The 30th Anniversary of Def Leppard's "Pyromania" !!!

Yes, another post about Def Leppard and their awesomeness.  
I'm sorry, I can't help it.

Def Leppard released their third studio album, Pyromania, on January 20th, 1983. This album was produced by "Mutt" Lange (the production on this album is damn near perfect) and is the first Def Leppard album to feature Phil Collen. It's also the last Def Leppard album to feature Pete Willis on guitar. Pete was fired midway through the recording of this album, however his rhythm guitar tracks were still used on all of the songs. Phil came in and completed the solos and whatever guitar parts that Pete wasn't able to finish. Steve Clark, Pete Willis, AND Phil Collen playing on this album definitely contributes to the badassness of this album. Oh, and Thomas Dolby played the keyboard on this album! Pyromania achieved huge success. Between the melodic hooks, the perfect harmonies, and heavy MTV exposure, this album was massive! It has sold over 10 million copies here in the US, and is certified diamond.

This album is brilliant. This album is absolutely badass. Pyromania is one of the greatest albums of all-time. If (for some reason?) you do not own this album, I highly suggest you go out and buy it. Everyone NEEDS to have this in their record collection. I'm not bias, either... everyone seriously needs to own this album. 

There is not a bad song on this album. Pyromania is absolute perfection.

The tunes:

Track 1: "Rock! Rock! (Til You Drop)" - The album's opener. This is a fabulous album opener. The song has a semi-slow start but it picks up at about 30 seconds in. This is a classic rock anthem... an underrated, classic rock athem. The riff is killer and the drumming is absolutely perfect; which are two things that remain consistent throughout the album. 

 Track 2: "Photograph" - Hands down, one of the greatest songs ever written. Musically and lyrically. This song is absolute perfection. The song starts off with that iconic riff... a riff that still causes many goosebumps. The song is catchy as hell and the solo is luscious... luscious but just a tad short. Joe's vocals on this song are superb. This song was the album's first single... and the video/song was a huge hit on MTV.

Track 3: "Stagefright" - Another fabulously underrated song. The song has it's hard rock moments fully equipped with a fast paced... but rolls into some great pop/metal once it reaches the chorus. The solo is great and of good length... the guitar playing in this song is just great overall. The chorus is super catchy, too.

Track 4: "Too Late For Love": - This song is a rockin' slow song, but it is not a ballad. This song was another hit. This song is haunting... absolutely haunting. The song starts off slow and quiet for about a minute, and from then on, it's full-on rock. Great guitar playing, great lyrics, great drumming, great solo... great everything. This served as the album's fourth and final single.

Track 5: "Die Hard the Hunter" - Perhaps the most painfully underrated song on this album. It's one of the best songs on this album. It's also the longest song on the album (6:17). "Die Hard the Hunter" is superb. Absolutely superb. Everything about this song is superb: guitars... the riff... the solo (which is nice and long, btw! I believe it clocks in around 2 minutes long?), the drums, the bass, the lyrics, the vocals, the production. Everything is superb. Also, it's one of the album's more harder songs.

Track 6: "Foolin'" - The album's third single, which was also an MTV favorite. This song kind of has the same vibe as "Too Late For Love", as it starts out slow and quiet but gradually grows into a heavy rockin' tune. "Foolin" starts off with an acoustic guitar followed by Joe's quiet vocals... then the next thing you know, the song starts rocking your face off. It's a hard rock song, the lyrics are great... and catchy. Seriously, I'm not "f-f-f-foolin" (You totally saw that coming).

Track 7: "Rock of Ages" - "Gunter glieben glauchen globen..." This is the heaviest song on the album. This is the most badass song on the album. Most arguably the biggest hit on the album. This was the album's 2nd single... and was another huge hit on MTV. This song is just incredibly badass. That's all I can say. Everything about this song is loud and heavy. The drums are badass. The guitars are badass (the riff and solo are badass). The bass is badass. The vocals are badass. The lyrics are fun... and a bit repetitive... but it's still friggin' fabulous. 

Track 8: "Comin' Under Fire" - Yet another underrated tune... as well as another hard tune. The lyrics are catchy, more so the chorus. More great guitar playing, as well as more great drumming from Mr. Rick Allen.

Track 9: "Action! Not Words" - Sounds like a song that could've been put on the Hysteria album. Pop/Rock at its finest. It's not my favorite song off the album, but in no way is it a bad song. The riff is super catchy and so is the chorus!

 Track 10: "Billy's Got a Gun" - This tune is another hard rocker. The drums shine on this one! The lyrics are great, the guitar playing is great, and I dig the bass line. However, I think the lead vocals are a bit flat. The backing vocals are amazing, though. Overall, this is great song, and a great album closer.

 

So yeah, this album is absolutely superb. Pure perfection. From start to finish, this album is amazing. Pyromania is truly a classic album. A pure hard rock album. Not only is it one of Def Leppard's greatest albums but it's also one of the greatest albums of the '80s... not to mention, one of the greatest albums of all-time. ♥

Peace, Love, & Def Leppard,

~ Lizzy Lepp