Def Leppard - Pyromania

Did you know that drums on thgis record are mainly played by a drum machine.
I saw PYROMANIA - ULTIMATE ALBUM> I don't get some parts. I mean, this was an album made just to sell.
It's nothing personal about this record. They wrote riffs and riffs and riffs. then thy just took lyrics where they got them. This is fake. I hate such an idea. To make music just for making music, not expressing yourself.
I don't know but somewhow, seeing this show hs lowed my opinion on Def Leppard.

Did you know most of Hysteria was played by a drum machine? Did you know most of Adrenalize was played by a drum machine? Rick only plays the cymbals live, the rest is machines. And that's the way they've made records since Pyromania...

They also almost never write complete songs, they work them out in the studio. You don't compose a Def Leppard song on one acoustic, it's just as much about the sound and feel as it is the song... They don't jam out the tracks.

So, no news here. And did you know that Slippery was made to sell millions as well? They wrote and wrote till they got songs good enough.

Ice

he's playing more than just symbols on my vid from 95

Ugh. Read the posts, ok? We're not talking live performances here, we're talking recording. And if you're referring to Slang - sessions, it's when he got back on acoustic kits. But after Slang they went back to recording with machines. If you'd read you Leppard, you'd know.

Ice

Well I kinda don't get it. I always had the impression that they started using them drum machines because Rick lost his arm.......and pyromania is recorded with two-handed drummer.....



stoney

uhuh kinda going to say that lol i got into def lep only about 2 years ago so im not REALLY up on everything but your right

also ice, sorry, didnt realise we were JUST sticking to studio

For Euphoria, then it was back to acoustic for X.

In Joey's defense...It did seem you were referring to Rick's playing both in the studio and LIVE. I was ready to jump on you for the same reason. You do say "Rick only plays the cymbals live" and that's how most people would have read it...without your clarification we wouldn't know otherwise what you meant. So it did seem you were telling people Rick only plays the cymbals when he gets on stage when I'm sure more than a few of us know that is completely way off.

Anyway, I don't see where the use of drums machines and the song writing methods need to be negative. The drum machines came into play due to the sound they wanted combined with the recording method used that required stringent perfection for it all to come together. This was a band that made the most out of available technology. I'm less forgiving of Bon Jovi using the same as I see them as being more earthy.

The song writing method of coming up with parts of songs is hardly negative. If you analyze some of the songs on Pyromania and the majority on Hysteria...they do not follow standard arrangements of Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Guitar Solo, Chorus fade out or slight variations of that. As a result, you have a more interesting listen where a 6 minute song can seem to last 3 minutes because it keeps it interesting throughout. When they talk about that method, they aren't saying they just hand picked different parts and slapped them together to make a song. It was a rigorous process that in the end is even more of a band effort. Everyone bought their cards to the table. So I personally love the method Def Leppard has used. Keep in mind that this method is not the rule for them now. But it was for Pyromania and Hysteria and largely Adrenalize.

Regarding the inspiration behind the songs not being personal. It's not an across the board deal. Some of the songs are indeed inspired by the band's own experience...but this comes more into play with the 90s and on. It's not something to sweat. I mean come on....do you really expect Joe Elliot to have gone out into a crowded public area and began firing shots randomly with a gun for inspiration in Billy's Got A Gun? I understand the distaste for the idea that a song is written as pure product, designed to sell....but it's really all in how you see it. The band was HUNGRY when making Pyromania. They were pushed to the limit creatively and it translated into sales. I see Pyromania less as pure product and more of an example of what happens when record company objectives and band objectives come together at the benefit of the music and the band itself.

It was basically Mutt's decision. They chose drum machines because of the sound. They are Rick's patterns, he's been programming them, but the machine is playing them. They play live cymbals because they sound better. And they've done that ever since with the exception of Slang.

Ice

Actually, I didn’t know. I was never a real Leppard fan. They just didn’t have a to big impact on me even i never disliked their music.Still I don’t like the idea. And I know Slippery was also something similar but stiil, it wasn’t just putting songs together. That song had something personal even they were written to be GOOD! It wasn’t just throwing guitar riffs one over the other and choosing then lyrics. Just take WANTED which is in my opinion the ROCK SONG of the 80s and it is exactly the opposite.
I don’t know, I don’t feel it real. I mean, songs are made to express yourself with them . I mean, just take all the stupid songs that make it to the top of the charts not having anything personal. I know Bon jovi have done things like that aswell and it doesn’t mean they’re bad songs but i just don’t feel it roght. And besides, the best BJ songs are definetly personal songs.Ok...that’s imy opinion.