By Mark Fisher
For the Times West Virginian
May 07, 2008 04:05 pm
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After 2002’s “X,” most Def Leppard fans resigned themselves to the fact that this band would never be the same again. Gone were the days of rockers like the ones on “High ’N Dry” and “Pyromania” or the big balladry of “Hysteria” and “Adrenalize.” In 2005, however, the band began to blip on mainstream music’s radar again with a high energy, well-produced collection of cover songs entitled “Yeah!”
Apparently reinspired by the unexpected success of “Yeah!” the band returned to the studio to record “Songs From the Sparkle Lounge,” a smooth and sometimes surprising pop rock album that is sure to turn the ears of potential new fans their way.
“Songs From the Sparkle Lounge” for the most part finally gets it right. The last couple of studio albums, “Euphoria” and “X,” while opposite ends of the spectrum, both sounded like a band trying way too hard to recreate past glories. The new album, though, sounds like a band that is finally comfortable with what they have to offer as aging rock icons. They don’t try to remake the insanely successful “Hysteria” here; they just play semi-rockin,’ mid-tempo, pop-oriented tunes and they do it extremely well.
There are a few highlights here. The first notable one is the lead single, “Nine Lives.” Co-written and performed alongside country music superstar Tim McGraw, the song nearly perfects Def Leppard’s even-keeled style while allowing you to see McGraw in a slightly different light. CMT Crossroads, anyone? “Nine Lives” is the song that would likely make or break this album and it definitely makes it.
“Only the Good Die Young” and “Go” are straightforward rockers with enough gentleness to keep from alienating those bothered by the heavy guitar crunch of some of the band’s more popular works. “C’Mon C’Mon” revisits the band’s ’70s glam rock roots and would have fit well (despite the fact that it’s an original) onto the “Yeah!” album.
“Love” is the true-hearted ballad this time around and lead singer Joe Elliot’s emotional voice really brings the song to life. The last few times I have seen this band live he has not sounded his best, so I was pleasantly surprised to hear the Joe Elliot I remember deliver on this song in particular.
Overall, this is not the best album the band has recorded in their extremely long career. It is without a doubt the best album they have made in the last 15 years, however, and you can’t ask for much more than that. With over 65 million albums sold, Def Leppard is a band that doesn’t need to take chances or venture to new musical places, but they do.
“Songs From the Sparkle Lounge” is a diverse collection that succeeds by simply being itself. Def Leppard sound comfortable and ready for another 20 years, a day many fans thought would never come.
“Songs From the Sparkle Lounge” is available everywhere now via Bludgeon Riffola/Island/Ume.
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