Customer Reviews

Leppardmania: Tribute to Def Leppard

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

All the songs on this CD really blow me away. Well except "Rock, Rock." What the were they thinking? Anyway, the one thing I liked the most was that the same guitarists, bassist and drummer played exclusively on the CD. Let me tell you those guys shred. Tracii Gunns, Eric Turner, Jerry Dixon, and Randy Castillo sounded like they have been playing together for years. And the singers? They kicked also. I especially like Steve Whiteman's (KIX) vocals on Foolin. This tribute CD is a must for any true Def Leppard Fan. I enjoyed this CD a lot. You know you are listening to a good CD when you can play it over and over for hours on end. Right? Take the time and take a listen, this CD will not disappoint.

The first thing I want to mention is my love of Def Leppard. All of these songs mean something special to me. That said, I'm not typically a fan of tribute albums mostly because those who perform them are usually some garage band that nobody has ever or will ever hear of beyond the tribute plus they just ruin the songs you love. This one, however, is different.

I saw Jizzy Pearl (Love/Hate, Ratt, L.A. Guns) was on the album. When I saw his name as well as Phil Lewis (L.A. Guns, Girl) and Jani Lane (Warrant), I knew I had to check it out. I'm glad I did. It reeks of awesomeness!

I like Jani's version of Photograph better than the original! Phil Lewis did justice to Bringin' on the Heartache, and Jizzy... Jizzy can take any song and make it grand in my opinion. Great version of High 'n' Dry.

John Corabi (Ratt, Motley Crue, Union) did a good job with Wasted. Jason McMaster (Dangerous Toys) did a fantastic job with Let it Go. I was truly shocked by how good that version was. Again, it topped the original in my opinion. Theer is no bad song on the CD!

The closest thing to a "let down" was Rock Rock by Kevin DuBrow (Quiet Riot.) Kevin belts it out, but they techno'd that song up. It sounds like something you'd hear at a club with a metal singer belting it out rather than computerized vocals. I still like it because Kevin sounds strong and into it, but if the song's called Rock Rock, it should... Rock Rock, not Techno Techno.

Ultimately, this is a rock tribute to Def Leppard. Many of the participants of this tribute album went in and did a rock tribute to Guns 'n' Roses more recently. So, you're not going to get the more "pop" Def Leppard that some fans want. You're going to get the rocking Def Leppard, the only Def Leppard I acknowledge. Basically, if you're a fan of true metal or just love Def Leppard, give this album a spin. It's a great tribute!

This album is one of the better tribute albums Ive heard. Jerry Dixon, Eric Turner, Randy Castillo, and Traci Guns play on the whole album. The sound was awesome in my opinion. Wasnt as clean and polished like the original Def Leppard version of the songs were, but I think thats what I like most about the album. It has a more raw sound to it. As far the singing, all in all was pretty good Id say. Stevie Rachelle's version of 'Too Late' was cool. It had more of a darker sound than the original. I am a Warrant fan and I like Jani Lane, but his rendition of 'Photograph' left some to be desired. Sounded like it was a little out of his range. As far the remix version of 'Rock, Rock',Id have to say I actually liked it. It was different but sounded cool. Its definatley worth checking out. If you like this type of music then you wont be sorry. The more I listen to it, the more I like it. Oh and one last thing, Randy Castillo is one hell of a drummer. After all, he did play for Ozzy.

All the great classic metal artists are here to cover some of the best early Def Leppard material. All the songs are pre-Hysteria. If you are like me and prefer early DL, then this cd is for you. Also, if you love any or all of the classic metal artists appearing here then get this cd! Its as good if not better than most of the other metal tribute cds out there. Stay far away from any 're-mix' tribute cds including the 'other' DL tribute cd called 'Tributized'. Why they bother making those I'll never know... Who the hell are they trying to appeal to anyway?

The only two on here I don't like are the Kevin Dubrow and Jani Lane, probably because I'm not a big fan of either, but the rest of this is just great hard rock versions that almost seem to surpass in places like my favs the Kory Clarke (Warrior Soul) version of "You Got Me Running" which has him absolutely making the song as intense as it could be. I couldn't imagine a more metallic version that pumps you up like this one, it's a hard rock masterpiece of a cover with all those involved to me. Then there's "Let It Go" featuring Jason McMaster (Dangerous Toys), and if you are a fan you know how he can own and put his stamp on a song...check out the Dangerous Toys version of 'Feel Like Makin' Love' on their studio effort "Hellcacious Acres" for proof. Also a fav is "Bringin' On The Heartbreak" featuring Phil Lewis (L.A. Guns), always a treat to hear his trademark style of singing, let alone the way he belts it out on a strong song like this.

Mostly their early rockers are featured here, and that's fine by me since mostly the 80's stuff was the most raw and rocking. As far as tribute albums go; this one is exceptional.

Just because you like the original artist/song, doesn't mean the cover is gonna be as good or even half way decent. This 12 track tribute to one of the very best bands in Hard Rock is quite the mixed bag, but has some great results. Let's review:

First of all, you have to be into or like cover versions of original favorites. If you're not, move on, you won't find much pleasing here. For the rest, this is a pretty good cover/tribute to album. It's always cool to hear interpretations from artists who come from the same era and genre, who generally do like the songs they are covering, because that will produce the best results. Now with that said:

Jani Lane (ex-Warrant), Jason McMaster (Dangerous Toys/Broken Teeth), Steve Whiteman (ex-Kix), Phil Lewis (L.A. Guns), Stevie Rachelle (ex-Tuff) and Jizzy Pearl (ex-Love/Hate) all do the best jobs on their song takes and therefore are the strongest tracks here. Other notable mentions would be Kory Clarke and Kelly Hansen ("You Got Me Running" and "Rock of Ages", respectively) so you have a good share of great covers and therefore you should buy this album. Keep in mind it may help if you actually enjoyed the original track(s) in the first place, but thats not a requirement.

What puzzles me the most about this album, and some others, is when they take songs and absolutely, well....totally !*@$#-up a song and go way into left feild. Why oh why is there a techno mixed version of "Rock Rock" on here? Must be because Kevin DuBrow can't sing anyway so they might as well throw down a techo beat. Here's a better idea...don't invite him to sing in the first place. Terrible cover! Worst cover ever.

As far as tribute albums go this is pretty damn good and worth picking up. And if you avoid Dubrow and also Paul Shortino (is it any coincedence they came from Quiet Riot...hmmm) you will enjoy this homage to a great band by a collection of (some) great vocalists. Personal favorite "Let it Go" Jason McMaster stays true to the end, he nails it perfectly. 9/12

Like a previous reviewer has already stated, the music is loud, gritty, and bombastic. I really dig the rawness of these Leppard classics! With that said, I feel like the vocalists did a great job with these songs. The highlight for me was Jason McMaster's version of Let It Go. I swear it's as good if not better than the original! If you come across this disc somewhere then go ahead and buy it, because it's a fun cd to listen to.

Those last songs are a misprint. I have the CD and those Warrant songs arent on it. Not that Im complaining. Just letting y'all know that that is a misprint on here.

If that dude had really listened to the CD, he would have known that those Warrant songs were a misprint on here. They're not even on the CD. I have it. It would help if people listen to the stuff before they review it.

If you like old Def Leppard (before Hysteria) and 80's "hair band" singers, this is the CD for you! This album works better than other tributes (e.g. Zepplin and Kiss) because the artists are from the same genre as the material they are covering. In my opinion, the songs from High 'N Dry are just as good, if not better, than the original versions. It's refreshing to hear the songs you love done in similar, but slightly different ways (check out Koy Clarke (Warrior Soul) on You;ve Got Me Runnin'). The only real low point is Rock, Rock, the album's only remix - but if they had to remix a song it's just as well they picked Kevin Dubrow's since he can't sing anyway. On the lighter side, the sticker on the front of the CD says the disc contains a member of Motley Crue - you would expect to maybe Vince or Nikki, but instead you get the replacement drummer for Tommy Lee. All in all, this album rocks and if you like 80's metal, you will find this album much better than today's popular music!