While the first song I ever heard by Def Leppard was "Rocket" from Hysteria, the first new album I bought immediately after it was released was Adrenalize. The first single off said album was "Let's Get Rocked." At one point in the song, the following words are sung: "It was Chopin, Mozart, Beethoven. It makes me wanna scream. Bach, Tchaikovsky, violins - turn it off, that ain't my scene." Well, 31 years later, that is Def Leppard's scene - as they've teamed up with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra to produce their 14th album, Drastic Symphonies.
The British rock trio Muse has taken over the top spot as my all-time favorite band. One reason for that is their brilliant mesh of rock and classical music. There's just something about the combination of rock 'n' roll and orchestras which create an almost indescribably epic experience. Having said that, while I was excited to hear my former favorite band, Def Leppard, attempt to mesh the two genres together, I also wasn't as optimistic about the project as I would be from the aforementioned band, Muse. Muse is known for experimentation - especially when it comes to classical music. Def Leppard? Not so much.
Fortunately, the fears were unwarranted, as the Def Leppard and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra combined to produce one of the greatest sonic experiences in the British rock legends' 40+ year career. Here's a track-by-track breakdown, with the grades in parentheses:
1. "Turn to Dust" (7.5/10): What an interesting way to start the album - a song from the oft-criticized Def Leppard-tried-to-go-grunge record, Slang. This rendition is smooth, catchy, and in my opinion an improvement over the original. It seems to get better with every listen. Don't be surprised to see my grade increase to an 8 at some point. Also, while it may not have been very popular at the time of its release, Slang has aged much better than many of us thought. If you haven't already, I'd recommend giving it another look.
2. "Paper Sun" (10/10): Def Leppard's 1999 album, Euphoria, was their attempt to reestablish themselves after the poor showing of Slang. In my opinion the album felt too forced at times, and didn't contain those famous melodic hooks for which made Def Leppard famous. In addition to possibly "Promises," this was the exception. Along with "White Lightning," "Paper Sun" may be the most underrated Def Leppard track. Not only is it catchy, it's powerful - goosebump-inducing even. The two Phil Collen solos toward the middle and latter portions of the song are two of his very best. Even before this new album was released, "Paper Sun" was one of the best songs in the vaunted band's 40+ year history. Somehow, with the inclusion of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the song became even better. No, I didn't think it was possible either. Not only is this rendition of "Paper Sun" the best song on Drastic Symphonies, I think it's the best song the band has ever released. Perfect. Simply perfect.
3. "Animal" (6/10): That brings me to the Hysteria-heavy section of this record. Honestly, if the band does decide to release a second volume, I hope they stray away from Hysteria. That album was so brilliantly produced as it was, any significant orchestral changes to it tends to diminish the overall quality. Here's one example of that. In the first two songs, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra gelled effortlessly well with the band. That wasn't the case here. There's just something about the tempo which feels off to me. I will say the song has grown on me some (not literally), and I respect the risk they took in creating such a drastically different sound for this song, but for the first time in the opening three tracks, I definitely prefer the original to this version. Not bad, but not great either.
4. "Pour Some Sugar On Me" (2/10): I think the song "Cry" off X may have been my least favorite Def Leppard track. Until now. This takes the cake, and not a tasty one. First off, this isn't your favorite local cover band's version of "Sugar;" it's a stripped down version, where Joe Elliott teams up with Emm Gryner to... I don't even know what to call it. The two pair up to sing "Pour Some Sugar On Me" in a slow, almost country-lullaby fashion. I'm sorry; I appreciate musical experimentation more than most, but this just doesn't do it for me. It comes across almost like self-parody. If you haven't heard it yet, just try to imagine a person singing the lyrics to "Sugar" in a soft, almost country-lullaby manner: "Love is like a bomb, baby, c'mon get it on. Livin' like a lover with a radar phone. Lookin' like a tramp, like a video vamp. Demolition woman, can I be your man?" You're laughing right now, aren't you? Trust me; you're not the only one. I started cracking up the first time I heard it too. I'm sorry, guys, but this is awful, full of awf. Fortunately, it's the only bad song on an otherwise brilliant album - so I'm just going to pretend it doesn't exist. Moving on...
5. "Hysteria" (10/10): Of the five Hysteria tracks here, this one works the best. Unlike "Animal" and "Pour Some Sugar On Me," the changes here are subtle, and don't detract from the brilliant production of the original. To be perfectly honest, while I know critics often hail this as one of the top 2 or 3 best Def Leppard songs of all time, I was never very high up on it. That is until now. This rendition blows the original right out of the water, literally (if the song had been roaming about in water in the first place and this song just up and kicked its ass on out). Beautifully done.
6. "Love Bites" (9/10): The changes made to this track aren't excessive either, which helps make it work better than "Animal" and "Pour Some Sugar On Me." Said changes aren't as smooth and complementary as those in "Hysteria," though, so it doesn't quite rise to that level. Great song, though, and perhaps an ever so slight improvement on the original.
7. "Goodbye For Good This Time" (9.5/10): If there's a song which possesses such minimal changes you're forced to listen closely to it and the original to notice any differences, this is the one. I already love the original, though, so it works for me.
8. "Love" (10/10): Here's another underrated gem. It hails from the band's 2008 album, Songs From the Sparkle Lounge. I've personally always loved this song, as it's seemingly Def Leppard's take on a Queen/Zeppelin hybrid. All which was lacking in the original were more ear-catching verses. Well, problem solved. An already amazing track has been improved tenfold. Well done.
9. "Gods of War" (8/10): Like with the title track of Hysteria, I never seemed to enjoy this tune quite as much as fans and critics alike. Well, while I may still not enjoy it at quite the same level as other fans and critics, I can now say I hear you and see where you're coming from. The almost militaristic drum beat at the outset steals the show. Good song.
10. "Angels (Can't Help You Now)" (7/10): Here's a song from the band's 2022 album, Diamond Star Halos. While I thought the album was solid from start to finish, this was one track which didn't leave much of an impression on me either way. With the inclusion of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, it's definitely improved - to the point where I keep telling myself, "Maybe I should give the original another chance."
11. "Bringin' On the Heartbreak" (9.5/10): Not a whole lot is changed here, but like with "Love Bites," the subtle changes work fairly well, and this already classic tune may have been improved ever so slightly.
12. "Switch 625" (10/10): Steve Clark would approve. F*cking brilliant.
13. "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad" (7.5/10): I was never as crazy about this song as MTV was at one time (yes, they did once play music videos), but the addition of an orchestra fits it perfectly, and the song has gone up from a 6.5 to a 7.5 in my book. No, I still don't need the song "so bad," but maybe once in a while for a quickie.
14. "Too Late For Love" (10/10): If it weren't for "Paper Sun," I think this would be the most standout track on the album. Like with "Paper Sun," the changes here were evident, but not drastic (no, no pun intended). The fan favorite starts more slowly than does the original, and builds in an almost prog-rock fashion, before the 2023 Joe Elliott duets with the 1983 Joe Elliott during the goosebump-inducing chorus. Once again, here's a song which I thought could never be proved, and yet again I was thankfully proven wrong.
15. "When Love & Hate Collide" (8/10): The orchestral element here is similar to "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad." The changes are minor, but beautiful. Crazily enough, this marks the 13th time over the course of 15 songs where I prefer this album's rendition to the original song ("Animal" and "Pour Some Sugar On Me" being the exceptions).
16. "Kings of the World" (8.5/10): This was a new track released on Mirrorball. It's reminiscent of Queen, and while the lyrics are admittedly pretty cliche-ridden, it's sonically catchy, powerful, and memorable. I think this version is a slight improvement on the original, but for those who haven't heard the original, I'd highly recommend you give it a gander as well. Underrated, almost unheard of track.
Overall (132.5/160): 5 out of 5 stars
I've heard some fans complain about the song selections for this album, but I couldn't disagree more. Not all songs work well with an orchestra. I have a difficult time seeing the likes of: "Let's Get Rocked," "Make Love Like a Man," "Rocket," "Armageddon It," "Rock of Ages," "Photograph," or "Foolin'," amongst others, being sonically pleasing when combined with an orchestra. I find it refreshing the band chose a few hidden gems, which only die-hard fans would know. Their singles are great, but while singles tend to be the most radio-friendly songs on their respective albums, they're also often times not the best. Excluding "Pour Some Sugar On Me," this was a seemingly perfect blend of hit singles and hidden gems. Neither Def Leppard nor the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra came across as overshadowing the other. Like orange and cream, they combined to form the perfect mix, complementing the other - only helping to enhance their already magnificent strengths. I already acknowledged I've got a thing for the mesh of rock and classical music, so I'm sure that plays into it, but Drastic Symphonies is now my favorite Def Leppard album - doing the seemingly impossible and dethroning High 'N' Dry. I only hope there's a volume 2. Oh, but please no more sugar. I've already had enough lumps of it.
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