As I am a die-hard fan of Def Leppard (have been for the past forteen years of life), I am obviously familiar with Pyromania, Def Leppard's first "big success" second, in my opinion, only to Hysteria, realeased about four years later. Pyromania was released in 1983 under Mercury and produced by none other than Mutt Lange. This was, as I mentioned, Def Leppard's big break. Recording Pyromania was the last project lead guitarist Pete Willis has undertaken with Leppard before he was kicked out of the band and replaced by Phil Collen. Pyromania was destined to explode and sell over 10,000,000 records world-wide over the years (unbenkownst to the band) with the line up being:
Joe Elliot-Lead Vocals
Rick Allen-Drums
Steve Clark-Guitars
Phil Collen-Guitars
Rick Savage-Bass
Pyromania was released and it became a rock spectacle that had probably not been seen since Led Zeppelin. Pyromania antoxicated fans and newcomers with the variety of ballads and head bangers that the album offered, and the unique pop/rock/hard rock fusion that had not been as common was now the sound of Def Leppard in the early 80's. The track listings are as follows:
Rock Rock (Till You Drop)- Def Leppard wanted to kick off the album with a rockin' tune, and that's exactly what they did. The first few seconds consisted of keyboards and drums as an intro which was, quote "an intro to make people get out of their seat and get excited at the shows". The song goes into a catchy riff any Lepp fan would know and took a newer Leppard sound for the time and mixed it with an older sound as well. An instant classic with lyrics defining perfectly just what the 80's were about
: decadence and (if I may quote another band), nothin' but a good time.
~4.5/5~
Photograph- Easily one of Lepp's most famous songs, and another instant classic that everyone is familiar with. The opening riff is unmistakable in the rock world. The song is the epitemy of a phenomenal rock anthem, with the lyrics being slightly surprising to some, as the creative power behind 'Photograph' was about the long dead Marilyn Monroe.
~5/5~
Stagefright- One of the first songs from Pyromania I remember liking, the song begins with the crowd chanting and clapping, and leads into one of my favorite songs on the album, also being one of the heavier ones, generally used to open up shows on soon to come 'In the Round' tours. A very underrated song in my opinion, with a creative riff and solo and a generic hard rock sound that made people think twice about categorizing Leppard as completely Pop Metal. The album is shifted into a more raw mood at this point, and a song that you will tend to want to repeat.
~5/5~
Too Late For Love- The first power ballad on the album, it sets a more spooky and haunted feeling to the record. One of Def Leppard's more finely done ballads, it sets the stage for a calmer and deeper side of Def Leppard songs. However, as I have taken quite a liking to this song, it tends to be drawn out after the solo (and a time before as well), although it still doesn't lose it's appeal, which is a respectable quality in any song. The song starts out with the guitars only playing with a darker riff unlike any other song on the album, easily identifiable to anyone who's heard it. It moves on to the chorus but the next verses and the finishing parts of the song are on the heavier side, with a perfect fusion of largo and moderato throughout the song. ~4/5~
Die Hard The Hunter- A very abstract song on the album, but nonetheless one of my favorites. After a short period of time, it goes into a heavier song, with lyrics geared toward the devastating Falkland Wars. The lyrics and the overall song are very powerful and almost addicting in the way that you want to keep listening, and a very similar feeling to the seventh track of Hysteria, 'Gods of War'. The creativity and exploration of what you can do to a song by adding keyboards makes the song unique and easily identified. The solo is very well done and the arrangement and change offs in the song are creative and fuse well with the rest of the song.
~5/5~
Foolin'- Another one of the most famous tracks off of the album, starting with a lick that tends to get stuck in your head for most of the day. The song is catchy and the idea of the slow verse, hard chorus is one that flows together nicely in this song. The arrangement was well done, however, despite the fact that f'f'f' foolin is one of their well known lines, the lyrics tend to lack the seriousness and fullness behind them to make them stick out as something powerful (at least in my eyes). However the song is an instant classic,and another song that any fan would know.
~4/5~
Rock Of Ages- One of my favorite Def Lepp tracks of all time, the song starts off with Mutt Lange saying something to the likes of "Gunter Glieben Glauten Glouben", instead of the traditional count-off (jokingly, the band said it meant 'running through the forest silently'). The video, for those who have not seen it, is very...interesting and overly dramatic (but always fun to watch). It is hard not to get hooked into the pure adrenaline and excitement, fused with the heavy guitar riffs that the song incorporates. They lyrics originated from Joe Elliot seeing a hymn book open to 'Rock of Ages', and although it not one bit resembles the famous hymn, it has an unmistakable charm to it, and it's always the song that gets your head banging and your fist pumping.
~5/5~
Comin' Under Fire- A song that is not very well known and one I generally tend to skip. The song is more laid back and fits well with the Pyromania album, however, when compared to the rest of the album, it's not one of the better tracks. However, the arrangement is simple, but cool and collected, and although sometimes it can grow tiring, it is an overall good song that just, in my opinion, could have been made better. 3.5/5
Action! Not Words- As the second to last track on the album, it picks the tone back up from the mellow state of mind that 'Under Fire' created, and in a way sets the stage for the final track. It is a peppy and fun song, however, the lyrical arrangement at some points tends to seem random and confusing, and just downright average. They go everywhere from making a movie, to "Shock Me!", and the lyrics needed more tampering with. The musical arrangement was fair, and, like 'Under Fire', it's not a horrible song, it just can't compare to the rest of the album.
A song that you like or don't, but still one to hear if you're in the mood for something a little different.
~2.5/5~
Billy's Got A Gun- The final track, and almost like a variated verison of 'Die Hard', however, it has it's own almost evil mood to it added with a harder sound. The lyrics very complex, but deep and obviously well thought out, about, "a kid with a gun in his pocket ready to blow". It was never an extremely well-known hit but it is one that I tend to listen to whenever I hear it. It's ended with a strange beat that goes on for about a minute, which was messing around with an electronic kit and a synthesizer laying around the studio. It is more raw and heavy than the Def Lepp sound of the time, but this could be interpreted as good or bad. However, I believe Leppard needed some songs like 'Billy' that defined another side of Def Leppard's lyrical, musical, and creative capabilities. A great way to end an overall excellent album.
~4.5/5~
Def Leppard went on to tour Pyromania with artists such as Billy Squier (as opening acts), although it was clear that Def Leppard were the ones drawing the crowds. The band went through many hardships in later albums, such as the death of Steve Clark and the loss of Rick Allens's left arm. However, Def Leppard has managed to overcome hardships with newest member (but not new whatsoever) Vivian Campbell, formerly of Dio. Pyromania is still selling many copies world-wide and it will always be known as one of the best rock albums of the genre.
Overall, Pyromania gets a 9.5/10
