as the B-side of the "Rocket" single and other singles.
Malvin became somewhat of a celebrity in '88 when some DJ's in Greece began playing the b-side instead of the usual A-side.
― Marmot (marmotwolof), Tuesday, 7 November 2006 20:24 (seventeen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 7 November 2006 21:46 (seventeen years ago) link
― tk (tk), Tuesday, 7 November 2006 22:57 (seventeen years ago) link
― Marmot (marmotwolof), Tuesday, 7 November 2006 23:27 (seventeen years ago) link
Yes. (Now that I finally have it too.)
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 15 January 2007 04:38 (seventeen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 15 January 2007 05:02 (seventeen years ago) link
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 15 January 2007 13:56 (seventeen years ago) link
I'm an idiot.
Whatever. Hysteria doesn't hold a candle to Pyromania. That is all.
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 15 January 2007 13:57 (seventeen years ago) link
So Hysteria: dud for production, classic for the actual songs, and doesn't vaguely measure up to the preceding two albums.
― EZ Snappin (EZSnappin), Monday, 15 January 2007 15:38 (seventeen years ago) link
And all these weird CoolEdited, Pro-Tooled, compressed rock records from Nickelback and P.O.D. that get released these days can all trace their family tree back to this record. God bless Rick Allen for having heart in the face of adversity, but a one-armed man does not belong on the drummer's stool for a rock record. I've got factory preset drumtracks on my cheap four-track at home that have more soul than Rick Allen's drumming.
And keep in mind that I LIKE Def Leppard.
― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Monday, 15 January 2007 17:16 (seventeen years ago) link
The fact that, as is noted above, the design theme of the album appears to have been Tron just makes it all the cooler.
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 15 January 2007 17:32 (seventeen years ago) link
― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Monday, 15 January 2007 17:45 (seventeen years ago) link
alex totes OTM....pyromania is a better pop record AND a better hard rock record than hysteria. better singles, mo' rockin' jointz.
high n' dry is hella underrated too.
i've never heard on thru the night, but i'm afraid it can't live up to that huge guitar haulin' big rig cover.
― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Monday, 15 January 2007 17:58 (seventeen years ago) link
Pyromania is the only good reason to love Def Leppard. Maybe High 'n' Dry. I can see the kitsch/horror appeal of Hysteria (and the appeal is VAST, don't get me wrong), but I'm perfectly happy to let other people enjoy those terrible laffs.
Plus the associations are bad. When people who annoy me sober get drunk, they seem to LOVE THE SHIT out of Hysteria. Bro slapping, titty-shaking purgatory. Makes it hard to join the hug circle.
― Adam Beales (Pye Poudre), Monday, 15 January 2007 18:11 (seventeen years ago) link