Hysteria - Def Leppard

...when after the gentleness of Hysteria and a soft cuddle with your new fella. It'll either having you reach for the volume knob to turn it up or turn it down. I liked it, simply because it was fun, after such a serious track. It tells you to 'stand up' We're back almost into bop mode again.

The last track 'Love and Affection' could have been another 'Hysteria' but it seems to lack something, I think because it sounds so similar. It ...
...think thats what spoils it. Its again gentle and reflective. It doesn't have the same broodiness of 'Hysteria'. It would have felt better on a follow up album. It's still a good piece to finish an album but not a rock album. They were essentially a commercial rock band unlike others, they had chosen to conform, whether it was to make money or get popular fast. One feels that previous albums, 'On through the night' and 'Pyromania' seemed to be true ... more

Wembley arena, Spring 1988, Myself and a small gathering of school mates got together and bought tickets to see Def Leppard live. Dad drove us there, a two hour drive from our homes in south of Surrey in our old VW camper.

The journey was spent spraying glitter into our back combed hair and applying far too much frosted pink lipstick. By the time we wobbled out of the van in heels we couldn't walk in, we looked more like the extras in an amateur version of the Rocky Horror Show.

We were thrilled to see a mass of tight jeans and blonde perms jumping about on stage with youthful energy and screamed at the tops of our voices to all the numbers we knew from the album 'Hysteria'. It was their tour of Britain to promote the new album. My tape version, played to death, finally gave up the ghost only a couple of years ago. I immediately went out to the nearest shop and bought it on CD. For anyone, like myself, a victim of eighties commercial rock, it was a dire need to purchase and for anyone who hasn't got a clue what I am talking about; then this was the album that (some) Def Leppard fans had been hoping for...

We are brought into the first track by a fading in of guitars like the tentagles of a jelly fish twisting in water. Then, bang! We are suddenly awoken by a thunder of drums. We are transported from our cosey armchair to the front row of concert, already needing to throw ones arms in the air. A strong, slow drum beat takes over the rest of the track. Joe Elliot's lead vocals are extraodinarily high and the backing is certainly of the same screaming height. 'Women' is a robust opening track, but the listener may feel an urge to want to hear the track get going alittle bit more. Not quite bordering on durgey but almost there.

The Second track is 'Rocket' which with its fighter pilot voice intro may leave you expecting the same slow, heavy beat as the previous. A bomb or such goes off then we smile when the track picks up and lifts the listener's foot to start tapping. I feel that, perhaps these two tracks should have been swapped around. The main lyric sounds as repetative as 'Women' with its one word and a 'yeah!'. Still, we stick with it even though the 'verses' seem too speeded up in tempo as if Joe has a lot to say, and not enough time to say it in. An okay instrumental; an interesting climbing piece entwining drums and voices. The track comes to a rather abrupt closing with a simple one word again followed by yet another 'yeah.' Almost the intro but backwards....

The third comes on, 'Animal', and the listener regains consciousness and exclaims, I know this one! It has gone down in a small corner of history as one of those tracks that will always stick to them. Its the track that everyone will remember them by.
So far, we have been subjected to one word tracks. At least this one has character, alittle more charm but the listener feels that this is an ablum where the band hadn't quite decided on how an instrumental break should sound. One will smile at Joe's little chuckle at the ending, a nice touch.

In track number four we are introduced to the pensive, loved and lost side of Def Leppard. Although the opening line will have you frowning.. 'When you make love, do you look in the mirror...' I can't think of anyone I have ever met who has done that... Still, its a typical rock band's stab at something meaningful. It was never memorable, and probably one that you will eventually skip over. By the lyrics, you wonder if any of them has ever had a good time.

At Last, track five has the listener back in an upright position. 'step inside, walk this way..you and me babe, hey hey!' We could be fooled that this could have been pinched from Aerosmith, but we would be seriously wrong, We are reminded that it could be Mr Rick Allen on drums who is the very back bone of this band. All good rock bands need and rely heavily on a sound drummer. When at the Arena, It hadn't been that long since Mr Allen lost his arm in a horrific car accident, yet the drive that this man had to keep in the band has made him even more the force that holds the tracks together than ever before. He, at the gig performed the longest and most magnificent drum solo I had ever heard (he now uses foot pedals on his drum kit to compensate.) The entire audience were frozen to the spot by this one armed genius. We are, or course back to, in this track to the trade mark slow, plodding drum beat. If one has never seen them live, you get the feeling that they are natural live performers. 'Pour Some Sugar On Me'. Is a great title and could only be at home on a rock band song. Its suggestive but not offensive.

The listener could find the next track, track six 'Armageddon It' far more suggestive, especially when voices come together and Joe asks, are you getting it? And the band replies, 'Yes, im a getting it...' The beat is slightly more middle of the road than the rest of the album. Good backings and lead that again are tight and flow beautifully back and forth.

God's of War is track seven, (or if you're listening on tape, its the first track on side two!) Not a personal favourite. The band have rather got us bopping happily so far, now, we should be sitting ourselves down to something more serious and humourless. The opening line, 'feeling like its all over,' doesn't put us at ease, but by this time into the album, we are starting to trust Def Leppard, and we know that they will not have us reaching for the razor blades. Yes, its has a war theme, but it could be about any type of battle. One gets the impression that it is both physical and emotional. Yet, the final piece allows us to feel that its probably to do with the Americans losing at something... although Mrs Thatcher can be heard speaking briefly. Lots of bombs and an odd helicopter, and good peiece of work, but the message doesn't appear out of it too well enough.

Still on the theme, the next and eighth track is called 'Don't Shoot Shotgun'. Again, another title that could only be used by a group of screaching guitars and moppy long hair. One might think that Spinal Tap could have pinched this title given half the chance. They have us 'running for cover' but by the end of the track we understand that its women trouble again. Again, alittle middle of the road, but entertainable.

Track nine and the pace really picks up, we wonder where the beat is going to go as it changes three times in the first fifty seconds. Its another track where the boys couldn't make up their minds where they felt the song had a place. I didn't feel that it quite fitted in with the rest of the album, Joe is having lyric trouble again, its a confusing track as one can't figure out what the theme is. Another that could be skipped.

Track ten, and also their biggest hit from the album. The title track, and I thought the only song where they had got it right. Its a miracle fusion of great, thoughtful lyrics, not too much guitar, the drum beat is softened and it works. Its a timeless track and probably not played enough even now. Its slow but not like an awful rock ballad where bands feel uncomfortable. It rolls along and flows with some grace. The ending comes together with a simple loop of guitar that fades beautifully out and into;

'Excitable'. 'are you excitable?' followed by heavy panting.. not what you want to hear when after the gentleness of Hysteria and a soft cuddle with your new fella. It'll either having you reach for the volume knob to turn it up or turn it down. I liked it, simply because it was fun, after such a serious track. It tells you to 'stand up' We're back almost into bop mode again.

The last track 'Love and Affection' could have been another 'Hysteria' but it seems to lack something, I think because it sounds so similar. It bares the mark of 'its been done before' and I think thats what spoils it. Its again gentle and reflective. It doesn't have the same broodiness of 'Hysteria'. It would have felt better on a follow up album. It's still a good piece to finish an album but not a rock album. They were essentially a commercial rock band unlike others, they had chosen to conform, whether it was to make money or get popular fast. One feels that previous albums, 'On through the night' and 'Pyromania' seemed to be true Def Leppard. One understands that it was 'Hysteria' that earned them the real big bucks.

As a first time listener its worth the money, one can find this album still holding its price even after nearly twenty years. As I have written this, I feel quite differently about the album than when I first heard it all those years ago. To me, it is sitting within a world of its own, but to others, then general appeal would not be there and all they will hear is something thats dated.

As a piece of personal history, it is a diamond.

©sam1942
also on Dooyoo 2006 

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