#104
Jon Rosenberg
March 14 1980
Def Leppard
On Through the Night
Genre: NWOBHM
Allen’s Rating: 4 out of 5
Jon’s Rating: 3 out of 5
Jon’s Highlights:
Wasted
Rocks Off
It Don’t Matter
By Jon Rosenberg
Def Leppard is part of what’s affectionately (and verbosely) referred to as the New Wave of British Heavy Metal or NWOBHM. And I just learned this term about a month ago – what great timing! I can still remember sitting in Mr. Tamboia’s earth science class in 1984 debating the merits of Def Lep’s newest hit album “Pyromania” with a burn-out classmate. He loved it. I, on the other hand, thought it was shit. And never listened to another note from Def Leppard again. Until now.
“On Through the Night” is Lep’s first album. Before “Mutt” Lange became their producer and effectively created their sound, and MTV made every band with blow-dried hair into stars, Def Leppard actually had some pretty good, gritty riffs. Personally, I dig this sound a whole lot more than what came later for Lep, but obviously I’m in the minority
I’m giving this album a 3 because I think it’s solid, though nothing especially amazing. But if I could mentally slip into the denim jacket of my stoner high school friend (the one with the Swan Song Records logo painted on the back), I might up that rating to a 4. And then go smoke a joint behind the bleachers.
https://open.spotify.com/album/7AWItpp4bk6lA1wFtcfWRj?si=-j3X4UhvSCyAkQn5PL_UMA
No comments:
Post a Comment