Slang (©1996 Mercury)

Truth / Turn to Dust / Slang / All I Want is Everything / Work It Out / Breathe a Sigh / Deliver Me / Gift of Flesh / Blood Runs Cold / Where Does Love Go When It Dies / Pearl of Euphoria

In the 80's these boys were the crown princes of big hair pop. With Slang the boys get haircuts, roughen up their sound a bit, and manage to pull off a very good rock album that remains somewhat true to their old sound, but also grows with the times. There are a number of excellent tunes here, and it's too bad the album stiffed. I really liked this album more than I expected to.

Rock on dudes, rock on.

Euphoria (©1999 Mercury)

the songs: Demolition Man / Promises / Back In Your Face / Goodbye / All Night / Paper Sun / It's Only Love / 21st Century Sha La La La Girl / To Be Alive / Disintegrate / Guilty / Day After Day / Kings of Oblivion

Well, here's a formula rock album, perhaps a more appropriate title would have been Euthanasia.  I guess the guys were a little gun shy after the beating that Slang received.  So they took a step backwards and borrowed liberally from their past efforts and came up with Euphoria.  There's nothing really wrong with this album - It pushes all the right buttons, but somehow it just doesn't have any life or soul.

Reviewed Summer 1999

1: Now 2: Unbelievable 3: You're So Beautiful 4: Everyday 5: Long, Long Way To Go 6: Four Letter Word 7: Torn To Shreds 8: Love Don't Lie 9: Gravity 10: Cry 11: Girl Like You 12: Let Me Be The One 13: Scar

These guys are still able to sell a few records, even if they’re far from the dizzying heights of their 80’s pinnacle. X find the boys moving forward with a harder edged pop sound that bears little resemblance to their previous work, although there is the occasional musical snippet that tugs at the nostalgia strings.

The songs are pretty solid, and this is an enjoyable listen throughout. Having said that, there really isn’t much to sink your teeth into – with the single exception of Four Letter Word, which hearkens back to nearly classic Def Leppard.

Still, this is Def Leppard the band people love to hate. Frankly, I’ve always really liked these guys, and I like ‘em. They could do with a few less ballads, and more barnburners, but hey – it’s not 1987 anymore.

Reviewed May 6, 2005