Def Leppard - Mirrorball
 

Def Leppard are releaseing their first ever LIVE ALBUM in June 3rd. It will be a 2CD+DVD set. The 2 CD's will contain live recordings from their 2007/8/9 tours plus 3 brand new studio songs, while the DVD will incude live performances and backstage footage.

http://www.defleppard.com

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...Mirrorball.jpg

Track list

Disc 1:
1. Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)
2. Rocket
3. Animal
4. C'Mon C'Mon
5. Make Love Like A Man
6. Too Late For Love
7. Foolin'
8. Nine Lives
9. Love Bites
10. Rock On

Disc 2:
1. Two Steps Behind
2. Bringin' On The Heartbreak
3. Switch 625
4. Hysteria
5. Armageddon It
6. Photograph
7. Pour Some Sugar On Me
8. Rock Of Ages
9. Let's Get Rocked
10. Action
11. Bad Actress
12. Undefeated (New Song)
13. Kings Of The World (New Song)
14. It's All About Believin' (New Song)

The new single "Undefeated" is streaming on their official website.

sounds good!! I like the new single, sounds better than the entire last album. Any word on the tracklist for the DVD???


EDIT: just realized, this sounds like what "One Wild Night" should/could have been 10 years ago.... sigh. :?

Thanks for the tracklist. Nothing earth shattering, though Bad Actress is a bit of a surprise. I had figured Mirror Mirror would be a given. I was hoping they'd move on and forget about Nine Lives.

Listened to the new track. To be honest, it left me very cold.

It looks better than OWN, but I think given the fact that they have had 11 albums, it is a bit short - they should've included more live songs.

The new song Undefeated is pretty good. Hope the other 2 songs are as good or even better.

Oh, the DVD, it's a rip off. Not a full show.

Now that I'm home and have time to really go over it, it sucks that they put three songs from Sparkle Lounge, none from On Through the Night (not such a big deal since they have understandably barely touched it since the Pyromania tour,) none from Slang, none from Euphoria, and none from X.

Get rid of Nine Lives, replace it with the bigger/better known (and as far as I'm concerned.. better all around) Promises. I like that they have Bad Actress because it is unexpected, but "Now" really should be there instead.

Thinking back, the X tour really was the time to have done this album. They covered the bases as far as all albums up to that point through the course of the tour. Hopefully the live versions sound great and propel the album as opposed to sounding tired and uninspired. I am looking forward to having a live version of that arrangement of Rocket at least.

Haven't really paid much attention to the track list untill now but I agree with all points given. On Through The Night, the band have pretty much openly disowned so there's no surprises there, and anything from Slang and X would have been pushing our luck a bit, sadly to say. Promises could have easily found a place on there though. I know it was played on the Yeah! tour in 2006. I suppose being their very first "stand-alone" live album they have to iron out the fan favourites, presumably, for the sake of the casual fans and their very recent resergence in popularity.

I do like the new single though.

Totally agree with this.

Just wanted to add my sentiments that Promises is a brilliant song. Very under rated IMO. But at the same time I quite like Nine Lives too.

As for Bad Actress, I thought it was one of the better songs from Sparkle Lounge.

I heard the live version of Rocket from Mirrorball on that online rock radio, and really, they shouldve released a live album when Joe's vocals were better.

Still, gotta love the Leps.

Correct. It's one of their best.

I think so too, it´s a very good Leppard song with a chorus that may be their best.

Anyway, despite of the obvious drawbacks, it´s great to get the live album.

They were on Jay Leno last night.... performing "Sugar." *sigh*

What really sucks is they looked and sounded great. I kept think how some kid who has heard of them might otherwise be captivated... but that wasn't the song to do, hit single or not. I'm not sure what the answer is since what I have heard so far of the new songs, I'm really not liking them.

Do you think they like QUEEN?

Hmm, are you being sarcastic or genuinely asking?

They are huge Queen fans and they've cited them as the reason for their backing vocals.

Shoot I meant to catch them and forgot. I have to agree why oh why do Sugar for the millionith and one time espeically when they do have some new stuff out.

In response to earlier posts, i think Promises comes an extremely close second to Tomorrow in my favourite post Viv joining songs, both amazing songs in my opinion.

With regard to Mirrorball, I'm really excited to hear the live stuff, as for the new studio songs, I really like Undefeated but Kings of the World is absolutely godawful, utter tripe, i couldn't listen to it (and i'm a huge fan).

I actually met Joe Elliot about 2 or 3 weeks ago and had a fairly long chat with him (mainly about how shite Sheffield United are) nice chap!

i actually like the new 3 songs especially Undefeated and Kings Of The New World. they sound current while the band still stays true to their sound. they can't really release High'n'Dry in 2011 or be stuck in the 80's if they want to attract a new younger audience. which i'm not sure that's what they are aiming for if they played Sugar...

this is what i don't get. Slang is such a defining moment in their career, an album that shows their versatility as songwritters and if nothing else it would be interesting to include a song from an album that represented a change in their sound. they are my 2nd favourite band after Bon Jovi so i'm a big fan of the classic albums. But i consider Slang their masterpiece if there is to be one. i remember all the fuss surrounding its release and how long it took me to get into it. 6 months or more on a shelf getting dusty cause i hated it upon first listen. but when i picked it up again, i never looked back. i truly think it's one of their best albums and it's a shame there isn't a single song off of it.

that said it doesn't bother me much, i'm not a fan of live albums. the only live album i listen to on a regular basis is Whitesnake's "Starkers in Tokyo" and i love it probably because it's an acoustic one.

I wonder if they are truly clear on what happens when they do an appearance like that and they play "Sugar?" All it does is underwhelm their fans and solidify the idea that Def Leppard are firmly cemented as an 80's hair band with everyone else. It's one thing to play it as part of a live show, but the effect is very different when it's the only song on a broadcast like that.

They played Lopez Tonight last night. I have yet to watch it, but I know they played Rock of Ages. That is probably just as bad as "Sugar" though I'd pick it over the latter. It's not that I hate either song, the life has been sucked out of them due to overplay. However, they should be choosing a song that lyrically can appeal to today and not make them look like old men living in the past. It's no different than playing "Wasted," and they avoid that one for that exact reason.. it doesn't represent them at all anymore.

If I had to pick one of the old staples, I'd probably go with Photograph or Foolin' because they both hold up lyrically today and are more timeless.

I loved Slang right off. It was actually exactly what I was hoping from them... something fresh that demonstrated their maturity and abilities as a band. The title track was really the only one they would even consider putting on the live album and they couldn't even do that. In another dimension, Adrenalize never saw the light of day, Desert Song was the first single on their come-back post-Steve and prevented their being permanently associated with a trend, and Slang was a critical success.

Starkers is great, btw. I went through a heavy Whitesnake re-discovery period in the late 90's and that album was part of it along with the back catalog prior to Slide It In. The perfect antidote after the horrible Slip of the Tongue period.

They played both Rock of Ages and Hysteria on the Lopez show, but Hysteria was recorded for an online video only and wasnt broadcast on TV. Joe's voice sounded strained at points but he didnt go out of tune once I think.

Here is the link to both vids...
http://www.lopeztonight.com/episode_...ges.php#video1

I dont mind Undefeated, but the other two songs Ive only listened to once so Im not sure if that says something in itself or if I havent given them a proper chance yet.

i totally agree. and then they wonder why most people still think of them as a cheesy 80's hair band. which is not really fair to them but it's not like they're doing much to change people's minds about that either. they have been releasing new material, not very regularly that's true, but some of it it's pretty good, they don't need to keep hanging on to their past successes to promote a new tour. even though Sparkle isn't all that sparkly, there are a couple of great songs there, especially Go. i reckon it should have been a single.

there are 21 songs on Mirrorball and only 4 are post-1992. and one of them is a cover. they release 3 new songs however they choose to play Rock Of Ages, Hysteria and Sugar on shows like Leno and Lopez Tonight. that would be fine if they played some other more recent song, but not okay if one song is all they get. that's pretty much like saying "we wrote new songs, they're not that good, but we used to rock 25 years ago so come see us!" they are basically labelling themselves as a nostalgia act and that seems to be intentional.

i see your point and they are two of my favourite songs, but i wouldn't play any pre-1999 material to promote a new tour, again if they are to play just one song. that's still saying they're stuck in 1983.

in a way i'm glad they didn't, it's probably the only song off of Slang i honestly don't like. it's so different from the rest it almost feels like it made it to the album by accident :)

i love Starkers' simplicity, even though i've heard a lot of people complain it sounds too empty, i think it's just beautiful. that's how an unplugged album usually sounds like, init :) Coverdale's voice is amazing and the production is great as well. i love Steve Vai so i like the Slip Of The Tongue period. Judgement Day and Sailing Ships are great songs i reckon.

the band sounds great but Joe seems to be struggling a lot with Rock Of Ages. he does much better in Hysteria. thanks for the links :)

I know exactly what you mean, but apparently so did the band. Did you ever notice the font used for the title track on the back of the album is different from the rest of the track listing? I actually love the track, but it is a bit of an odd duck as far as the continuity of the album, especially sandwiched between Turn To Dust and All I Want Is Everything.

Maybe they made that song a more familiar Def Leppard track, having less "experimenting" going on, to kinda bridge the gap between their previous style and Slangs, in an attempt to ease fans in to the new sound of the album? That's the only reason I can think of.

Kind of ironic really with an album that boisterously sets out to change the direction of the band and having it's title track have a more classic Leppard feel.

i noticed it but i never connected the two things.

New track sounds ok, but nothing special. Their new material like Bon Jovi's hasn't been up to scratch. I think they did a good job YEAH!. They did good versions of the covers and but they shouldn't be doing covers albums. It just shows a lack of creativity.

Agreed!!!

I wish Del Leppard would have released Re-Master versions of IMO there best 2 albums:

Slang & Euphoria

I picked this up on the way to work today (along with Depeche Mode's Remix 2 '81-'11) and I'm just now sitting down to give it a proper listen. It's good to hear their first live album open up with the original long intro to Rock Rock if rather abruptly as it is literally the first thing you hear... no fade-in to audience first. The grand orchestral-like opening sets up the suspense perfectly before rapid fire pounding giving away to that rip and tear guitar riff with Joe screaming "Hold on to your hat, hold on to your heart! Ready get to tear this place apart!" It made you forgive the dreadful chorus because everything else going on in it just made it awesome. It makes it worth having on this album.

The last time I saw them live they opened with Rocket (and I was late... and ashamedly bored.) They also did it on Live At Abbey Road. The great thing about Abbey Road and the live version here is it's the Lunar Mix intro with the rest of the original studio mix, complete with the back up vocal "Ooohs" and "Aaahs" that they completely skipped doing. Honestly, I have to check some of my bootlegs, but I don't think they actually started doing those until the last tour or so. They always skipped them in the 90's (and I don't think it was ever played live until the Adrenalize tour.) Great to have it on an official live album now.

I'm happy with the sound through the equivalent of headphones. I'll have to give it a listen during the day when I can turn the speakers and sub on to get the full effect. It's a bit of a challenge to sit through if only because I have to be in the right mood to hear all of the same songs again. It's the fresher bits that get me going, such as Sav's bass solo intro leading in to Rock On.

Mind you, going forward, I'm going to compare this album to "Live In the Round In Your Face" video shot in Denver in 1988. Short of the free live mp3s available from the official site in the late 90's, that video was the only official live album they had up until now. In fact their motto had been "if you want a live album in, put the the video in and close your eyes." I recorded the VHS to cassette upon it's release back then and have owned the Laser Disc and the DVD. It's been part of my digital library since I started one in the late 90's. The performances on their first bona fide live release will have to stand up to those performances from 1988 by either improving upon or making some distinction.

Bringing On the Heartbreak is acoustic here, just as it was in 1988. The distinction here is that the audience takes over and goes solo for the chorus (in '88 they just cheered) and that it leads into Switch 625. That makes it worth having. However, I was a bit underwhelmed by Joe's vocal performance compared to Denver.

I'll have to come back around when I'm in the mood to hear the standards.

Thanks for an early review there Bleeding. Im looking forward to grabbing my copy when it is released in Australia.

Some good news today! There was a story on the band on a current affairs show here in Perth tonight, saying how the band will be performing here for Telethon (an annual fundraising event that raises money for sick children/children hospital - it is a pretty big event with people like Michael Jackson, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Stevie Wonder appearing in previous years).

They apparently rearranged their Australian schedule just so they could do Telethon which is great! Perth is the only confirmed Australian date so far - 15th of October (but they will be appearing at telethon on the 16th).

Cant wait! :D

I just picked this up yesterday. I like Undefeated. Don't really care for the other two new songs, but maybe they will be growers.

I wonder how much overdubbing went into the live portion of this? Sounds pretty good to me.

The album finally arrived today.

I gotta make a personal point, as this live album is quite significant to me as a fan because, although I've been a Def Leppard fan for about a decade now, I didn't get to see them live until 2006 on the Yeah! Tour. Up until then I only had to live on the In the Round and Don Valley DVDs, and of course up until now, we've had next to nothing since then in terms of live recordings, though I've since obtained Tokyo 1999 and now we have YouTube. Not being born until 1986, I totally missed out on the live era from the bands heyday.

I've seen Leppard live twice since 2006. Saw them in 2008 on the Sparkle Lounge tour and just recently at Download this year so for me this album marks as a book-end for my live experience of this band.

Playing the album right now and trying not to use the aforementioned DVDs as a point of reference. Like you BP, I've ripped the ITR, IYF DVD to mp3 and treat that as a live album which still gets played regularly in my car. The band sounds great and joes voice is better than I thought it would be if I'm being honest. As much as I would have loved to have had songs like Promises, Slang or Let It Go, the set list is fine for me as it generally reflects the sets from the shows that I saw, which again makes this package more significant for me. Quite surprised the didn't include When Love & Hate Collide though. Quite looking forward to watching the DVD later aswell.

I still havent got my copy!! Because of the damn ash cloud from the Chile volcano, shipments are stuck over east! Hopefully get it by early next week.

So I thought I'd resurrect this thread rather than start a new one. During the Mirrorball tour they played an acoustic medley at every show. Well now they've recorded this in the studio. It's 7 minutes long and really good, well worth the 99p. Just find it on iTunes.

I got that the other day. I'm glad they've done it but the studio version kind of loses its charm compared to the live videos I've seen. It's cool that they've included Where Does Love Go When It Dies? and Have You Ever sound a little less cheesy that the original.