Def Leppard - Euphoria

Def Leppard – Euphoria (Mercury) 1999

1. Demolition Man (3:25)
2. Promises (3:59)
3. Back In Your Face (3:21)
4. Goodbye (3:36)
5. All Night (3:37)
6. Paper Sun (5:28)
7. It's Only Love (4:06)
8. 21st Century Sha La La La Girl (4:07)
9. To Be Alive (3:53)
10. Disintegrate (2:51)
11. Guilty (3:47)
12. Day After Day (4:37)
13. Kings Of Oblivion (4:18)

I remember when this CD was released. Def Leppard fanatics worldwide were excited by the hype that the band was returning to their classic sound after releasing the atrocious alternative/grunge/rock album “Slang”. Once the album hit, cries of “a return to form” resounded. My thought was, “a return to what form?” Def Leppard haven’t released a really great album since “High n Dry”, or arguably “Pyromania”. Euphoria is an attempt to return to the slick, radio-pop formula of 'Adrenalize', and a weak attempt at that. Weak ballads, weaker rockers and even dance beats (see “All Night”). I find it hard to believe that a great guitarist like Vivian Campbell could find any satisfaction playing this stuff. Perhaps I am just too jaded when it comes to this band. I do like some pop rock bands, but for some reason Def Leppard’s music has left me cold since abandoning the hard rock and heavy metal of their early years. This album is just pure pop rubbish!

Crap on toast.

I regret buying it as I have never been able to get rid of it.

I actually liked 'Slang ' by Def Leppard but I felt that this album was an attempt to return to the sound of 'Pyromania' and 'Hysteria' but I feel they fell way short of the mark.

It has some good songs, but overall a weak attempt to make Hysteria Pt 2

Def Leppard have been dead to me since HYSTERIA so I have never heard this album, nor have I ever had interest in doing so.

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Crap on toast.

It's reviews like that that make me miss Leppard fan-boy Eyesore. He'd be all up-in-arms defending this piss-poor excuse of an album.

I think I heard it once over a friend's house, who himself was a fan-boy. Even he hated it. Like Freddy, I kinda gave up on these guys after Hysteria with 2 exceptions. Retro Active for the cool b-sides and Yeah! for the covers.

I remember driving through the state of Kentucky really late at night right after what would have been this albums release, and hearing the song "Paper Sun". I immediately recognized that it was a Def Leppard song, and my initial thoughts were, this is a return to respectability. This song clearly wasn't a song that would have been captured on, "On Through The Night" or "High 'N Dry", but "Paper Sun" clearly had elements of "Pyromania". I ended up getting the C.D the next day, but much to my disappointment, I quickly realized that this album was "Hit or miss". The songs either were very edgy or for the most part pop centric. I love songs such as "Paper Sun", "Day After Day", "Kings of Oblivion", and the instrumental "Disintegrate", but I pretty much loath everything else on this album. I think the high points at least illustrate the fact that Def Leppard have the ability to write strong music, but it also pointed to the fact that Def Leppard continued to follow this tired cliche of weak sappy music with guitar hooks and melodies that one hears consistently on Top 40 radio.

Depending on the day, this may be either my #3 or #4 favorite DL album. I think it's great.

Don't hate it but it's a far cry from High N Dry and Pyromania.

When I was but a wee OCI I liked this band some. I purchased this album when it came out. If every song was like 'Day After Day' I would still like this band. That song is great and was my favorite along with 'Too Late For Love', 'Gods of War', and 'Hysteria'. Unfortunately there is just too much cheese and gunk in the catalog for me to wade through it all and skip so much on the albums. But yeah. 'Day After Day' woo! And the instrumental was not bad either, a nice surprise to hear.

Someone keeps sending me Def Leppard CDs in the mail. I don't know who it is, but now I have a copy of Adrenalize to review as well. Should I be expecting Hysteria as well?

The same thing happened with Guardian Bottle Rocket. I hate that CD but people kept sending me copies because it wasn't on my site. I finally gave up and just kept a copy and reviewed the stupid thing.

ultmetal wrote:

Someone keeps sending me Def Leppard CDs in the mail. I don't know who it is, but now I have a copy of Adrenalize to review as well. Should I be expecting Hysteria as well?

The same thing happened with Guardian Bottle Rocket. I hate that CD but people kept sending me copies because it wasn't on my site. I finally gave up and just kept a copy and reviewed the stupid thing.

I sent you a Taylor Swift CD this weekend. I expect a full review ASAP.

We probably already have all of those Taylor Swift CDs in my house. My wife and daughter are fans.

Fat Freddy wrote:

Def Leppard have been dead to me since HYSTERIA so I have never heard this album, nor have I ever had interest in doing so.

agreed.....

ultmetal wrote:

Someone keeps sending me Def Leppard CDs in the mail. I don't know who it is, but now I have a copy of Adrenalize to review as well. Should I be expecting Hysteria as well?

In a word, "Yes". I think it has its moments. My personal favorites are "Tonight", "White Lightning", "Tear It Down", and to a lesser extent, "I Wanna Touch You". I more or less just got into a frame of mind that the Def Leppard that I once loved, was dead. This made it a little easier to look at this album from a different perspective. This was the last album also to contain any writing credits from Steve Clark.

I don't have Euphoria yet, but I love Hysteria, and even Adrenalize has a lot of good songs.

"Euphoria" is their best post-Hysteria album. "Paper Sun," "Day After Day," "Kings of Oblivion," "Disintegrate," and parts of the bonus track "I Am Your Child," all have more in common with mid-80s Def Leppard than anything else they've done. I'm surprised fans of the older material don't like those tunes. They're more polished, sure, but definitely in line with material from Pyromania and High 'N' Dry.

Most of the other tracks are solid 90s style Leppard. Only "All Night" and "It's Only Love" strike me as out of place. "All Night" isn't really bad; it's just more suited for someone like Prince.

Six-Pack Thunder Dong wrote:

"Euphoria" is their best post-Hysteria album. "Paper Sun," "Day After Day," "Kings of Oblivion," "Disintegrate," and parts of the bonus track "I Am Your Child," all have more in common with mid-80s Def Leppard than anything else they've done. I'm surprised fans of the older material don't like those tunes. They're more polished, sure, but definitely in line with material from Pyromania and High 'N' Dry.

I'll have to listen to those tracks again.

ultmetal wrote:

We probably already have all of those Taylor Swift CDs in my house. My wife and daughter are fans.

*sigh*....mine, too.

As a DL fangirl, I am deeply disappointed in the boys and this horrible attempt at a 'good' album.


Pyromania and Hysteria 4life.

I listened to it again the other day - it seems 1/2 the album is Hysteria/Adrenalize and 1/2 of "new" def lepp

I liked your review of Adrenalize Ult, and now I want the covers album lol

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This album is just pure pop rubbish!

Except for "Promises"...great Hysteria-like single...

How can anyone not like "Paper Sun" and "Day After Day?"

Eyesore wrote:

How can anyone not like "Paper Sun" and "Day After Day?"

Paper Sun is a great song