Leppard Tracks: Misty Dreamers, 1977-2008 [Paperback]

Julian Gill (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 24, 2008

"Leppard Tracks" concentrates on documenting the history of Def Leppard on an album-by-album basis. Song stories are detailed and other vignettes are offered to fill out the story, such as touring details, set lists, biographical "stories," and the ever important tangents that demonstrate the strange relationships within the music industry. This unofficial and unsanctioned work doesn't claim to be a first hand day-by-day account of the band’s history. Nor is it complete – think of it more as a Def Buffet of sorts. As such this work strives to be a broad guide to the recording history of the band, but not a terse all-inclusive discography (which while interesting to a few would bore many to tears!). It doesn’t aim to focus in any particular manner on the band.

Product Details

• Paperback: 474 pages
• Publisher: KISSFAQ.COM Publishing (July 24, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0972225390
• ISBN-13: 978-0972225397
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #915,250 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is the ultimate resource book for Def Leppard fans!, August 26, 2008

By 

Norm S. Huizenga (Dowagiac, MI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Leppard Tracks: Misty Dreamers, 1977-2008 (Paperback)

This is the ultimate resource book for Def Leppard fans.

Leppard Tracks is a whopping 450 page plus book that details the history of the band through means of tour dates, album releases, and interviews from various sources. From the bands early and eager up bringing in Sheffield to their multiple jaunts around the world, Leppard Tracks follows them step by step.

The book is basically written chapter by chapter in a very neat and organized way. The structure is as follows: When/where/how/etc. an album was recorded. The breakdown of the album song by song, which ones were singles, various B-sides included and even some light is shed on a few unreleased songs. Then the tour dates with anecdotes thrown in-between from various interview sources. While none of these interviews are "brand new" or conducted by the author himself (that's what makes this book UN-official), there are placed well to fill the gaps of information, and who better to tell it then the band themselves. Another one of the more interesting (well to some!) points of the book, is what the band recorded individually before, during and after there tenure with Def Leppard. There is also a section that lists various artists/bands that have covered all kinds of different songs in a very different manner than the way they were originally recorded. A piano version of `Pour Some Sugar On Me', a R&B version of `Bringing On The Heartbreak' to a techno version of `Love Bites' and various "Metal" versions, even though Joe Elliott has stated many times "We're not F#*$&@G metal!". Despite all this information, there is also quite a few pictures, some rare, of the various releases/concert posters/etc. This is a really nice addition to the sea of words.

All in all this book is a great reference piece if nothing else for fans who might quickly want to look up when the band played such-and-such date. Or who played on what; like the saxophone on some of the "YEAH!" tracks (Vivian's brother John, I didn't know, or realize that!). It is also a very up to date book. It is inclusive thus far through the bands current album "Songs From The Sparkle Lounge". It's obvious not only in size, but the detail put into this book that it was a labor of love by the author. Really who else would you want writing about `Rock And Roll Clowns' than a `Die Hard' fan?

Norm Huizenga

Webmaster: www.defleppard-related-recordings.com

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Comprehensive Compilation of Def Leppard, August 23, 2008

By 

J. Smith "technocrazed" (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Leppard Tracks: Misty Dreamers, 1977-2008 (Paperback)

I must say that I am impressed with the extent of the author's research and the exhaustive compilation that he has come up with. This is the definitive source of everything Def Leppard. It has every album, every song, every single, everything that each member of the band did aside from Def Leppard, etc. The book would be an asset to any Def Leppard fan's library. I highly recommend this book, as there is no other like it in print.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Leppard Tracks, March 29, 2009

By 

Tim McPhate "timstar78" (California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Leppard Tracks: Misty Dreamers, 1977-2008 (Paperback)

For a band as popular and notable in terms of rock history as Def Leppard, it's surprising there isn't more literature on the band. Other than the great Animal Instinct book from 1987, there really isn't a good fan resource that details the band's career...until Leppard Tracks.

This book is a must-have for any Def Leppard fan...old and new alike. It's packed with facts detailing each of the band's album releases, song information including brief details on the songs and co-writers, chart information, info on all those great Leppard b-sides, tour dates, photos, etc. In between the factoids, you really get a nice snapshot of where the band was at during the times in which they were recording the albums through quotes and interview snippets. It's all here from On Through The Night up to 2008's Songs From The Sparkle Lounge, and there is some great information from especially the very early period of the band and the years between Pyromania/Hysteria and Hysteria/Adrenalize, and the band's great cover album, Yeah! I had a great time reading through this and listening to my DL albums on my iPod...filling in the gaps behind the songs, so to speak.

Many KISS fans will know Julian Gill's fantastic KISS Album Focus series and this book is along those lines as well. There is so much valuable information that it is definitely something a fan can refer back to over and over, and you'll be able to impress family and friends with your band trivia knowledge! Again...it's a must-have for any DL fan!