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Pyromania

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AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Albums:

Pyromania

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Home > Library > Entertainment & Arts > Pop Albums

  • Artist: Def Leppard
  • Rating: StarStarStarStarHalf Star
  • Release Date: 1983
  • Total Time: 44:57
  • Type: Lyrics are included with the album
  • Genre: Rock

Review

While Def Leppard had obviously wanted to write big-sounding anthems on their previous records, Pyromania was where the band's vision coalesced and gelled into something more. More than ever before, the band's songs on Pyromania are driven by catchy, shiny melodic hooks instead of heavy guitar riffs, although the latter do pop up once in a while. But it wasn't just this newly intensified focus on melody and consistent songwriting (and heavy MTV exposure) that made Pyromania a massive success -- and the catalyst for the '80s pop-metal movement. Robert John "Mutt" Lange's buffed-to-a-sheen production -- polished drum and guitar sounds, multi-tracked layers of vocal harmonies, a general sanding of any and all musical rough edges, and a perfectionistic attention to detail -- set the style for much of the melodic hard rock that followed. It wasn't a raw or spontaneous sound, but the performances were still energetic and committed. Leppard's quest for huge, transcendent hard rock perfection on Pyromania was surprisingly successful; their reach never exceeded their grasp, which makes the album an enduring (and massively influential) classic. ~ Steve Huey, Rovi

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Wikipedia on Answers.com:

Pyromania (album)

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Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
This article is about the album by Def Leppard. For other uses, see Pyromania (disambiguation).
Pyromania
Studio album by Def Leppard
Released 20 January 1983
Recorded January–November 1982 at Park Gates Studios, Battle, East Sussex, England, and Battery Studios, London
Genre Heavy metal, hard rock, glam metal[1]
Length 44:57
Label Vertigo
Producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange
Def Leppard chronology
High 'n' Dry
(1981)		 Pyromania
(1983)		 Hysteria
(1987)
Singles from Pyromania
  1. "Photograph"
    Released: February 1983[2]
  2. "Rock of Ages"
    Released: May 1983[2]
  3. "Foolin'"
    Released: September 1983[2]
  4. "Too Late for Love"
    Released: November 1983[2]

Pyromania is the third studio album by British rock band Def Leppard, released on 20 January 1983. It featured new guitarist Phil Collen and was produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange. The album charted at #2 on the Billboard 200 and #18 on the UK Albums Chart.[3][4]

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic 5/5 stars link
Robert Christgau (C)
Rolling Stone 4/5 stars link
Sputnik Music 4.5/5 stars link
Thrash Hits 5.5/6 stars link
Contents

Overview

[icon] This section requires expansion.

The album was partially recorded with original guitarist Pete Willis, whose rhythm guitar tracks appear on all songs. Midway through the recording sessions, Willis was fired for excessive alcohol abuse and replaced by Collen, who contributed guitar solos and other parts that had not yet been recorded by Willis. On the original LP release, Willis is visible in the background of the photograph of singer Joe Elliott, while Collen is given his own personal photo as the new full-time member of the group.

Legacy

With its melodic hooks (and heavy MTV exposure) Pyromania became a massive success, and was the catalyst for the 1980s pop-metal movement.[5] The album has sold over 10 million copies in the US where it is certified Diamond. Three songs from Pyromania, "Photograph", "Rock of Ages" and "Foolin'", became Top 40 singles in the US.[6] In 2004, the album ranked number 384 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.[7] In 2006, Q magazine placed the album at number 35 in its list of "40 Best Albums of the '80s".[8]

Deluxe Edition

A Deluxe Edition of Pyromania was released on 8 June 2009, featuring a digitally remastered version of the album, plus a live bonus CD. The complete, unedited concert was originally broadcast over FM radio. The live bonus CD, of their 11 September 1983 show at the L.A. Forum, is heavily edited.

Track listing

Side one
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)"   Steve Clark, Rick Savage, Mutt Lange, Joe Elliott 3:52
2. "Photograph"   Clark, Pete Willis, Savage, Lange, Elliott 4:12
3. "Stagefright"   Savage, Elliott, Lange 3:46
4. "Too Late for Love"   Clark, Lange, Willis, Savage, Elliott 4:30
5. "Die Hard the Hunter"   Lange, Clark, Savage, Elliott 6:17
Side two
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Foolin'"   Clark, Lange, Elliott 4:32
2. "Rock of Ages"   Clark, Lange, Elliott 4:09
3. "Comin' Under Fire"   Lange, Clark, Willis, Elliott 4:20
4. "Action! Not Words"   Lange, Clark, Elliott 3:49
5. "Billy's Got a Gun"   Clark, Savage, Willis, Elliott, Lange 5:56

Deluxe Edition Bonus CD

Live – L.A. Forum 1983
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)"   Clark, Savage, Lange, Elliott  
2. "Rock Brigade"   Savage, Clark, Elliott  
3. "High 'n' Dry (Saturday Night)"   Elliott, Clark, Savage  
4. "Another Hit and Run"   Elliott, Savage  
5. "Billy's Got a Gun"   Clark, Savage, Willis, Elliott, Lange  
6. "Mirror Mirror (Look into My Eyes)"   Elliott, Clark, Savage  
7. "Foolin'"   Clark, Lange, Elliott  
8. "Photograph"   Clark, Willis, Savage, Lange, Elliott  
9. "Rock of Ages"   Clark, Lange, Elliott  
10. "Bringin' On the Heartbreak"   Elliott, Willis, Clark  
11. "Switch 625"   Clark  
12. "Let It Go"   Elliott, Willis, Clark  
13. "Wasted"   Clark, Elliott  
14. "Stagefright"   Savage, Elliott, Lange  
15. "Travellin' Band (featuring Brian May)"   John Fogerty  

Personnel

Additional musicians
Production
  • Robert John "Mutt" Lange – producer
  • Mike Shipley – engineer
  • Brian "Chuck" New – assistant engineer (Battery Studios)
  • Craig "Too Loud for Boys" Thomson – assistant engineer (Park Gate Studios)
Additional personnel
  • Bernard Gudynas – front cover illustration
  • David Landslide – back cover photograph
  • Andie Airfix – album sleeve concept and design

Certifications

Country Provider Certification
(sales thresholds)
United States RIAA 10× Platinum
Canada CRIA 7× Platinum
United Kingdom BPI Silver

See also

References

  1. ^ Top 20 Hair Metal Albums of the Eighties Guitar World, 2008
  2. ^ a b c d Senff, Mark. "Def Leppard Online Discography – 7" vinyl". Archived from the original on 8 December 2008. http://replay.waybackmachine.org/20081208122045/http://www.defleppard-discography.com/results.asp?show=items&format=2. Retrieved 2 April 2011. 
  3. ^ "Allmusic (Def Leppard charts and awards) Billboard albums". http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p4062. 
  4. ^ "Def Leppard chart stats". http://www.chartstats.com/artistinfo.php?id=398. 
  5. ^ Pyromania: Def Leppard Allmusic. Retrieved 17 November 2011
  6. ^ Def Leppard: Chart History Billboard. Retrieved 17 November 2011
  7. ^ 500 Greatest Albums of All Time: Pyromania - Def Leppard Rolling Stone. Retrieved 17 November 2011
  8. ^ Q August 2006, Issue 241
Def Leppard
Studio albums
Cover albums
Live albums
Compilations
EPs
Videography
Singles
Concert tours
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