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Blogs / Lounge Act / June 2009 / New Tunes in Stores: Tuesday, June 23

New Tunes in Stores: Tuesday, June 23

Look at that picture of Joe Elliott over there. Pretty sweet, ain't it? It evokes memories of a bygone, more innocent era, the sugar-and-spice Reagan '80s, even though Elliott's band, Def Leppard, was going through some horrific events at the time, ranging from car crashes costing its drummer an arm to alcohol addiction costing the band two guitarists on its way to the top of the glam-metal heap.

Among this week's new music releases are remastering jobs on a couple of Def Leppard albums, one pre-world domination (Pyromania) and one featuring a band trying to maintain its grasp as the Nirvana-led "alternative" revolution took the music biz by storm (Adrenalized).

First things first: Both albums SOUND great in their new incarnations, so all you sonic geeks out there who dig the Def Leppard WILL want to replace your old CDs/MP3s with the new versions. And both come with album-length bonus discs of extra material, so the reinvestment in an album you already own is actually worthwhile.

Pyromania was the set I was most excited to sample. I distinctly remember when it came out in 1983 and caught the attention of MTV via videos for "Photograph," "Rock of Ages" and "Foolin'," and caught the attention of a certain Michael Jackson-loving Midwestern kid who had yet to delve into "metal."

Of course, the idea that Def Leppard is "metal" seems absurd now, but that was back when Quiet Riot was metal as hell, and Def Leppard was still considered part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (as metal geeks call it), rather than consummate pop songwriters as they would later be labeled.

Aside from the familiar hits, the remastered Pyromania reminded me the band already knew its way around a power ballad in '83 ("Too Late for Love") and that "Billy's Got a Gun" is still kind of a weird tune, especially considering the source. The extra CD in the Pyromania package is a live show from the Los Angeles Forum from 1983, and it's pretty hot stuff; older faves like "High 'n' Dry (Saturday Night)," "Let It Go" and "Bringin' on the Heartbreak" sit alongside the then-new cuts comfortably.

Overall, I'd give the new Pyromania package a B+.

Adrenalize, on the other hand, doesn't hold up quite so well.

Part of that is simply me; I was well over my brief Def Leppard fandom by the time this set arrived in 1992, and its Mutt Lange overproduction on the original didn't draw me in like it did radio programmers who were still happy to have some solid singles from Def Leppard to fill their playlists.

Songs like "Let's Get Rocked" and "Make Love Like a Man" sound dated now, 17 years later. The ballads fair better; "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad" is as syrupy as it ever was, and "Stand Up (Kick Love Into Motion)" could have fit in on the album that came between these two re-releases, Hysteria.

The extras in the Adrenalize package include a short, four-song 1992 live set from a club in Germany, plus a selection of b-sides from the Adrenalize singles. I'd give the Adrenalize package a C at best.

Def Leppard play Usana Amphitheatre Aug. 25, with Poison and Cheap Trick opening.

ALSO IN STORES TODAY:

Cheap Trick, The Latest. The most underrated classic-rock band around has yet another set destined to be ignored by rock radio. And that's rock radio's loss.

Dream Theater, Black Clouds & Silver Linings. Because some folks just NEED prog-metal in their lives.

Dinosaur Jr., Farm. I'm stunned this reunion is still working. The Boston-based trio comes to SLC Oct. 31.

Patterson Hood, Murdering Oscar (And Other Love Songs). The Drive-By Truckers leader delivers his second solo set.

The Lemonheads, Varshons. Evan Dando gives the "Mrs. Robinson" treatment to a batch of cover songs. Yes, that sound you heard was snoring from me falling asleep in the middle of writing that sentence.

The Mars Volta, Octahedron. Because some folks REALLY NEED prog-metal in their lives.

The Roots, How I Got Over. A tour for this set is a good reason for the band to bail their gig playing for Jimmy Fallon.

Regina Spektor, Far. Because some people NEED poppy showtunes in their lives.

Pete Yorn, Back And Fourth. The inevitably overrated Springsteen wannabe is back. He'll be in Salt Lake City for a show Aug. 16.