1 00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:18,640 Speaker 1: Hello everybody, and welcome to the Surely Can't Be Serious podcast, 2 00:00:18,879 --> 00:00:22,719 discussing and debating the iconic and the forgotten of eighties 3 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:24,600 and nineties pop culture with. 4 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:33,200 Speaker 2: Your co hosts James D. Graves and Jason Colvin. All right, 5 00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:34,640 welcome back everybody. 6 00:00:34,679 --> 00:00:37,840 Speaker 3: We are Jason and d from the Shirley You Can't 7 00:00:37,880 --> 00:00:41,759 Be Serious Podcasts coming to you live from Sheffield, England. 8 00:00:42,200 --> 00:00:45,960 I am in my Union Jack sleeveless shirt and Jason 9 00:00:46,039 --> 00:00:49,079 is in his Union Jack shorts with no shirt at all. 10 00:00:49,479 --> 00:00:51,600 We are here to go toe to toe and rock 11 00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:54,640 and roll with def Leppard and the comparison of the 12 00:00:54,679 --> 00:00:57,520 Pyromania album and Hysteria. 13 00:00:57,960 --> 00:01:00,240 Speaker 4: I'm so excited to do this. This is I've had 14 00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:03,439 a love affair with these two albums for almost forty 15 00:01:03,520 --> 00:01:05,920 years now and frankly, there's only one way we can 16 00:01:05,959 --> 00:01:15,519 start this podcast. Yeah, even out and gool. We're going 17 00:01:15,599 --> 00:01:17,680 to talk about the history a little bit of def Leppard, 18 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:21,560 the tragedy and the blessings that they had, and then 19 00:01:21,599 --> 00:01:25,079 we're going to go through these two hugely impactful albums 20 00:01:25,079 --> 00:01:25,840 of the nineteen eighties. 21 00:01:25,879 --> 00:01:26,719 Speaker 3: I'm super excited. 22 00:01:26,799 --> 00:01:29,719 Speaker 4: That would mean maybe the most defining sound of the 23 00:01:29,799 --> 00:01:30,519 nineteen eighties. 24 00:01:30,560 --> 00:01:35,159 Speaker 3: Absolutely like there are a handful of bands that defined 25 00:01:35,159 --> 00:01:37,760 what rock and roll sounded like in the nineteen eighties, 26 00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:40,159 and this is one of those, one of those. 27 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:43,120 Speaker 4: Bands, without a doubt, without a doubt. So step inside, 28 00:01:43,239 --> 00:01:43,760 walk this. 29 00:01:43,719 --> 00:01:45,480 Speaker 3: Way, you and me, babe. 30 00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:54,359 Speaker 4: Let's start with just kind of a pre story, how 31 00:01:54,400 --> 00:01:56,560 DEFL was formed and how it kind of came about 32 00:01:56,599 --> 00:01:57,680 and win and all that stuff. 33 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:00,599 Speaker 3: Sure, there's a whole big I mean, there's a big 34 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:03,799 story that leads up to Pyromania. And it starts with 35 00:02:03,879 --> 00:02:07,319 Joe Elliott as a young teenage boy with dreams of 36 00:02:07,319 --> 00:02:10,439 becoming a rock star, and he decides he wants to 37 00:02:10,479 --> 00:02:12,360 have a band. He wants the band to be called 38 00:02:12,599 --> 00:02:19,840 Deaf Leopard spelled properly, and he makes posters and learns 39 00:02:19,879 --> 00:02:22,960 how to play the guitar and has these dreams. And 40 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:25,759 then one day he misses his bus and he happens 41 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:29,439 to meet this guy named Pete Willis, and Pete Willis 42 00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:31,800 starts talking to him and they realize, hey, we both 43 00:02:31,879 --> 00:02:33,560 like music. Pete Willis had a band. 44 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:36,360 Speaker 4: Called Atomic Mass, right, he had been in that band 45 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:38,680 with Rick Savage and Tony Kinning. 46 00:02:38,639 --> 00:02:41,520 Speaker 3: And so they invite Joe Elliott to come and try 47 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:44,120 out for the band. Joe wants to play guitar with him. 48 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:47,719 When they first put Atomic Mass together, Rick Savage played 49 00:02:47,719 --> 00:02:50,919 the guitar, Pete Willis played the guitar, and Tony Kinning 50 00:02:51,159 --> 00:02:55,280 played the drums. Rick Savage said, well, I don't play 51 00:02:55,319 --> 00:02:57,240 guitar as good as you, so I guess I'll play 52 00:02:57,280 --> 00:02:59,199 the bass because we have to have a bass. We 53 00:02:59,240 --> 00:03:03,080 can't have two guitar bass. And so he started playing 54 00:03:03,080 --> 00:03:05,560 the bass and brought Joe Elliott in. They said, well, 55 00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:07,759 why don't you sing and let's see what you got. 56 00:03:08,479 --> 00:03:11,520 His audition was Stairway to Heaven. Okay, So as he 57 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:15,719 sang Stairway to Heaven when it goes up at the end, 58 00:03:16,319 --> 00:03:19,639 Joe stayed low and they were all like, well that 59 00:03:19,719 --> 00:03:22,120 was great, except he didn't go up. 60 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:24,840 Speaker 4: What's the deal? And so he didn't really fancy himself 61 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:28,159 a singer initially, but he would soon learn right. 62 00:03:28,719 --> 00:03:31,599 Speaker 3: So they weren't in love with his voice, but they 63 00:03:31,599 --> 00:03:33,919 thought he had a good voice. They were in love 64 00:03:34,039 --> 00:03:38,120 with his dream and his passion for becoming a huge success, 65 00:03:38,599 --> 00:03:40,240 and that's really what got him the job as the 66 00:03:40,319 --> 00:03:40,919 lead singer in the. 67 00:03:40,919 --> 00:03:43,560 Speaker 4: Band, and really what drives Steph Leppert today. I mean, 68 00:03:43,599 --> 00:03:45,879 he's the engine that makes it go. And he doesn't 69 00:03:45,919 --> 00:03:48,080 have a terrific voice. I mean, he's got a good 70 00:03:48,159 --> 00:03:51,120 rock voice, and I think Mutt Lane kind of got 71 00:03:51,159 --> 00:03:51,960 the most out of it. 72 00:03:52,879 --> 00:03:55,039 Speaker 3: So, Jason, tell me, do you remember the first time 73 00:03:55,080 --> 00:03:56,199 you heard these guys. 74 00:03:56,439 --> 00:03:59,919 Speaker 4: Yes, I have a very clear memory of when I 75 00:04:00,159 --> 00:04:03,000 heard these guys for the first time. It was after 76 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:06,199 High and Dry, So in nineteen eighty three, I'm bebopping 77 00:04:06,280 --> 00:04:08,800 in my fifth grade class, mister Hoover's class. If you've 78 00:04:08,800 --> 00:04:12,520 listened to our episodes before, I was mister Thriller. 79 00:04:12,159 --> 00:04:12,840 Speaker 3: Mister Thriller. 80 00:04:12,879 --> 00:04:15,520 Speaker 4: I loved Michael Jackson. I love Thriller. And I had 81 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:18,199 this guy that came to my school and he's like, 82 00:04:18,639 --> 00:04:21,519 Thriller's great, But have you heard these guys? And I 83 00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:24,519 saw the album cover, I'm like, I mean, it's a 84 00:04:24,519 --> 00:04:27,160 cool album cover, but I think I'm gonna stick with 85 00:04:27,199 --> 00:04:30,079 Michael Jackson. He's like, no, no, no, no, no, you got to 86 00:04:30,120 --> 00:04:30,959 listen to this song. 87 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:31,360 Speaker 3: At least. 88 00:04:31,439 --> 00:04:34,000 Speaker 4: I'm like, all right, I'll listen. I mean, I'm seriously 89 00:04:34,040 --> 00:04:35,720 Michael Jackson and he's like, no, Well, you got to 90 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:45,920 listen to this song. So he plays Photograph and I'm like, 91 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:50,319 that sounds amazing. That song's amazing. And that's how I 92 00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:52,199 got hooked in was Photograph. 93 00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:55,319 Speaker 3: So your introduction to the band was Pyromania back in 94 00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:58,000 the early eighties. Yes, my introduction to the band. And 95 00:04:58,120 --> 00:05:01,720 I say introduction, I'd heard them, you know, I had MTV, 96 00:05:01,959 --> 00:05:04,920 so I had heard bits and songs, but it was 97 00:05:04,959 --> 00:05:08,319 never an investment for me. I never bought an album. 98 00:05:08,519 --> 00:05:12,240 But in eighth grade, I went to my first high 99 00:05:12,279 --> 00:05:15,519 school dance. And if you guys went to high school 100 00:05:15,560 --> 00:05:17,680 dances when you were a kid, you can imagine the 101 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:20,639 fear and the nervousness and whether you should dance and 102 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:24,000 whether you should not dance, and slowly you get your 103 00:05:24,040 --> 00:05:26,480 courage up. And that was what was happening that night. 104 00:05:26,519 --> 00:05:28,439 And I had these girls coming up and talking to me, 105 00:05:28,480 --> 00:05:32,360 and I was like, this is awesome. And then you know, 106 00:05:32,439 --> 00:05:34,560 they convinced me to come out and dance, and we're 107 00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:36,800 dancing in a big circle and that's getting to the 108 00:05:36,879 --> 00:05:40,800 end of the night. And then the DJ says, and 109 00:05:40,879 --> 00:05:44,800 now the song that you've all been waiting for, and 110 00:05:44,839 --> 00:05:47,720 they crank up pour some sugar on me and the 111 00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:50,199 entire gymnasium rough. 112 00:05:52,920 --> 00:05:54,399 Speaker 4: You wouldn't be babe. 113 00:05:57,000 --> 00:06:01,319 Speaker 3: And people are going crazy. So my my first wow, 114 00:06:01,439 --> 00:06:03,240 hey this is a band I need to be listening 115 00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:05,759 to was Hysteria. Was pour some Sugar on. 116 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:08,319 Speaker 4: I think that that was probably a lot of people's 117 00:06:08,360 --> 00:06:11,720 introduction because I mean, the summer of nineteen eighty eight, 118 00:06:11,839 --> 00:06:15,720 poor some sugarman own the airwaves, yeah, and dominated that. 119 00:06:15,800 --> 00:06:18,079 I remember dial MTV. You could call and request your 120 00:06:18,079 --> 00:06:20,600 favorite video. It was like number one for like three months. 121 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:25,279 Speaker 3: So when we started to do this, what I said 122 00:06:25,279 --> 00:06:28,759 to myself is, I've never never had the album Pyromania. 123 00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:30,759 I know some of the song cluff of it, but 124 00:06:30,920 --> 00:06:32,959 I'm going to treat it like I'm that kid from 125 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:36,839 long ago. I imagined myself, my young self, if I 126 00:06:36,839 --> 00:06:39,560 had been a teenager listened to this type of music 127 00:06:39,720 --> 00:06:42,959 in the early eighties, get the album bring it Home. 128 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:45,000 I'm going to put my headphones on, I'm going to 129 00:06:45,079 --> 00:06:48,519 crank it up. And I gotta say I was blown away. 130 00:06:48,639 --> 00:06:52,040 I was like, holy crap, this is really really good. 131 00:06:52,120 --> 00:06:55,839 Even now, what is it nearly forty years later? Yeah, yeah, 132 00:06:55,879 --> 00:06:59,279 it's still amazing. I was floored. 133 00:06:59,439 --> 00:07:02,160 Speaker 4: It's a pop metal masterpiece. 134 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:02,680 Speaker 3: Yeah. 135 00:07:02,879 --> 00:07:06,319 Speaker 4: So in January nineteen seventy eight, Steve Clark he joined 136 00:07:06,360 --> 00:07:08,759 the band. Yeah, he played Freebird for him and they 137 00:07:08,759 --> 00:07:10,439 were like, well, this guy's really good. 138 00:07:10,319 --> 00:07:12,279 Speaker 3: Right, played it from beginning to end. And if you 139 00:07:12,319 --> 00:07:17,399 don't know Freebird, Freebird is Lynyrd Skynyrd's signature song. That is, 140 00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:21,120 depending on which version, nine to ten minutes long. And 141 00:07:21,160 --> 00:07:24,560 so you can imagine a you know, young, long haired, 142 00:07:24,959 --> 00:07:28,480 skinny kid rocking out on one of the most well 143 00:07:28,519 --> 00:07:31,639 known guitar solos for a solid ten minutes and they 144 00:07:31,639 --> 00:07:32,120 were hooked. 145 00:07:32,160 --> 00:07:35,120 Speaker 4: I don't play guitar, but in guitar hero. Yeah, that 146 00:07:35,240 --> 00:07:36,199 was the hardest. 147 00:07:35,839 --> 00:07:40,680 Speaker 3: Song on that Well, yes, that's I think I'd say 148 00:07:40,680 --> 00:07:43,360 that's an accurate reflection of how how difficult it is. 149 00:07:43,879 --> 00:07:47,360 But they not only were amazed by his guitar playing, 150 00:07:47,439 --> 00:07:49,759 but he had the right look. He came in with 151 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:53,399 no shirt, just a jeans jacket on, had long blonde 152 00:07:53,439 --> 00:07:56,439 hair slung his guitar hung it way too low so 153 00:07:56,480 --> 00:07:58,240 that he had to pick it up and move it, 154 00:07:58,279 --> 00:08:00,160 and there was just a motion in a dance to 155 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:03,519 his playing. And then of course he had that amazing 156 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:06,199 ability So there you go. They've got their second guitarist, 157 00:08:06,600 --> 00:08:09,600 they've got their bass player, they've got their singer, and 158 00:08:09,639 --> 00:08:11,800 they've got their drummer for a while. 159 00:08:11,759 --> 00:08:14,360 Speaker 4: Except the drummer decides that hanging out with his girlfriend 160 00:08:14,399 --> 00:08:17,879 is more important than being in the defining metal band 161 00:08:17,920 --> 00:08:18,519 of the eighties. 162 00:08:18,560 --> 00:08:23,560 Speaker 3: He and Rick Stone, I'm sure, commencer, Yeah, Rick Stone, 163 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:24,319 yeah yeah. 164 00:08:24,360 --> 00:08:26,040 Speaker 4: If you don't know who Rick Stone is, go back 165 00:08:26,079 --> 00:08:30,199 and listen to Van Halen episode one. Right, But here's 166 00:08:30,199 --> 00:08:32,360 a funny story. So there's a young kid in the 167 00:08:32,399 --> 00:08:34,720 area named Rick Allen, Richard Allen. 168 00:08:35,080 --> 00:08:37,679 Speaker 3: He's fifteen years old, fifteen. He'd started playing drums when 169 00:08:37,679 --> 00:08:39,639 he was nine or ten years old, so he was 170 00:08:39,799 --> 00:08:43,639 a decent drummer, and even at fifteen, had said the 171 00:08:44,279 --> 00:08:48,080 drummers around here suck and the bands suck. And then 172 00:08:48,399 --> 00:08:51,960 after Tony left the band, def Leppard put out a 173 00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:56,399 one ad and it said Leopard loses skins. 174 00:08:57,840 --> 00:09:00,159 Speaker 4: And Rick Allen said, hey, look at this, Mom, will 175 00:09:00,200 --> 00:09:01,120 you call the band for me? 176 00:09:01,159 --> 00:09:04,600 Speaker 3: And hey, mom, hey mom, will you will you call 177 00:09:04,679 --> 00:09:05,399 these guys? 178 00:09:05,840 --> 00:09:07,480 Speaker 4: I'd like to play drums. 179 00:09:09,320 --> 00:09:11,759 Speaker 3: But he's good, he's fantastic. 180 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:14,519 Speaker 4: And he's right place, right time. Jumps on the opportunity 181 00:09:14,600 --> 00:09:15,879 and he becomes their jar. 182 00:09:16,080 --> 00:09:19,399 Speaker 3: Right, and then just what a few short years later 183 00:09:19,559 --> 00:09:24,519 they're opening for Ozzy Osbourne and Billy Squire. I mean, 184 00:09:24,559 --> 00:09:27,919 can you imagine a young kid being involved with that 185 00:09:28,039 --> 00:09:29,679 kind of star power. 186 00:09:29,919 --> 00:09:32,279 Speaker 4: At his age? Yeah, it's incredible. Yeah, I have a 187 00:09:32,320 --> 00:09:34,559 fifteen year old home. I barely let him feed the dog. 188 00:09:38,840 --> 00:09:41,600 So they rehearse and they rehearse, and they rehearse and 189 00:09:41,639 --> 00:09:42,159 they rehearse. 190 00:09:42,720 --> 00:09:46,000 Speaker 3: Sheffield, England, where they all come from, is an old 191 00:09:46,080 --> 00:09:49,000 steel town. It's steel factories everywhere. If you live in 192 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:50,679 the town, you're pretty well going to be working in 193 00:09:50,679 --> 00:09:53,919 a factory somewhere, that's right. And they ended up rehearsing 194 00:09:53,960 --> 00:09:57,519 in an old spoon factory and we're there for nine 195 00:09:57,559 --> 00:09:59,720 months or something like that, And finally. 196 00:10:00,159 --> 00:10:02,440 Speaker 4: Steve Clark went to Joe Elliott and said, Joe, listen, 197 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:05,159 if we don't play a gig, I'm quitting, right, I'll 198 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:06,080 go find somebody else. 199 00:10:06,440 --> 00:10:09,120 Speaker 3: Right. He's like, we're polishing and polishing and polishing, and 200 00:10:09,159 --> 00:10:11,080 I can be in here ten years and we're still 201 00:10:11,080 --> 00:10:20,039 polishing the same songs. So it's interesting because you get 202 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:21,960 the impression from the band that they want to be 203 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:24,440 perfect before they go out into the world. They've obviously 204 00:10:24,480 --> 00:10:26,360 got this drive that they don't want to put out 205 00:10:26,399 --> 00:10:28,919 a bad product. But it's interesting that he's the one 206 00:10:28,960 --> 00:10:31,399 that says this to them, because he's ultimately the one 207 00:10:31,440 --> 00:10:33,799 that ends up dealing with the biggest stage fright once 208 00:10:33,840 --> 00:10:34,639 they get really big. 209 00:10:34,679 --> 00:10:42,080 Speaker 4: It is interesting. Yeah, So Joe Elliott borrows two hundred 210 00:10:42,080 --> 00:10:44,279 and fifty bucks from his dad and they create an EP. 211 00:10:44,639 --> 00:10:47,919 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's They ended up selling twenty four thousand records, 212 00:10:47,919 --> 00:10:50,159 which I mean, if you just think about a group 213 00:10:50,200 --> 00:10:53,120 of teenage kids spent a two hundred and fifty bucks 214 00:10:53,120 --> 00:10:55,159 to press out an album and they sell twenty four 215 00:10:55,320 --> 00:10:58,080 thousand of them. I mean, if I could sell twenty 216 00:10:58,120 --> 00:11:02,639 four thousand songs, I'd be like in Evan. And they 217 00:11:02,639 --> 00:11:05,320 get an album that's a pretty significant hit. 218 00:11:05,360 --> 00:11:08,519 Speaker 4: And that leads to their next album, which their debut 219 00:11:08,559 --> 00:11:10,440 album technically is called On Through the Night. 220 00:11:14,159 --> 00:11:17,080 Speaker 3: Right. This is the first professionally produced album. Yes, this 221 00:11:17,159 --> 00:11:19,159 is the one where they've signed with the record label 222 00:11:19,240 --> 00:11:21,000 and the record label is producing their album. 223 00:11:21,159 --> 00:11:23,919 Speaker 4: This is released in March of nineteen eighty has a 224 00:11:23,960 --> 00:11:27,879 song Hello America, which is kind of famous gave kind 225 00:11:27,879 --> 00:11:29,879 of a bad taste for the locals in England. 226 00:11:29,879 --> 00:11:31,519 Speaker 3: They didn't like it. It's yeah, it's kind of sad. 227 00:11:31,559 --> 00:11:33,840 You know, Sheffield didn't really own this band until they 228 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:36,159 were a really big success. They had a lot of 229 00:11:36,320 --> 00:11:39,679 bad press that they received, which is unfortunate, but they 230 00:11:39,679 --> 00:11:41,639 had aspirations to get out of the town anyway, so 231 00:11:41,799 --> 00:11:43,000 it worked out right well. 232 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:45,080 Speaker 4: This album On Through the Night caught the attention of 233 00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:45,639 this guy. 234 00:11:45,519 --> 00:11:50,480 Speaker 3: Named Robert John mutt Lang Mutt Lang or if you 235 00:11:50,720 --> 00:11:58,320 are from Sheffield, Langa. 236 00:11:55,480 --> 00:11:58,720 Speaker 4: And this guy is when he calls them. Yeah, he's 237 00:11:58,720 --> 00:12:00,720 a celebrity. I mean he had produce is Highwaight to 238 00:12:00,799 --> 00:12:02,600 Hell Yeah and Back in Black. 239 00:12:02,440 --> 00:12:05,879 Speaker 3: Yeah, which I mean, holy smokes, right, I mean, come on, 240 00:12:06,159 --> 00:12:09,559 but if you look at his library of work, you've 241 00:12:09,559 --> 00:12:12,399 got ACDC and def Leppard, but you've also got Shanaia 242 00:12:12,480 --> 00:12:16,840 Twain who ended up marrying Taylor Swift, Brian Adams. I mean, 243 00:12:17,080 --> 00:12:20,240 there's a whole slew of genres that he deals with 244 00:12:20,360 --> 00:12:23,320 and he is, without question, one of the biggest keys 245 00:12:23,360 --> 00:12:24,080 to their success. 246 00:12:24,279 --> 00:12:26,360 Speaker 4: Absolutely, if I took you and I said, all right, 247 00:12:26,440 --> 00:12:29,919 grab acdc's entire catalog, pick their best album, it's going 248 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:31,840 to be produced by mut Lane. Yes, if I say, 249 00:12:31,919 --> 00:12:34,960 take the entire cars catalog, Yeah, pick their best album, 250 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:38,720 Heartbeat City, yes, Mutlane. 251 00:12:39,639 --> 00:12:39,960 Speaker 3: Okay. 252 00:12:40,039 --> 00:12:42,159 Speaker 4: So when they get in the studio with Mutt Lane, 253 00:12:42,480 --> 00:12:45,120 they produce an album called High and Dry. So it's 254 00:12:45,159 --> 00:12:48,200 their first commercial effort. I mean it does pretty well, 255 00:12:48,240 --> 00:12:49,759 sells two or fifty thousand copies. 256 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:53,399 Speaker 3: Again, I mean it got into the top twenty albums 257 00:12:53,440 --> 00:12:58,320 in the UK and Top fifty in the US I believe. 258 00:12:58,559 --> 00:13:01,960 But the way of music back then, even after all 259 00:13:01,960 --> 00:13:05,200 that success, the band wasn't making enough money to have 260 00:13:05,480 --> 00:13:06,919 being a band as their only job. 261 00:13:07,080 --> 00:13:09,840 Speaker 4: I mean, Joe Elliott talks very publicly about having a 262 00:13:09,879 --> 00:13:12,639 top fifty album in the United States and having to 263 00:13:12,679 --> 00:13:13,840 work at a construction site. 264 00:13:13,960 --> 00:13:15,799 Speaker 3: Right, Yeah, we don't have any money left. You're going 265 00:13:15,879 --> 00:13:17,840 to have to go do some real work. 266 00:13:17,919 --> 00:13:23,159 Speaker 4: So that's crazy. So High and Dry is released July eleventh, 267 00:13:23,240 --> 00:13:24,159 nineteen eighty one. 268 00:13:24,639 --> 00:13:31,240 Speaker 3: Just before the inception of MTV and then another key, 269 00:13:31,440 --> 00:13:32,080 another key. 270 00:13:32,320 --> 00:13:35,799 Speaker 4: It's huge in their in their career. Yeah, they're spot 271 00:13:35,960 --> 00:13:38,200 on ready when MTV hits. 272 00:13:38,120 --> 00:13:42,120 Speaker 3: Right, So Joe Elliott is working construction jobs after having 273 00:13:42,120 --> 00:13:45,080 this big album. But as it turns out they recorded 274 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:47,960 a video for one of the songs off of High 275 00:13:48,000 --> 00:14:08,679 and Dry called bringing On the Heartbreak. I cannot imagine 276 00:14:08,679 --> 00:14:11,720 a guy who's singing like that, band playing like that, 277 00:14:11,759 --> 00:14:14,080 who's now working construction because they don't have enough money. 278 00:14:14,279 --> 00:14:18,039 It's crazy. But the video that they had fell right 279 00:14:18,080 --> 00:14:21,559 in where it needed to because MTV had. 280 00:14:21,120 --> 00:14:22,000 Speaker 4: They needed videos. 281 00:14:22,039 --> 00:14:23,519 Speaker 3: They said it over and over. They had about two 282 00:14:23,600 --> 00:14:25,919 hundred and fifty videos when they're on their first year, 283 00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:28,879 and so that Bringing On the Heartbreak made it into 284 00:14:28,879 --> 00:14:31,600 the rotation and they played it and played it, and 285 00:14:31,759 --> 00:14:34,240 everybody at that time had started to watch MTV and 286 00:14:34,320 --> 00:14:37,320 people started to go, who is this def Leopard band? 287 00:14:37,399 --> 00:14:39,200 Speaker 4: That's right? Timing is everything? 288 00:14:39,279 --> 00:14:39,639 Speaker 3: Yeah. 289 00:14:39,720 --> 00:14:42,559 Speaker 4: Now they're going back in the studio to record their 290 00:14:42,639 --> 00:14:50,039 third album, Pyromedia. 291 00:14:46,879 --> 00:14:50,960 Speaker 3: Right, and they kind of entered a really specialized deal here. 292 00:14:51,080 --> 00:14:53,559 Mutt Lang had produced that first album and it was 293 00:14:53,639 --> 00:14:58,200 all a regular style of production. He was meticulous about things. 294 00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:00,519 But you can still on high end I hear the 295 00:15:00,639 --> 00:15:03,320 edginess that they had at that time, and they had 296 00:15:03,360 --> 00:15:07,240 been placed in this category called the new wave of 297 00:15:07,399 --> 00:15:11,240 British heavy metal. But listening to even their early stuff, 298 00:15:11,320 --> 00:15:13,519 I wouldn't describe it as heavy metal. I don't think 299 00:15:13,559 --> 00:15:15,720 they ever saw themselves as a heavy metal band. 300 00:15:15,759 --> 00:15:17,519 Speaker 4: And I've heard Joe Eliot say that we have a 301 00:15:17,519 --> 00:15:19,879 lot more in common with Duran Durant right than we 302 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:22,200 do Quiet Riot or ACDC or whatever. 303 00:15:22,600 --> 00:15:25,759 Speaker 3: He really admired the band Queen, and he really admired 304 00:15:25,919 --> 00:15:29,480 David Bowie and the Hoople Mota Hoopl, thank you, Mata 305 00:15:29,519 --> 00:15:32,080 Hoopl and Queen. He loved Queen and that was kind 306 00:15:32,120 --> 00:15:33,720 of the sound that they were going for, kind of 307 00:15:33,720 --> 00:15:37,159 an ACDC meets Queen kind of sound. Never really again 308 00:15:37,200 --> 00:15:38,279 what I would describe. 309 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:40,879 Speaker 4: As metal, all right. So as the recording Pyromania, they 310 00:15:40,879 --> 00:15:44,279 start to have these personal problems within the band, right 311 00:15:44,759 --> 00:15:46,840 that ultimately they've got to deal with. 312 00:15:47,279 --> 00:15:49,759 Speaker 3: So they entered this deal with Mutt Lang where he 313 00:15:49,879 --> 00:15:54,559 basically had complete control over the sound. The first album 314 00:15:54,559 --> 00:15:57,519 that they recorded they had done in thirty days. The 315 00:15:57,679 --> 00:16:00,240 second album that they had recorded, they had done in 316 00:16:00,320 --> 00:16:04,240 twelve weeks. They had been recording on Pyromania. At the 317 00:16:04,399 --> 00:16:08,279 five month mark, five months of recording, they had not 318 00:16:08,480 --> 00:16:12,480 committed one single song to tape. It's incredible, right, Mutt 319 00:16:12,559 --> 00:16:15,759 Lang had a definite vision about what he wanted to happen, 320 00:16:15,919 --> 00:16:19,080 and the mixing board became an instrument for the band. 321 00:16:19,399 --> 00:16:22,200 This is what Mutt Lang did for def Leppard, and 322 00:16:22,559 --> 00:16:27,039 he was the ultimate perfectionist, which for the band meant 323 00:16:27,279 --> 00:16:31,480 agonizing hell. And at some point they said to Steve Clark, hey, 324 00:16:31,639 --> 00:16:34,399 you need to go dry out, buddy. So Steve went away, 325 00:16:34,480 --> 00:16:37,759 which left only Pete Willis to do the guitar parts 326 00:16:37,799 --> 00:16:40,799 for a time. Well, Pete also was a drinker and 327 00:16:40,879 --> 00:16:44,080 didn't handle his liquor as well as Steve Clark did, 328 00:16:44,320 --> 00:16:48,480 and one day came into the studio after a night 329 00:16:48,600 --> 00:16:52,120 of heavy drinking and was still under the influence and 330 00:16:52,320 --> 00:16:55,519 could not could play, couldn't play with a flip. 331 00:16:55,679 --> 00:16:58,440 Speaker 4: I've heard Joylia talk about how in the early days, 332 00:16:58,559 --> 00:17:01,519 Pete Willis, after a little bit too much of the drink, 333 00:17:01,559 --> 00:17:03,840 would readily go into the ring with Mike Tyson. He 334 00:17:03,919 --> 00:17:07,480 was that type of sort of angry drunk Steve Clark 335 00:17:07,680 --> 00:17:10,480 drink twice as much. What was half the a hole 336 00:17:10,519 --> 00:17:13,559 that Pete Willis was, apparently, And so when he couldn't 337 00:17:13,599 --> 00:17:16,559 play and they're trying to impress this guy. 338 00:17:16,759 --> 00:17:18,759 Speaker 3: They had said they had told him over and over 339 00:17:18,839 --> 00:17:21,880 and over, Hey, you can't do this. You know, we'll 340 00:17:21,960 --> 00:17:24,640 let you drink during our stage shows, but you cannot 341 00:17:24,640 --> 00:17:27,720 come into the recording studio drunk. When he does this, 342 00:17:27,799 --> 00:17:29,640 and they you got to think about how long they've 343 00:17:29,680 --> 00:17:34,960 been working their tailoff, long days, killing it. Frustration tears. 344 00:17:35,079 --> 00:17:38,119 And then Mutt Lang comes to Joe Elliott with this 345 00:17:38,279 --> 00:17:41,640 sad attempt at a guitar solo by Pete Willis, and 346 00:17:41,680 --> 00:17:44,319 he says, listen to this, and then he just starts laughing, 347 00:17:44,440 --> 00:17:47,960 laughing to tears. Mutt Lang is laughing to tears at this, 348 00:17:48,519 --> 00:17:52,519 and Joe Elliott isn't laughing at all. He just has 349 00:17:52,559 --> 00:17:56,200 to say, we can't do this. We can't take the 350 00:17:56,279 --> 00:17:58,160 chance that Mutt Lang is going to walk out on 351 00:17:58,240 --> 00:18:00,920 us after all of this work. We can't take the 352 00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:03,640 chance that Pete Willis is going to destroy this album 353 00:18:04,000 --> 00:18:07,599 because of his alcoholism. We have to let him go. 354 00:18:07,839 --> 00:18:09,680 Speaker 4: Said he didn't want Mutlange to think they were a 355 00:18:09,680 --> 00:18:13,279 bunch of losers. They only had one loser, right, so 356 00:18:13,319 --> 00:18:16,279 they gave him the old get out. Yeah, but phil 357 00:18:16,319 --> 00:18:17,960 Colin they hire the same day. 358 00:18:18,160 --> 00:18:21,079 Speaker 3: Yeah, Joe Elliott made a call. Phil Colin had been 359 00:18:21,519 --> 00:18:23,599 playing he'd played for several bands, but at the time 360 00:18:23,640 --> 00:18:26,160 that this occurred, he was playing for a glam rock 361 00:18:26,240 --> 00:18:30,880 band called Girl and they called Phil and he came 362 00:18:30,960 --> 00:18:33,759 over and they said, hey, you know, we've already got 363 00:18:33,799 --> 00:18:36,160 the bulk of these songs done. We just need some 364 00:18:36,200 --> 00:18:38,720 guitar solos. Why don't you go listen to this one 365 00:18:38,799 --> 00:18:40,599 for an hour or two and you know, make up 366 00:18:40,599 --> 00:18:42,839 a guitar solo and let's see how it goes. And 367 00:18:42,920 --> 00:18:46,519 he came back in thirty minutes and executed a perfect 368 00:18:46,599 --> 00:18:49,160 guitar solo. And those are the words of Mutt Lang. 369 00:18:49,519 --> 00:18:51,880 And if Mutt Lang says it's a perfect guitar solo, 370 00:18:52,160 --> 00:18:55,759 you can rest assured it is a perfect guitar solo. 371 00:19:11,720 --> 00:19:13,200 By the time we get to the point that Pete 372 00:19:13,200 --> 00:19:17,279 Willis gets fired, Rick Allen hadn't been playing the drum 373 00:19:17,359 --> 00:19:20,720 for months because m Lang said, I don't want to 374 00:19:20,799 --> 00:19:23,359 use a drummer, I want to use a drum machine. 375 00:19:24,279 --> 00:19:27,759 That's insane. I mean, in nineteen eighties two to say 376 00:19:27,799 --> 00:19:29,839 I want to use a drum machine for a rock 377 00:19:29,920 --> 00:19:34,400 album was crazy. So they would take samples of particular 378 00:19:34,480 --> 00:19:38,079 drum sounds to find the perfect pitch, and then of 379 00:19:38,119 --> 00:19:42,279 course the timing was mechanical, it was precise, it was 380 00:19:42,920 --> 00:19:46,920 uninfluenced by human error. So Rick Allen hasn't played in 381 00:19:46,960 --> 00:19:50,759 several months. They get rid of Pete Willis, they bring 382 00:19:50,880 --> 00:19:53,880 in Phil Colin. They finally say, okay, Rick, come back in. 383 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:55,359 We're going to record some of your drums. 384 00:19:55,440 --> 00:19:55,559 Speaker 4: Now. 385 00:19:55,599 --> 00:19:58,079 Speaker 3: He's like okay, and so he plays for a few minutes. 386 00:19:58,119 --> 00:20:03,279 They're like, okay, hold on, okay, yeah, just hold on, man, Okay, 387 00:20:03,319 --> 00:20:09,079 just listening, still listening, Yeah, just a minute more, Rick, 388 00:20:09,160 --> 00:20:12,559 hold on, And finally he just says, hey, guys, you know, 389 00:20:12,920 --> 00:20:15,240 why don't you have me listen to it and maybe 390 00:20:15,240 --> 00:20:17,799 I can give you my opinion on it. And Mutt 391 00:20:17,839 --> 00:20:20,440 Lang says Rick, when I want your opinion, I'll ask 392 00:20:20,519 --> 00:20:25,680 for it, at which point Rick lost his mind and 393 00:20:26,240 --> 00:20:29,319 took an entire set of drumsticks and chunked it at 394 00:20:29,359 --> 00:20:32,960 the recording studio window. Yes, yeah, he was not happy. 395 00:20:33,200 --> 00:20:34,920 Rick Allen got a little bit of a temper. I 396 00:20:34,960 --> 00:20:38,799 think he does. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I won't say any 397 00:20:38,799 --> 00:20:42,759 more about that, but I could. I mean, I could 398 00:20:42,759 --> 00:20:45,839 see myself losing it in that scenario as well. Yes, 399 00:20:45,960 --> 00:20:48,000 I haven't played for months, you bring me back in 400 00:20:48,759 --> 00:20:51,240 then I'm sitting here waiting on you to do something 401 00:20:51,319 --> 00:20:54,640 that I'm the expert at, and when I offer my help, 402 00:20:54,759 --> 00:20:58,119 you say, essentially, why don't you go outside and play 403 00:20:58,240 --> 00:21:00,200 hide and go screw yourselfing. 404 00:21:00,319 --> 00:21:00,880 Speaker 4: Go screeze? 405 00:21:03,079 --> 00:21:03,440 Speaker 3: All right? 406 00:21:03,519 --> 00:21:07,759 Speaker 4: So Pyramania is released January twentieth, nineteen eighty three. So 407 00:21:07,920 --> 00:21:10,799 the opening track of Pyramania is a song called Rock 408 00:21:10,920 --> 00:21:12,000 Rock Till You Drop. 409 00:21:13,319 --> 00:21:13,559 Speaker 3: To Me. 410 00:21:13,799 --> 00:21:18,160 Speaker 4: This is a great entry song, kickoff song, kind of 411 00:21:18,160 --> 00:21:19,079 like lay your Hands on. 412 00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:20,440 Speaker 3: Me for a bunch of his new jersey. 413 00:21:20,599 --> 00:21:22,920 Speaker 4: Yeah, it's it's the song they played the beginning of 414 00:21:22,960 --> 00:21:27,160 the concert that's like, all right, everybody, let's go high energy, 415 00:21:27,279 --> 00:21:27,960 get fire, army. 416 00:21:28,119 --> 00:21:30,640 Speaker 3: Well, you know, when I first started looking at these guys, 417 00:21:30,720 --> 00:21:33,319 I had heard some people say that back then, when 418 00:21:33,319 --> 00:21:35,519 they're first becoming famous, that they were just an ac 419 00:21:35,720 --> 00:21:39,279 DC knockoff fan, to which I thought, these guys don't 420 00:21:39,319 --> 00:21:42,920 sound anything like ACDC to me. Yeah, but that first 421 00:21:42,960 --> 00:21:47,680 song is definitely very ac DC esque in my opinion. 422 00:21:54,359 --> 00:21:57,759 Speaker 4: So it is a little screechy like ACDC. Right, he's 423 00:21:57,799 --> 00:21:59,799 really leaning on his voice right there. So it's a 424 00:21:59,799 --> 00:22:06,319 great kickoff song to the album one all right, After 425 00:22:06,640 --> 00:22:09,200 Rock rocks. Here you drop, you get the first single, 426 00:22:09,640 --> 00:22:32,720 Photograph down Photograph Picture right. 427 00:22:32,880 --> 00:22:36,960 Speaker 3: So that song that before listening to this album, like 428 00:22:37,079 --> 00:22:40,160 really for the first time, that I was definitely familiar with. 429 00:22:40,720 --> 00:22:43,839 Speaker 4: Oh yeah, this is a song kind of about Marilyn 430 00:22:43,839 --> 00:22:45,240 Monroe if you ever watched the video. 431 00:22:45,559 --> 00:22:49,559 Speaker 3: Well, let's just say that all of the songs on 432 00:22:49,640 --> 00:22:54,359 both of these albums are about sex, guns, and rock 433 00:22:54,400 --> 00:22:57,519 and roll, and the band's life is about sex, drugs, 434 00:22:57,519 --> 00:23:01,240 and rock and roll. So it's it's more sex, more drugs, 435 00:23:01,279 --> 00:23:01,839 more guns. 436 00:23:02,039 --> 00:23:05,000 Speaker 4: Honestly, I think that's being generous because there's a lot 437 00:23:05,079 --> 00:23:08,720 of songs that are about nothing. They're literally about nothing. 438 00:23:08,799 --> 00:23:12,200 Speaker 3: They were not looking to write deep and meaningful songs. 439 00:23:12,359 --> 00:23:14,960 What they wanted. Their goal was to write songs that 440 00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:18,279 were accessible to the general public. So they're not going 441 00:23:18,319 --> 00:23:21,279 to be quoting some j R. Or Tolkien novel in 442 00:23:21,359 --> 00:23:23,640 one of their songs like led Zeppelin. They're not going 443 00:23:23,720 --> 00:23:26,599 to be telling a story about the Bronx like Billy Joel. 444 00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:29,839 This is just what words fit with the melody that 445 00:23:29,880 --> 00:23:32,400 we have and will people be able to sing along 446 00:23:32,440 --> 00:23:32,839 with the song? 447 00:23:32,960 --> 00:23:36,960 Speaker 4: So Photograph is very radio friendly. This is a song 448 00:23:37,039 --> 00:23:39,759 that I could listen to with my parents that first 449 00:23:39,799 --> 00:23:41,960 little I don't know, I don't know what you would call. 450 00:23:42,720 --> 00:23:44,240 What do you think about this? D you need to 451 00:23:44,240 --> 00:23:46,240 come in on this. This is their first little chirp 452 00:23:46,359 --> 00:23:47,240 at the beginning of this. 453 00:23:47,240 --> 00:23:50,279 Speaker 3: Song, So I can't say for sure what that is. 454 00:23:50,559 --> 00:23:53,839 It almost sounds like the guitar being plugged into the amp. 455 00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:57,039 It has that kind of click on where the electricity 456 00:23:57,200 --> 00:24:00,720 hits and it's ging. But no, what I know about 457 00:24:00,720 --> 00:24:03,960 this album, it probably was something that was specifically designed 458 00:24:04,279 --> 00:24:06,400 by Mutt Lag. Yeah, I think you're right about it. 459 00:24:06,440 --> 00:24:08,359 And it sounded like it may even have been a 460 00:24:08,400 --> 00:24:11,799 backwards recording. I'm not entirely sure. I'm speculating completely on that. 461 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:14,319 Speaker 4: So this is the video. A lot of this is 462 00:24:14,319 --> 00:24:16,279 We're going to talk about the song, but the video 463 00:24:16,359 --> 00:24:18,119 is kind of wrapped up with it. This is the 464 00:24:18,240 --> 00:24:21,279 video Joe Elliott. They were still a little bit poor. 465 00:24:21,480 --> 00:24:24,119 This album hadn't broken yet. He was walking by a 466 00:24:24,160 --> 00:24:26,680 store window and he saw the Union Jack T shirt 467 00:24:26,839 --> 00:24:29,519 say it was six ninety nine, so he bod it 468 00:24:29,559 --> 00:24:33,000 was sleeveless Ward in this video. Yeah, and that has 469 00:24:33,119 --> 00:24:35,880 become like the Frankenstrat for Eddie van Halen. 470 00:24:36,039 --> 00:24:40,359 Speaker 3: In America, everybody started buying the Union Jack's sleeveless T 471 00:24:40,480 --> 00:24:44,039 shirts in homage to def Leppard. So in eighty three 472 00:24:44,079 --> 00:24:47,519 and eighty four, this was number one on the US 473 00:24:47,559 --> 00:24:51,480 album Rock Tracks by Billboard. It was number twelve on 474 00:24:51,519 --> 00:24:54,839 the US Billboard Hot one hundred. It was number sixty 475 00:24:54,880 --> 00:24:57,920 eight on the UK Singles Chart and number thirty two 476 00:24:58,160 --> 00:24:59,640 on Canada fifty Singles. 477 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:02,680 Speaker 4: Photograph was a huge song and still a staple when 478 00:25:02,680 --> 00:25:05,799 they play it live. Pete Willis's guitars are still on Photograph, 479 00:25:05,920 --> 00:25:08,640 although Phil Collin actually plays the guitar Solough. It's kind 480 00:25:08,640 --> 00:25:11,240 of interesting this guy who is fired and the guy 481 00:25:11,240 --> 00:25:13,279 who replaced him both play on the same song. 482 00:25:13,240 --> 00:25:16,079 Speaker 3: Right, and just as a credit to the band. Even 483 00:25:16,079 --> 00:25:19,759 though Pete Willis was, you know, fired midway through the 484 00:25:19,799 --> 00:25:23,400 production of this album, they still listed him on the album. 485 00:25:23,480 --> 00:25:26,759 He still got still gets royalties from the album. So 486 00:25:26,880 --> 00:25:28,279 I think that's the stand up thing to do, the 487 00:25:28,359 --> 00:25:29,319 right thing to do for him. 488 00:25:29,440 --> 00:25:38,319 Speaker 4: Yeah for sure. Okay, before we move on from Photograph, 489 00:25:38,400 --> 00:25:40,519 I just want to say, as much as I love 490 00:25:40,599 --> 00:25:45,400 both of these albums, Photograph might be the best song 491 00:25:45,480 --> 00:25:47,039 on either album. 492 00:25:47,039 --> 00:25:49,559 Speaker 3: Okay, I wouldn't agree with that statement. I mean, that's 493 00:25:49,599 --> 00:25:52,960 an obviously perspective statement. I like Photograph, all right, but 494 00:25:53,039 --> 00:25:56,079 there are even songs on this album just from listening 495 00:25:56,160 --> 00:25:58,759 to it for this podcast that I'm going to say 496 00:25:58,920 --> 00:26:00,200 I like better than Photograph. 497 00:26:00,240 --> 00:26:02,200 Speaker 4: Wow. Okay, cool, let's get into it. 498 00:26:02,279 --> 00:26:03,200 Speaker 3: Okay, all right. 499 00:26:03,359 --> 00:26:05,519 Speaker 4: Next track, it's called Stage Cracks. 500 00:26:23,079 --> 00:26:25,640 Speaker 3: Bill Prede is good. I really enjoyed listening to it. 501 00:26:25,799 --> 00:26:27,759 It wasn't one I think I had ever heard before, 502 00:26:28,119 --> 00:26:33,880 but it's got that kind of pumping guitar and then 503 00:26:33,920 --> 00:26:36,200 it when you go into the chorus of the song, 504 00:26:48,240 --> 00:26:50,759 get that the pop feeling. You know that it's not 505 00:26:51,039 --> 00:26:53,480 certainly it's still rock and roll, but it is more 506 00:26:53,559 --> 00:26:57,359 melodic and less hard hitting than your typical rock and 507 00:26:57,440 --> 00:26:58,680 roll song is going to be. At the time. 508 00:26:58,880 --> 00:27:01,799 Speaker 4: You get a little bit of this age live feel. 509 00:27:01,839 --> 00:27:03,240 At the beginning of the show, even though it was 510 00:27:03,319 --> 00:27:04,119 recording studio. 511 00:27:04,160 --> 00:27:06,119 Speaker 3: You get Joe Elliott hitting those high pitches that he 512 00:27:06,160 --> 00:27:09,359 was afraid to hit during his audition. He's letting them down. 513 00:27:09,480 --> 00:27:11,519 He really is still a good song. 514 00:27:11,799 --> 00:27:14,200 Speaker 4: Not a skipper, but not one of the stronger tracks 515 00:27:14,200 --> 00:27:21,839 in the A Somewhere Distance. The track number four too 516 00:27:21,920 --> 00:27:22,720 late for love. 517 00:27:23,039 --> 00:27:27,160 Speaker 3: Love It, Love It. When I was listening to this 518 00:27:27,200 --> 00:27:30,759 one front to back, when this song came on and 519 00:27:30,799 --> 00:27:33,480 they hit that chorus just a little bit into the 520 00:27:33,519 --> 00:27:47,039 song where they're all harmonizing together, answer, I was like, 521 00:27:47,599 --> 00:27:50,119 holy crap, this is good and this is what kind 522 00:27:50,119 --> 00:27:53,119 of defines def Leppard for me. Is this the harmonizing 523 00:27:53,200 --> 00:28:00,680 chorus that they do. It's spot on a million And 524 00:28:00,799 --> 00:28:05,119 obviously I've realized later on this because Lang has built 525 00:28:05,119 --> 00:28:07,480 it brick by brick, and I'm sure he had each 526 00:28:07,519 --> 00:28:10,119 guy singing about one hundred thousand times before he found 527 00:28:10,119 --> 00:28:12,720 the perfect one and then he stacked all those perfects 528 00:28:12,759 --> 00:28:15,160 together and it's it's breathtaking. 529 00:28:15,279 --> 00:28:17,119 Speaker 4: This really is a great song. Yeah, it is a 530 00:28:17,160 --> 00:28:18,359 great song. It's so good. 531 00:28:18,599 --> 00:28:18,799 Speaker 3: Yes. 532 00:28:19,000 --> 00:28:21,720 Speaker 4: This was their fourth release. This was their fourth single. 533 00:28:22,039 --> 00:28:24,640 Yeah made it up to number nine on the mainstream 534 00:28:24,759 --> 00:28:25,400 rock charts. 535 00:28:25,480 --> 00:28:29,279 Speaker 3: I can say that this one and Rock of Ages 536 00:28:29,640 --> 00:28:31,799 are neck and neck for me for being best song 537 00:28:31,839 --> 00:28:32,319 on the album. 538 00:28:32,480 --> 00:28:34,119 Speaker 4: It's hard to argue with this song. I mean, it's 539 00:28:34,559 --> 00:28:37,759 it's so good. I would say that it builds in 540 00:28:37,960 --> 00:28:40,200 strength all the way through the guitar solo. 541 00:28:40,720 --> 00:28:46,200 Speaker 3: Okay, so that introduction with the wind creates this atmosphere, 542 00:28:46,240 --> 00:28:49,519 and then you have this fantastic combination of just a 543 00:28:49,599 --> 00:28:53,759 guitar and Joe Elliott singing, and it's so good and 544 00:28:53,799 --> 00:28:58,400 it brings you in just before that awesome chorus. And 545 00:28:58,480 --> 00:29:01,480 I can remember listening to various songs as I grew 546 00:29:01,559 --> 00:29:05,839 up where they had little whispers that happened behind the scenes. 547 00:29:05,920 --> 00:29:07,680 You know that when you're listening in the rate on 548 00:29:07,720 --> 00:29:10,359 the radio. You don't hear it, but you get headphones 549 00:29:10,440 --> 00:29:13,960 locked in and there's there's this little part. I think 550 00:29:13,960 --> 00:29:16,839 it's in Babe, I'm Gonna leave you, but there's this little. 551 00:29:17,319 --> 00:29:20,039 Speaker 4: Whisper of the lyric right before the lyric. 552 00:29:20,200 --> 00:29:22,119 Speaker 3: And every time I heard it, it'd be like, what 553 00:29:22,160 --> 00:29:26,880 the crowd was that? Yeah, oh gosh, that's on my headphones. Okay, 554 00:29:27,480 --> 00:29:29,799 but you were saying that you listen to this. 555 00:29:29,880 --> 00:29:33,279 Speaker 4: There's a I mean, you have to listen so carefully. 556 00:29:33,359 --> 00:29:35,640 But anytime I'm listening to this, especially when I've got 557 00:29:35,839 --> 00:29:38,319 turned up in my car, yeah, there's a little bitty 558 00:29:39,000 --> 00:29:44,799 baby that happens right before the second chorus. And it said, 559 00:29:44,839 --> 00:29:46,240 I keep there are lots of times I'll be in 560 00:29:46,240 --> 00:29:49,839 the car. I'm like, did my phone just ring this video. 561 00:29:50,519 --> 00:29:53,440 I read that Joe Elliott they filmed this after hanging 562 00:29:53,480 --> 00:29:56,279 out with meat Loaf and Nelton John having champagne. Nice 563 00:29:56,440 --> 00:29:57,799 kind of the benefits of being a rockstar. 564 00:29:57,880 --> 00:30:00,480 Speaker 3: I think I recorded a video after having pain with 565 00:30:00,519 --> 00:30:02,200 meet Loaf and Elton John wants. 566 00:30:02,160 --> 00:30:05,079 Speaker 4: Oh, so the nice Well we both love two Leyfelow. Yeah, 567 00:30:05,119 --> 00:30:07,160 definitely one of the strangest tracks in the album for sure. 568 00:30:09,680 --> 00:30:12,839 All Right, So the next one after that, Diehard the Hunter. 569 00:30:15,599 --> 00:30:18,680 Speaker 3: So Diehard the Hunter is very Pink Floyd to me 570 00:30:18,799 --> 00:30:21,279 when I hear it, you know, the you've got and 571 00:30:21,319 --> 00:30:24,720 it's it's very pre one by Metallica. Yeah, you know, 572 00:30:24,759 --> 00:30:27,200 because you've got the helicopter sounds and the sounds of 573 00:30:27,240 --> 00:30:30,200 war going on, you know, on the wall you've got 574 00:30:30,279 --> 00:30:33,400 helicopter and that one as well. And even but even 575 00:30:33,440 --> 00:30:37,400 the guitar as it comes in, you've got an acoustic 576 00:30:37,440 --> 00:30:39,599 I believe, I'm not sure. I believe it's a twelve 577 00:30:39,640 --> 00:30:44,200 string guitar playing and the melody that's played is very 578 00:30:44,240 --> 00:30:47,640 reminiscent of Pink Floyd. And you've get the gunshots, You've 579 00:30:47,680 --> 00:30:49,480 got this idea of war, and then you hear these 580 00:30:49,519 --> 00:30:51,640 kind of like laser shots, which you're like, well, is 581 00:30:51,680 --> 00:30:54,799 this helicopter or spaceship? What am I hearing here? But 582 00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:57,400 it's another solid track. 583 00:30:57,480 --> 00:31:01,559 Speaker 4: Very very good. In fact, what you're describing, the exact 584 00:31:01,640 --> 00:31:05,799 thing that you're describing could describe God's of War on hysteria. 585 00:31:05,880 --> 00:31:08,759 You have sound effects. Now, Gods of War took it 586 00:31:08,799 --> 00:31:10,880 to the next level where you got Ronald Reagan talking 587 00:31:10,880 --> 00:31:12,799 to Margaret Thatcher and some other stuff. We'll talk about 588 00:31:12,799 --> 00:31:16,160 that one here in a little bit, but it's very similar. 589 00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:18,000 Speaker 3: Right, I can say for sure, and I've even heard 590 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:20,599 the band members say it. We're picking things that we 591 00:31:20,680 --> 00:31:22,960 like from other bands and we're taking those and making 592 00:31:23,000 --> 00:31:23,480 them our own. 593 00:31:23,559 --> 00:31:24,240 Speaker 4: Oh for sure. 594 00:31:24,319 --> 00:31:26,359 Speaker 3: I mean, if Edi van Halen can do it, anybody 595 00:31:26,359 --> 00:31:28,440 can do it, right. But I think that they've definitely 596 00:31:28,480 --> 00:31:31,319 taken some stuff. Pink Floyd, for example, made it their own, 597 00:31:31,359 --> 00:31:34,160 and I think that possibly Metallica took some of this 598 00:31:34,200 --> 00:31:35,759 one and made it some of their own well. 599 00:31:36,039 --> 00:31:39,599 Speaker 4: As we have discussed, and we'll discuss further, the album 600 00:31:39,640 --> 00:31:43,519 Pyromania set in motion pop metal for the rest of 601 00:31:43,559 --> 00:31:45,960 the eighties into the nineties. I would argue that this 602 00:31:46,079 --> 00:31:49,319 is one of the most influential. This gave us hair metal. 603 00:31:50,119 --> 00:31:54,519 Speaker 3: It really did. Yeah, it really brought a different type 604 00:31:54,720 --> 00:31:57,279 of rock in And you know, we talked about the 605 00:31:57,279 --> 00:32:01,240 fact that rock was disappearing, it was dying. So luckily 606 00:32:01,400 --> 00:32:05,039 we have in America, we have Van Halen. In Britain, 607 00:32:05,279 --> 00:32:08,359 we have def Leppard, who's coming to America where we 608 00:32:08,440 --> 00:32:12,920 also have MTV. It's perfect little pieces coming together. And 609 00:32:13,160 --> 00:32:16,319 to throw back to our original episode again, you have 610 00:32:16,480 --> 00:32:20,720 record producers that are an integral part of the sound 611 00:32:20,920 --> 00:32:23,200 of the band. You know, we talked about thriller than 612 00:32:23,240 --> 00:32:26,200 looking for the sonic sound. There's no question that Mutt 613 00:32:26,240 --> 00:32:29,440 Lang was trying to do the same thing for rock music. 614 00:32:29,680 --> 00:32:32,079 And what a perfect time to do it. When MTV 615 00:32:32,240 --> 00:32:35,799 is like, we want rock, we're tied at disco. We 616 00:32:35,920 --> 00:32:38,480 don't want to hear punk. We want some rock music 617 00:32:38,519 --> 00:32:41,240 and we want some cute boys and videos to go 618 00:32:41,319 --> 00:32:43,279 along with it. Enter def Leppard. 619 00:32:43,400 --> 00:32:44,680 Speaker 4: You just say cute boys. 620 00:32:44,440 --> 00:32:49,440 Speaker 3: And cute boys and videos. All right, everybody listen, I've 621 00:32:49,480 --> 00:32:55,200 got five kids. I am secure and saying there was 622 00:32:55,440 --> 00:33:00,279 a draw that this band had that not many others. 623 00:33:00,359 --> 00:33:04,759 That we're playing hard rock music hat and that's that's documentable, 624 00:33:05,160 --> 00:33:09,799 sixty percent of the audience in any given Death Leoppard 625 00:33:09,839 --> 00:33:14,720 concert is going to be women, and frequently hot women. 626 00:33:14,839 --> 00:33:17,240 Speaker 4: That's right, and that was something new for rock music. 627 00:33:17,319 --> 00:33:18,440 While we're talking about. 628 00:33:18,240 --> 00:33:21,160 Speaker 3: It as far as hard rock goes, Yeah, the predominant 629 00:33:21,200 --> 00:33:23,119 audience for hard rock at that time is going to 630 00:33:23,119 --> 00:33:26,799 be pimply faced guys with dark hair and torn up shirts. 631 00:33:26,880 --> 00:33:30,480 Right enter Death Leopard and suddenly the girls are like, Oh, 632 00:33:30,519 --> 00:33:32,240 I think I like hard rock too. 633 00:33:32,319 --> 00:33:34,079 Speaker 4: It was such a great time for rock and roll 634 00:33:34,200 --> 00:33:35,039 there really. 635 00:33:34,880 --> 00:33:38,119 Speaker 3: Was, yeah, especially for the guy. 636 00:33:38,920 --> 00:33:41,400 Speaker 4: All Right, everybody hit stop on your tape player, kick 637 00:33:41,400 --> 00:33:44,039 it out, flip it over side to. 638 00:33:43,960 --> 00:33:47,480 Speaker 3: Side too, or flip over the LP if you will. 639 00:33:47,519 --> 00:33:50,680 Speaker 4: That's flip the LP there. All right. So now we're 640 00:33:50,720 --> 00:33:54,920 on to the third single released, which is called Foolin' 641 00:33:55,200 --> 00:33:57,400 love It. Let's listen to it, the stuttering song. 642 00:34:05,599 --> 00:34:11,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, the foolin is a hook. Okay. So this is, 643 00:34:11,280 --> 00:34:15,480 as Jason would describe it, a summer drive in, top down, 644 00:34:15,960 --> 00:34:21,280 windows down, radio turned up. This song comes on the radio. 645 00:34:21,400 --> 00:34:23,360 You are cranking this thing up and letting the wind 646 00:34:23,360 --> 00:34:27,800 blow in your hair, absolutely and you're singing along folen 647 00:34:29,480 --> 00:34:33,199 So as cool as this song is, and I mean you, 648 00:34:33,280 --> 00:34:36,239 this is such as you would describe it a radio 649 00:34:36,320 --> 00:34:39,320 friendly song. This is a song that you're gonna latch onto. 650 00:34:39,440 --> 00:34:41,800 It doesn't matter whether you're into rock and roll or 651 00:34:41,880 --> 00:34:45,440 disco or punk. You hear this and you're like, this 652 00:34:45,480 --> 00:34:48,480 is a good freaking song. And then the miid the 653 00:34:48,519 --> 00:34:52,599 video and I don't know, this is like the perfect 654 00:34:53,320 --> 00:34:56,360 example of the nonsense videos that we would see on 655 00:34:56,480 --> 00:35:01,480 MTV from time to time. Somebody, some at some point said, 656 00:35:01,599 --> 00:35:05,800 why don't we start the video with a girl in 657 00:35:05,840 --> 00:35:09,519 a mask playing the harp who's on fire? 658 00:35:10,639 --> 00:35:12,679 Speaker 4: What a great idea. What I love it? 659 00:35:12,719 --> 00:35:13,119 Speaker 1: I love it. 660 00:35:13,159 --> 00:35:13,559 Speaker 4: Tell me what. 661 00:35:14,039 --> 00:35:19,800 Speaker 3: Let's chain Joe Elliott down like he's Frankenstein and we'll 662 00:35:19,920 --> 00:35:21,960 angle him backwards so we're getting a full view of 663 00:35:21,960 --> 00:35:23,559 his crotch as the camera. 664 00:35:23,360 --> 00:35:25,320 Speaker 4: Comes in, and his massive white pants. 665 00:35:25,440 --> 00:35:27,679 Speaker 3: Yeah, his pants that are way too high. He's got 666 00:35:27,719 --> 00:35:31,480 mom jeans on her. And then just in the middle, 667 00:35:31,559 --> 00:35:34,480 we're going to have this really creepy lady look at 668 00:35:34,519 --> 00:35:38,239 the moon as if it is a crystal ball. That 669 00:35:38,400 --> 00:35:41,039 sounds fantastic. We are willing to spend our money on 670 00:35:41,039 --> 00:35:42,599 that video. Yeah, for sure. 671 00:35:43,320 --> 00:35:46,039 Speaker 4: The videos at this time were a little bit strange. 672 00:35:46,079 --> 00:35:48,440 I mean even photograph. You have all those girls that 673 00:35:48,480 --> 00:35:51,000 are in the cages. You know, Oh my gosh, Joe 674 00:35:51,039 --> 00:35:53,880 does that giant split jump and right into the camera. 675 00:35:54,519 --> 00:35:56,119 But it was cool at the time, and we ate 676 00:35:56,159 --> 00:36:01,000 it up and I don't know, and reached number nine 677 00:36:01,039 --> 00:36:03,320 on the mainstream Rock chart and number twenty eight on 678 00:36:03,360 --> 00:36:05,840 the Hot one. So it was a It was a 679 00:36:05,840 --> 00:36:12,519 big hit from Yeah and rightly so next is Waving 680 00:36:12,760 --> 00:36:13,880 Lapping Glow. 681 00:36:17,679 --> 00:36:24,199 Speaker 3: All Rock of Ages. Yeah, again, brilliant, brilliant photograph and 682 00:36:24,280 --> 00:36:28,039 Rock of Ages brought this album into the public eye 683 00:36:28,119 --> 00:36:30,840 for sure. And just to you know, a little history 684 00:36:30,880 --> 00:36:32,760 on this song. You know, we talked about they had 685 00:36:32,800 --> 00:36:36,159 no songs written when they started recording Pyromania, and they 686 00:36:36,199 --> 00:36:39,519 had this one they had all melodied out, but still 687 00:36:39,559 --> 00:36:41,440 didn't have the chorus to it. They were just like 688 00:36:42,119 --> 00:36:44,599 da da du, I mean, that was it. They just had. 689 00:36:44,639 --> 00:36:47,920 They were just scatting whatever they did. They're in Mutlang's 690 00:36:47,920 --> 00:36:50,960 recording studio one day they come in the day before 691 00:36:51,280 --> 00:36:53,840 another band has been in there, and maybe they were 692 00:36:53,880 --> 00:36:56,920 recording some hymns, because there happens to be a hymnal 693 00:36:57,239 --> 00:37:01,480 and it's propped open to the song Rock of Ages, 694 00:37:01,800 --> 00:37:04,199 the hymn Rock of Ages, the Rock of Ages, the 695 00:37:04,199 --> 00:37:07,599 one you sing in church. Yes, And so Joe Elliott 696 00:37:07,679 --> 00:37:34,480 sees this book lying there and just sings it. 697 00:37:40,360 --> 00:37:42,400 Speaker 4: Lane says, that's it. That's it, that's what we've been 698 00:37:42,400 --> 00:37:42,840 looking for. 699 00:37:42,960 --> 00:37:45,360 Speaker 3: My golly, that was right. I mean, what a perfect chorus. 700 00:37:45,639 --> 00:37:48,079 Speaker 4: Oh, it's so good. I don't know if you know 701 00:37:48,119 --> 00:37:50,239 this or not. I mean, we can talk about this later. 702 00:37:50,280 --> 00:37:53,119 But it is better to burn out than fade away? 703 00:37:53,239 --> 00:37:54,559 Speaker 3: Oh my gosh, how many people. 704 00:37:54,360 --> 00:37:58,119 Speaker 4: Have said that really Highlander? Right, that scene in Highlander 705 00:37:58,119 --> 00:38:00,880 when he's like, ra better than burnout than to fade away? 706 00:38:01,119 --> 00:38:03,440 Speaker 3: Right, And I'm pretty sure that he got it from 707 00:38:03,840 --> 00:38:07,320 Neil Young as opposed to def Leppard. But you know whatever, 708 00:38:07,760 --> 00:38:09,920 And okay, Pearl Jam does it too. You know, hey, 709 00:38:10,079 --> 00:38:11,400 it's it is timeless. 710 00:38:13,599 --> 00:38:16,480 Speaker 4: Okay. So Rock of Ages did really well. It reached 711 00:38:16,559 --> 00:38:19,719 number sixteen on the Hot one hundred and number one 712 00:38:19,880 --> 00:38:28,760 on the Top Rocks chart. 713 00:38:36,199 --> 00:38:40,280 Speaker 3: Okay. So Phil Collen is a phenomenal guitar player, there's 714 00:38:40,320 --> 00:38:43,840 just no question about. He is technically proficient, really good. 715 00:38:44,320 --> 00:38:47,960 But def Leppard doesn't have a lot of those timeless 716 00:38:48,039 --> 00:38:52,519 guitar solos. It really doesn't have any except for the 717 00:38:52,599 --> 00:38:55,079 song Rock of Ages has a really great and it's 718 00:38:55,119 --> 00:38:58,320 not long, but it's very memorable little guitar solo by 719 00:38:58,400 --> 00:39:03,199 Phil Collin in there. But he's brilliant. He does what 720 00:39:03,280 --> 00:39:05,920 needs to be done. I mean, all of the rock 721 00:39:06,000 --> 00:39:08,400 music that was coming out had these big solos in it, 722 00:39:08,440 --> 00:39:10,960 and everybody was trying to be Eddie van Halen or 723 00:39:11,920 --> 00:39:14,000 you know, trying to recreate the Leonard Skinner and Field. 724 00:39:14,119 --> 00:39:16,440 But this is the one song that you can go, oh, yeah, 725 00:39:16,480 --> 00:39:19,320 I know that, I know that guitar solo. That's a 726 00:39:19,360 --> 00:39:20,480 deaf lever guitar solo. 727 00:39:20,719 --> 00:39:21,960 Speaker 4: One of the things that we need to talk about. 728 00:39:22,000 --> 00:39:26,599 We really haven't covered this, the very very famous intro 729 00:39:26,800 --> 00:39:30,440 the unto gleban glopin Glowman. Right, what does that mean? 730 00:39:30,800 --> 00:39:32,800 Speaker 3: Yeah, it doesn't mean anything. 731 00:39:32,920 --> 00:39:36,159 Speaker 4: It doesn't mean anything, right, And so in the studio 732 00:39:36,400 --> 00:39:38,440 there would you know, Mutt Lane would just beat him 733 00:39:38,480 --> 00:39:40,480 to death and there's this grind. 734 00:39:40,440 --> 00:39:43,920 Speaker 3: But occasionally he would do some levity. Yes, he'd break 735 00:39:43,960 --> 00:39:46,039 it up and be funny from time to time. 736 00:39:46,280 --> 00:39:48,920 Speaker 4: That's how he would sort of crack him up before 737 00:39:49,000 --> 00:39:49,760 the song started. 738 00:39:49,920 --> 00:39:55,639 Speaker 3: Instead of saying one, two, three, four, he said un leader. 739 00:39:55,360 --> 00:39:58,519 Speaker 4: Glob and globin and the rest is the rest is history. 740 00:39:58,519 --> 00:40:00,719 I mean it's rock music, you know. 741 00:40:00,840 --> 00:40:03,719 Speaker 3: Yeah, absolutely so we can't let this one go without 742 00:40:03,760 --> 00:40:08,719 talking about the video once again, early eighties videos. Before 743 00:40:08,880 --> 00:40:13,400 he even starts singing, you've got monks, You've got an owl, 744 00:40:13,760 --> 00:40:16,760 You've got a woman playing chess with a wizard. You 745 00:40:16,880 --> 00:40:20,239 have a tree on fire, and you have Phil Cullens butt. 746 00:40:23,800 --> 00:40:27,239 And let's not forget the smashing goblet and the giant 747 00:40:27,360 --> 00:40:29,840 lightsaber that somehow turns into an electric guitar. 748 00:40:30,960 --> 00:40:34,039 Speaker 4: Joe Elliott is swinging a nine foot lightsaber. 749 00:40:34,199 --> 00:40:36,880 Speaker 3: I wonder if there's some sort of analogy that they're 750 00:40:36,880 --> 00:40:40,519 trying to do euphemism, maybe. 751 00:40:40,159 --> 00:40:44,719 Speaker 4: Very phallic sword in this Oh. I love this song 752 00:40:45,079 --> 00:40:47,360 from the minute I heard it for the first time 753 00:40:47,440 --> 00:40:51,159 off Pyramania. I love the burning sound effects and the 754 00:40:51,960 --> 00:40:54,840 idea of setting fire to stuff that was really cool. 755 00:41:02,840 --> 00:41:04,079 All right, we're done with Rock of Ages. 756 00:41:04,119 --> 00:41:05,840 Speaker 3: I think we're done with Rock of Ages. That leaves 757 00:41:05,960 --> 00:41:08,320 just a couple of songs left on the album. 758 00:41:08,960 --> 00:41:12,159 Speaker 4: And they're not bad songs, No, I think they're all good. 759 00:41:12,280 --> 00:41:14,760 I think Coming under Fire is the next one. It 760 00:41:14,760 --> 00:41:17,119 gets radio play now. It wasn't released as a single, 761 00:41:17,159 --> 00:41:19,679 but I've heard it on radio a lot. The chorus 762 00:41:19,760 --> 00:41:40,840 is really good. Yeah, that's a good song. 763 00:41:40,960 --> 00:41:43,599 Speaker 3: Solid, it's absolutely solid. Just not one of their biggest hits. 764 00:41:43,679 --> 00:41:46,639 Speaker 4: Okay, so Coming under Fire not a big hit, but 765 00:41:47,280 --> 00:41:58,239 a good song. Next one, next to last track is 766 00:41:58,320 --> 00:41:59,159 Action not Work. 767 00:41:59,199 --> 00:42:00,360 Speaker 3: I wonder what that song about. 768 00:42:01,960 --> 00:42:05,039 Speaker 4: If you listen to the words, it's about making a movie. 769 00:42:05,000 --> 00:42:09,079 Speaker 3: Right, except it's what kind of movie are we talking 770 00:42:09,079 --> 00:42:12,719 about here? Action? Yeah? I actually need any dialogue. 771 00:42:14,679 --> 00:42:16,519 Speaker 4: You be the hero. I'll be the star. 772 00:42:23,800 --> 00:42:26,760 Speaker 3: Again. I go back to all of this is sex, 773 00:42:27,199 --> 00:42:28,880 guns and rock and roll. Baby. 774 00:42:29,039 --> 00:42:30,719 Speaker 4: Let me tell you a quick story about this song. 775 00:42:30,760 --> 00:42:31,559 Actually not worse. 776 00:42:31,639 --> 00:42:31,920 Speaker 3: Okay. 777 00:42:31,960 --> 00:42:33,760 Speaker 4: I'm gonna give a quick shout out to my good 778 00:42:33,760 --> 00:42:34,840 buddy Scott Foster. 779 00:42:35,039 --> 00:42:36,599 Speaker 3: Okay, hey Scott, he. 780 00:42:36,719 --> 00:42:39,440 Speaker 4: Stayed up late with me. I had a project in 781 00:42:39,559 --> 00:42:42,480 college where we had to make a short film about 782 00:42:42,519 --> 00:42:45,400 anything we wanted. It was basically a get to know 783 00:42:45,480 --> 00:42:48,480 your camera, get to know the editing equipment, and so 784 00:42:48,599 --> 00:42:53,239 I went around town filming my girlfriend, my friends, the 785 00:42:53,239 --> 00:42:57,360 football stadium, ducks, what cars, whatever I could find, and 786 00:42:57,400 --> 00:43:01,360 I pieced it together to this song, and it basically 787 00:43:01,400 --> 00:43:03,480 the song. You know, it's about making a movie. So 788 00:43:03,519 --> 00:43:06,119 I made a movie to a song about making a movie, 789 00:43:06,599 --> 00:43:08,679 and we stayed up all night, and I think it's 790 00:43:08,960 --> 00:43:10,719 it turned out. Okay. I got an a on the project, 791 00:43:10,800 --> 00:43:13,400 got a Yeah, that's all right, that's awesome, that's good. 792 00:43:14,079 --> 00:43:20,199 Speaker 3: Yeah. The euphemism here is about as subtle as Pearl 793 00:43:20,239 --> 00:43:21,519 Necklace by Zeezy Top. 794 00:43:23,840 --> 00:43:28,159 Speaker 4: In Black and Blue by Dan Haley. Yeah, yeah, okay, 795 00:43:28,280 --> 00:43:30,679 Well I like the song. I listened to it when 796 00:43:30,679 --> 00:43:32,119 it comes on, I turn it upright. 797 00:43:32,920 --> 00:43:35,400 Speaker 3: And then we round out finish up the album with 798 00:43:35,519 --> 00:43:49,039 Billy's got a Gun Again. It's a solid song. It's 799 00:43:49,079 --> 00:43:53,239 not good. Yeah, a guy coming home from war guns again. 800 00:43:53,440 --> 00:43:55,599 It's a bit long for my taste. This was nearly 801 00:43:55,599 --> 00:43:58,239 six minutes long, and I think they could probably tidy 802 00:43:58,320 --> 00:44:00,599 that up a bit. But that's probably my my sole 803 00:44:00,679 --> 00:44:10,519 criticism of the songs on this album. 804 00:44:11,639 --> 00:44:16,000 Speaker 4: Yeah, it's on the lower end of the album. I think, yeah, 805 00:44:16,039 --> 00:44:19,000 it's good, it's solid, but it's not a not one 806 00:44:19,039 --> 00:44:21,000 I'm gonna crank upright right. 807 00:44:21,360 --> 00:44:24,559 Speaker 3: So, after months and months of recording, they finally piece 808 00:44:24,639 --> 00:44:29,039 it all together brick by brick under Mutt Lang's onerous 809 00:44:29,119 --> 00:44:34,280 tutelage and what comes out is a fantastic album, and 810 00:44:34,639 --> 00:44:39,920 it proceeds to do exceptionally well. 811 00:44:39,960 --> 00:44:42,880 Speaker 4: Six million copies in the US and sold one hundred 812 00:44:43,199 --> 00:44:47,800 thousand copies every week from its release through nineteen eighty three. 813 00:44:47,880 --> 00:44:52,199 Speaker 3: So this album as a whole is so good. It 814 00:44:52,639 --> 00:44:56,239 was only topped by Thriller, the best selling album of 815 00:44:56,280 --> 00:45:00,519 all time. This Pyromania album spent six months in the 816 00:45:00,599 --> 00:45:05,159 number two position while Thriller retained its title. It's truly, 817 00:45:05,239 --> 00:45:06,360 it's an amazing thing. 818 00:45:07,159 --> 00:45:09,440 Speaker 4: Number two when Thriller is dominating the charts is no 819 00:45:09,599 --> 00:45:10,199 laughing matter. 820 00:45:10,440 --> 00:45:13,079 Speaker 3: No, I mean, just short of Thriller, this is the 821 00:45:14,159 --> 00:45:16,800 number one album of the early to mid eighties. 822 00:45:17,119 --> 00:45:20,679 Speaker 4: This album ramps up pop metal for the rest of 823 00:45:20,719 --> 00:45:21,159 the decade. 824 00:45:21,239 --> 00:45:24,199 Speaker 3: I mean, you talk about a band that defines the 825 00:45:24,320 --> 00:45:27,480 sound of rock music in the eighties. Right. We've talked 826 00:45:27,519 --> 00:45:30,760 about Van Halen and how influential they were. This band 827 00:45:30,840 --> 00:45:33,360 is in that same category. They are as much an 828 00:45:33,360 --> 00:45:36,039 influence on all of the other bands. And when I 829 00:45:36,079 --> 00:45:38,599 say influence, I mean other bands are coming along and 830 00:45:38,639 --> 00:45:42,760 stealing their stuff. You listen to Rat and you go, oh, hey, 831 00:45:42,760 --> 00:45:45,480 there's an American version of def Leppard, except they only 832 00:45:45,480 --> 00:45:48,199 have one good song instead of a whole album. 833 00:45:47,920 --> 00:45:53,280 Speaker 4: Work right, Hey listen. I don't really know, but nineteen 834 00:45:53,320 --> 00:45:57,639 eighty four came out after Pyromania. I mean maybe Eddie 835 00:45:57,719 --> 00:46:00,159 saw their success and thought, hey, I could do that. 836 00:46:00,559 --> 00:46:02,800 Speaker 3: Yeah. Well, I mean we know that that album was 837 00:46:03,039 --> 00:46:07,480 more produced, I mean rock albums until this album came out, 838 00:46:07,599 --> 00:46:12,119 where bands getting together and playing some songs and just 839 00:46:12,199 --> 00:46:15,960 another side note while they're recording this album, and Joe 840 00:46:16,039 --> 00:46:20,599 Elliott broke down several times, lost his voice severely for 841 00:46:20,719 --> 00:46:24,280 a time in this one, which would in tears say 842 00:46:24,320 --> 00:46:27,119 to Mutt Lang, I can't do it again. He goes, 843 00:46:27,159 --> 00:46:29,000 it's not good enough. Yet you have to do it again, 844 00:46:29,039 --> 00:46:31,960 he said, I can't do it any better. He says, 845 00:46:32,360 --> 00:46:37,159 you have to. So Joe Elliott leaves the studio, walks 846 00:46:37,199 --> 00:46:39,920 to the next door studio where who happens to be 847 00:46:40,000 --> 00:46:46,320 recording right, and David Coverdale, who has perfect pitch, comes 848 00:46:46,360 --> 00:46:53,719 in records a song in one take, four minutes. Poor 849 00:46:53,800 --> 00:46:57,079 Joe Elliott has been reduced to tears because he's been 850 00:46:57,159 --> 00:46:59,679 spending months trying to get the perfect sound for this 851 00:47:00,159 --> 00:47:05,639 task Master, and David Coverdale comes in and probably smoked 852 00:47:05,639 --> 00:47:09,159 a cigarette before it started singing. Right, it's all worth 853 00:47:09,199 --> 00:47:11,039 the Joe wasn't It was all worth it? 854 00:47:11,960 --> 00:47:14,920 Speaker 4: And I do think that. I mean, David Coverdale has 855 00:47:14,960 --> 00:47:18,119 a better, stronger rock voice, but I think Mutt Lange 856 00:47:18,159 --> 00:47:19,440 gets the most out of joy life. 857 00:47:19,800 --> 00:47:21,039 Speaker 3: Oh absolutely, yeah. 858 00:47:21,079 --> 00:47:23,840 Speaker 4: So and I could listen to Joe sing all day long. Yeah, 859 00:47:23,880 --> 00:47:26,559 all right, So that takes care of pyramaning. 860 00:47:26,760 --> 00:47:29,840 Speaker 3: Right. The album becomes a huge success. They ultimately sell 861 00:47:30,039 --> 00:47:33,719 ten million copies of the album. They're writing high, they're 862 00:47:33,760 --> 00:47:37,400 doing well, and their videos are doing well. They're getting 863 00:47:37,440 --> 00:47:40,880 lots of play on MTV, and they say, okay, let's 864 00:47:41,039 --> 00:47:43,280 now get together. We're going to make another album, and 865 00:47:43,320 --> 00:47:45,599 of course they enlist Muttlang to help them out again. 866 00:47:45,760 --> 00:47:47,760 Speaker 4: All right. So this is where it gets really interesting. 867 00:47:47,960 --> 00:47:51,159 Speaker 3: So the band is at the peak of a success, 868 00:47:51,280 --> 00:47:54,800 it says we got to do another album, and then 869 00:47:55,159 --> 00:47:56,320 Mutt Lang can't do it. 870 00:47:56,280 --> 00:47:59,719 Speaker 4: Anymore, and then some real tragedy. 871 00:47:59,719 --> 00:48:03,440 Speaker 3: Real tragedy. Yeah, it's really questionable how this album truly 872 00:48:03,480 --> 00:48:05,559 got made. But you're gonna have to wait to find 873 00:48:05,599 --> 00:48:08,599 out about those stories on our next episode, where we'll 874 00:48:08,639 --> 00:48:10,199 talk about Hysteria. 875 00:48:10,280 --> 00:48:11,119 Speaker 4: True Hysteria. 876 00:48:11,280 --> 00:48:16,039 Speaker 3: Yeah, true hysteria. That's that's solid. It's interesting that both 877 00:48:16,039 --> 00:48:19,039 of these, both of these albums have a psychological component 878 00:48:19,079 --> 00:48:22,360 to the title, because having to go with this band 879 00:48:22,519 --> 00:48:24,760 went through I could I could see being a little 880 00:48:24,800 --> 00:48:26,840 bit off. 881 00:48:27,320 --> 00:48:29,599 Speaker 4: I can't wait to get into the next when we 882 00:48:29,639 --> 00:48:32,760 talk about Hysteria, one of the defining albums in the 883 00:48:32,840 --> 00:48:35,360 nineteen eighties. Yeah, it's gonna be incredible. Hope you come 884 00:48:35,400 --> 00:48:36,800 back and join us next week. 885 00:48:37,119 --> 00:48:38,960 Speaker 3: Come back and join us next week. As is not 886 00:48:39,000 --> 00:48:42,280 a choice. You are hereby ordered by us to come 887 00:48:42,320 --> 00:48:45,280 back and listen in as we talk about Hysteria and 888 00:48:45,400 --> 00:48:48,480 then give you our final judgment on which of these 889 00:48:48,519 --> 00:48:52,199 two albums is the best def flippard album. 890 00:48:59,400 --> 00:48:59,599 Speaker 4: Thing. 891 00:49:18,000 --> 00:49:20,159 Speaker 3: All music images and movie clips are used for the 892 00:49:20,159 --> 00:49:23,480 purposes of commentary and education in conjunction with the Fair 893 00:49:23,559 --> 00:49:25,440 Use agreement under the US copyright law.