Review: 'Definitely The official Story Of Def Leppard'
Director: 'Elliott, Joe'
Writen By: 'Joe Elliott, Phil Collen, Rick Allen, Rick Savage'
- Starring: 'Joe Elliott, Phil Collen, Rick Savage, Rick Allen, Vivian Campbell, Steve Clark'
- Genre: 'Documentary'
- Release Date: '9.5.23.'- Catalogue No: 'Genesis-Publications'
|
Our Rating:
|
|
This new coffee table book is the first time Def Leppard have told the bands story themselves, from there beginnings in Sheffield in the late 1970's right up to 2022.
For fans of the band this book is a must have treasure trove of photos and ephemera taken from the band's own archives, so you can see the earliest band photos, and contracts, original artwork and designs for single and album covers, Loads of tour passes, gig tickets, newspaper and magazine cuttings, tour itineraries, visa applications etc.
The band narrate the story of there meteoric rise to become one of the biggest bands of the 80's and beyond, we find out why the bands original drummer Tony Kenning and guitarist Pete Willis left before they made it, mainly through lack of commitment or talent. The bands first ep was good enough to get them air play from John Peel after Joe Elliot handed the great man a copy at a gig.
They were incorrectly lumped into the new wave of British heavy metal despite the band always feeling more like a pop rock band, they soon started building a live reputation supporting among others AC/DC Billy Squier. At the start they were a normal band who could record an album in 3 weeks.
As the bands classic line-up came together of Joe Elliot, Rick Allen, Steve Clark, Rick Savage and Phil Collen they had started to get really big in the states and once they got Mutt Lange in to produce them from High 'N' Dry onwards the production time started to stretch first to 3 months then for 2 to 3 years for Pyromania and Hysteria albums with plenty of touring in between as they started to sell millions of albums.
The book doesn't shy away from the bands tragic side with Rick Allen's awful car crash and his eventual recovery and return to the drum stool despite losing an arm, as well as Steve Clarks slide into drink and drug oblivion, but as a band they are survivors and have got through the tragedies and carried on making music, however slowly, while continuing to sell shed loads of concert tickets and albums.
|
While they never appealed to Cool music fans, Like this writer, they had the knack of making super commercial pop rock beloved the world over and even when they went totally out of fashion in some places in the 90's, they just went and toured the other places that still wanted them.
After Steve Clarks death he was replaced by Vivian Campbell who by his own admission was very lucky indeed to join such a huge band. I love reading about the album Slang as they try to survive grunge by trying to sound like Soundgarden, as they finally found time to play on the festival circuit to make sure people knew they were still a great live act, I have to say the only time I've seen them, at the Download festival they were very good indeed, if nowhere near the best band of the weekend.
They have weathered all sorts of storms to remain a huge selling band and that takes a lot of dedication and effort, it's good to read a Rock Autobiography that isn't obsessed by being cheated by whoever, or by how much money they've made. This is a really good read and is a perfect stocking filler for any Def Leppard fans who haven't bought it long before Xmas.
Find out more at https://geni.us/defleppard https://www.genesis-publications.com/book/9781905662791-open//defleppard https://www.defleppard.com/ https://www.facebook.com/defleppard
|
| |
author: simonovitch
|
[Show all reviews for this Director]
|
READERS COMMENTS
10 comments still available (max 10)
[Click here to add your own comments]
There are currently no comments...
----------
|
|
|
 |
