Customer Reviews

Pyromania [Deluxe Edition]

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Released in 1983 "Pyromania" was the album that broke Def Leppard in America but primarily due to MTV's playing the videos of "Photograph", "Foolin'" and "Rock Of Ages". Again, with Robert John "Mutt" Lange doing the producing as well as co-writing most of the songs "Pyromania" had it's share of great songs starting with the hits "Photograph", "Foolin'", "Rock Of Ages", and "Rock Rock (Till You Drop)", etc. More polished than the band's 1981 album "High N' Dry" (but in my opinion not necessarily better) it was ex-Girl guitarist Phil Collen's debut replacing original guitarist and founder Pete Willis. "Pyromania" seems to have a more commercial sound than the previous albums and the band seems to be getting away from their NWOBHM (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal) roots. The remastering on this Deluxe Edition is far superior when compared to the older non-remastered single disc. I hear a crispness and more midrange in this newly remastered version that the older version lacked. The bonus disc (running just over seventy minutes long) from a concert in 1983 at the L.A. Forum is extremely well recorded and is a treat for Def Leppard fans as it includes not only material from "Pyromania" but from "High N' Dry" and "All Through The Night". Songs such as "Rock Brigade", "Wasted", "High N' Dry (Saturday Night)", "Another Hit And Run" and "Let It Go" have never been recorded "live" on cd or dvd for commercial release as far as this reviewer remembers so this is a first. Queen's Brian May even makes an appearance joining the band in playing the Creedence Clearwater classic "Travelin' Band" (the ending mixed with Led Zeppelin's "Rock And Roll"). The packaging of this Deluxe Edition of "Pyromania" is excellent with both discs securely mounted and there's also a fairly lengthy booklet with colorful photos of the band. Highly recommended!

At long last, Def Leppard's classic "Pyromania" from 1983 has received the remaster treatment. "Pyromania," a 10-song masterpiece that was laboriously pieced together riff by riff, beat by beat, bridge by bridge and vocal by vocal to sterling effect by reclusive uber-producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange, was my generation's British Invasion and still sounds fabulous -- slick heavy metal for a new generation of Atari-savvy kids who had yet to encounter a slew of less talented pop-metal bands that would follow in Def Leppard's cutting-edge wake. If you've heard "Pyromania," then you already know about the classic guitar riffs; the massive amount of hooks around every corner; Joe Elliott's distinctively raspy vocals; bombshell backing vocals; Rick Allen's fast but thunderous drumming; and the somber, London-fog aura heard on songs like "Too Late for Love," "Die Hard the Hunter" and, one of my all-time favorites, "Billy's Got a Gun."

But the real reason for purchasing this well-packaged two-CD set is for the second CD, a live Leppard performance at the L.A. forum in 1983. Rip-roaring from the get-go on "Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)," the show rarely lets up. Live in `83, these guys were a blitzkrieg force of nature. Well before the pristine pop metal of albums like "Hysteria" and "Adrenalize," Def Leppard churned out rough-and-tumble heavyweights like "High `n' Dry (Saturday Night)," "Another Hit and Run," "Wasted" and "Foolin'". In fact, what's most interesting on the live L.A. CD is how the band reached back in time with confidence and played a plentiful amount of tunes from its two albums prior to "Pyromania," -- far from the "greatest hits" mentality these guys have today when playing live shows.

In any case, anyone who says Def Leppard doesn't have the chops to duplicate their studio sound onstage should hear this CD: Elliott's live voice in `83 was raspy, versatile and hit all the high notes, likely because cigarettes, booze and age had yet to take their harmful toll; his mates' backing vocals are a bit spotty in parts but mostly come through with gusto; the twin-guitar attack of Phil Collen and the late, great Steve Clark is both spot-on and gloriously ragged at times; and it's hard not to notice drummer Rick Allen's sensational two-armed drumming, filled with flitting fills and crashing cymbals on nearly every downbeat, just like on record. Throughout the L.A. show, Elliott continually banters and attempts to rev up the crowd in typical arena-ready fashion -- with great success -- and it all culminates with the closer, Credence Clearwater Revival's "Travellin' Band," a song that suits Elliott's voice perfectly and was played with guest guitarist and friend Brian May from Queen. It's an enthusiastic, crowd-pleasing rendition that leaves a lasting impression.

Included with the discs are engaging liner notes by Rolling Stone writer David Fricke, who eons ago wrote a book about Def Leppard called "Animal Instinct." Fricke's firsthand account of the band's early 1980s saga truly resonates, and many Leppard fans may long for the days when this Sheffield, England, quintet was young, rocked hard and possessed a more aggressive vibe. Though Leppard has evolved with class and has continued to make solid music, the band's `80s mojo will never be topped, both from the band itself and the fans that followed Leppard so avidly. In the liner notes, Fricke claims the group's performance on the live-in-L.A. CD displays Def Leppard at its apex, with the classic lineup of Elliott, Clark, Collen, Rick Savage and Allen. After hearing it, it's hard to argue with his assessment.

I have loved this album (and Def Leppard) for 26 years and the only complaint I ever had about it was that the sound quality sounded kind of "tinny"...sigh!..But now, after this many years of dreaming, Def Leppard have been kind enough to remaster Pyromania...the Rock and Roll "Gold Standard"....The sound quality is superb and I am having a grand time picking up things that Steve,Rick,Sav,Phil and Joe did, but I had missed...I LOVE IT!!! I can't wait for High N Dry and On Through the Night to get remasterd...please?

Now, for the second cd, the "live" show from LA in 1983....OH GOD!! WOW!!!
This cd kicks some very serious butt...The energy from the band is outstanding...Steve and Phil and their double barreled guitars blew me away...and Rick and Sav are a tight knit duo also, like thunder and lightning...Joe's energy also is dynamic, and he sounds as good as ever...Songs to REALLY listen to? SWITCH 625, FOOLIN', ANOTHER HIT AND RUN, ROCK BRIGADE and BRINGIN' ON THE HEARTBREAK...Oh my God! I've never heard them sound better! The entire show is fantastic...If you read this review and you like Def Leppard....you won't be sorry for buying this "Deluxe" Edition of Pyromania! I'm happy I did!!!!! Thank you!

The Deluxe Edition of Pyromania is LOUD. There is an improvement in the clarity of the cymbals, but overall I think the compression takes away from this album. The MFSL Gold disc remains the definitive version of this title.

However, the live disc 2 sounds MUCH better than any previous bootlegs of this same show, and the Deluxe Edition of Pyromania is worth buying for the live disc alone.

When I heard earlier this year that Def Leppard was releasing deluxe editions of Pyromania and Adrenalize, I was ecstatic, to say the least. The only downside was that I had to wait 3 months to get my hands on them, but for Pyromania, the wait was definitely worth it.

The deluxe edition is a must-have for any Lep fan. It contains all 10 tracks from the original album remastered on disc 1, as well as a complete live concert recorded at the LA forum in 1983 on disc 2. I've heard some complain that the remastering on the first disc isn't that noticeable, but I can't agree with that. Comparing the tracks on the deluxe edition with tracks from the original 1983 release, you'd have to be deaf to not hear the improvement. The sound is clearer, crisper, and brings new energy into the songs that you can't get with the originals. This is especially great if you happen to like songs off the album that weren't necessarily big hits and haven't yet been re-released and remastered on a compilation album ("Comin' Under Fire" happens to be my second favorite song on Pyromania, and I was always disappointed at not having a remastered version of the song, but now I do!).

While the remastering is a great treat, the second disc is really what makes the deluxe edition a must-have. Its 15 tracks cover an entire Def Leppard concert at the LA Forum in 1983 (and I do mean the entire concert...they even left in Phil and Steve's guitar solos). While bootlegs of the concert have been around for ages, the mastered recordings on the deluxe edition sound SO much better. Joe's voice sounds great (he was only 24 and at his prime) and the instrumental backup he has from Phil, Steve, Sav, and Rick is just absolute perfection. For many, this is also the only time you'll ever get to hear professional, mastered live recordings of some of Def Leppard's earlier songs off High 'N' Dry, since there are no other recordings of these save for some extremely rare limited release DVDs.

To sum it up, Pyromania the Deluxe Edition is worth every penny it costs. In my opinion, it should've been released a lot earlier (I'm surprised it didn't come out with the deluxe edition of Hysteria) but better late than never! Any true Def Leppard fan should pick one up as soon as possible and even casual listeners should seriously consider owning a copy.

This album kickstarted Def Leppard's commercial success in the US and rightfully so. "Foolin'" "Rock of Ages" and "Photograph" (an original MTV staple from the age) remain popular songs at Def Leppard concerts to this day. Having just seen Def Leppard in concert this past summer, it was especially interesting to hear the bonus tracks (a more or less complete concert from the Pyromania tour in 1983) and appreciate the comparison. The audio quality of the show is excellent, and the band is still young and lean. An excellent example of the genre and of the band itself.

If they offered a remaster of Pyromania for $15, this would be a 5 star review, but they offered the famous LA show from '83 as an extra, and charged extra, and that is what most people are buying this for. But the concert is HEAVILY edited. This concert (which was broadcast over the radio in it's entirety) clocks in at 100 minutes. But this CD cuts it down to a little over 70 minutes, that's almost a half hour cut out. Now about 10 minutes is extraneous applause between encores, but besides cutting out almost all of Joe Elliott's between song banter 3 songs themselves are heavily edited:
Hit And Run which clocks in at 10:18 was edited to 6:14.
Travellin' Band which clocks in at 8:43 was edited to 5:31.
And most egregious, Rock of Ages, originally 13:49 was cut to a mere 4:53. That's over half of their biggest hit at the time just cut out!
Additionally the 2 1/2 minute Phil Collen guitar solo after Switch 625 is just tossed away.
The odd thing is that they could have fit almost an extra 10 minutes on just the single CD, and could have fit the whole concert in if they put the first few songs on the end of the 1st CD (the studio album).
There is no excuse for this and because of this anyone who is buying this for the live concert should track down a copy of the radio broadcast instead. The CD might have better quality, but with the radio broadcast at least I feel like I'm listening to a real concert, not a hack job.

Every smart audiophile/music listener is/is hopefully educated on remastering and how the record companies make money with marketing techniques (remastering albums for no reason, being cheapskates on bonus material, etc.) This time around I think it's finally safe to say "job well done" on this album. One thing every def leppard fan/listener realizes is that almost all their albums (or at least the ones Mutt Lange worked on) had a tight production that sounded too polished and "digital" for their hard rock/heavy metal sound. If you listen to Pyro/Hysteria/H-N-D you'll know what I'm talking about. Hysteria fell victim to this the most since that album was recorded with all kinds of machines and digital effects. Pyromania as we all know was their last album with any traces of "heavy metal" left in it before Joe and his band set sail to Glam/pop metal paradise. Comparing this Remastered Edition to the original CD from 1983/1990 shows a HUGE difference. Joe's voice is more clear and louder, the guitars and drums are more crisp and alive. The original CD is a muddy muffled mess compared to this. I would have liked to see some unreleased studio B-sides from the Pyromania sessions but instead you get a live show they did in Los Angeles in 1983. This show isn't the best but it's nice to finally have some live Def material released legitimately. Do I recommend buying this Remastered edition? If you want this album and you don't already have it, yes. Buy this version. If you already have the old CD you might be suprised at how better the sound quality is.

Remember, Def Leppard albums have very bad production thanks to how they were recorded and engineered and Mutt Lange which is why I like having the best quality copy of the music I can find.

Def Leppard's Breakthrough Album: "Pyromania" Is Back and Better Than Ever, In This Deluxe Edition 2-Disc Package That Contains The Entire Rock Classic Remastered For The Very First Time and On The Second Disc A Live Performance From The Band Circa 83 at The L.A. Forum.

This Is Absolutely The Ultimate Package For Any Def Leppard Fan, As This Is The Album That Propelled These Guys To Stardom. The Entire Album Sounds Crystal Clear and Clean With This New Much Needed Remaster, and Just Makes It All Worth The While When You First Stick This In The Player and Hear The Opening Riff Of "Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)" as It Really Shows How Fast and Furious Def Leppard Can Achieve When At There Full Potential and The Awesome Assistance Of "Mutt Lange". The Album Speeds Forth With The Hit: "Photograph" and Just Keeps Rocking Away As It Holds On To You and Never Lets Go. "Stagefright" with it's speedy awesome-ness..."Too Late For Love" and All The Way To The Very End Of The Album With The Chugging, Rock Closer: "Billy's Got A Gun", This Is An Amazing Package...Even The Album Comes In An Outstanding Package.

If You Picked Up The Deluxe Edition Of "Hysteria", This Will Be Another Worth Your While Addition To Your Collection. Keep Rocking...

Anybody worth their salt who experienced Pyromania during its initial run back in 1983 knows that this album is one of the tent poles of 80's music period! Finally remastered, and repackaged with live tracks, the definitive Def Leppard experience is available the way it should be. This album should be on anyone's short list who loves 80's music, heavy metal, hard rock, or British New Wave. It is melodic and driving at the same time. The production is fantastic. Vocals, guitar work, and percussion are all tight, and polished. This is everything a rock and roll experience should be.