Def Leppard - Song from the Sparkle Lounge

Def Leppard - Songs from the Sparkle Lounge (Bludgeon Riffola) 2008

1. Go (3:20)
2. Nine Lives (3:22)
3. C'mon C'mon (4:04)
4. Love (4:17)
5. Tomorrow (3:35)
6. Cruise Control (3:03)
7. Hallucinate (3:16)
8. Only the Good Die Young (3:33)
9. Bad Actress (3:03)
10. Come Undone (3:33)
11. Gotta Let Go (3:55)

For years and years Joe Elliot and crew have been denying that they were ever a heavy metal band, or even a hard rock band. They want to be a pop band and that is exactly what they deliver on "Sparkle Lounge". If the lame cover art or album title doesn't give it away, "Songs from the Sparkle Lounge" is eleven attempts at modern radio pop. Of course, since much of modern pop attempts to 'rock', Def Leppard have moved away from the slick production and multi-layered vocals of the popular 80's albums and have instead gone for a more minimalist, modern rock sound. Unfortunately the guitar production is so hollow sounding that even a familiar minimalist rock and roll riff doesn't come across very strong. Album closer "Gotta Let Go" is the only song that even comes close to really "rocking" and this is the only song that I don't find completely annoying. "Bad Actress" has the potential to be a good hard rocker as well, not unlike The Sweet or Slade, but is drug down by a useless modern rock guitar rhythm and weak guitar tones.

The band doesn't print the lyrics in the booklet, frankly, what's the point with lyrics like, "C'mon C'mon, C'mon, everybody, everyone, C'mon C'mon, baby, baby, baby, won't you give me a good time, squeeze me, please me, make me feel like the last time" or "Go Just Go, Go Just Go, Go Just Go". Yes, this is the kind of dribble that Def Leppard are reduced to now, not that I expected anything really deep or meaningful. I mean, this is the band that gave us "Pour Some Sugar On Me". However, these are the type of lyrics I expect out of some pop diva or corporate boy band, not a seasoned rock band like Def Leppard. Oh, but wait, I keep forgetting, they are not a rock band, they are a pop band.

Of course what would a Def Leppard album be without a least on sticky sweet ballad. The token ballad this time is titled "Love", an melodramatic, acoustic piece complete with layered background "ooooos" and "ahhhhhs".

Country superstar Tim McGraw sings the intro on "Nine Live". His involvement with the song adds nothing to the song or the record. It's actually quite easily overlooked. Rather, it's a quick marketing grab for Def Leppard, who could draw a few fans from the music buying Country Music audience. Unfortunately for those fans, I don't hear much on here that would appeal to them either.

Surprisingly, guitarist Vivian Campell is released to do a few guitar solos, which any Dio fan worth his devil horns knows that the man in more than capable of. Just take a listen to his solo in "Hallucinate" and remember what a great guitarist he use to be and obviously still could be. Unfortunately, a few seconds of guitar solo doesn't really save this album from being quickly forgotten. Fans of Def Leppard's early NWOBHM material will find nothing to like about this one. Fans of their slick 80's pop metal sound will probably be disappointed as well. However, I am sure their die-hard fans will find something to like here. I know they quite a few of them because every time I write a review like this I receive several expletive filled emails from them. Trust me, I know how you guys feel. I'm the same way with Aerosmith. Unfortunately I just can't give Def Leppard the same pass.

Well I liked this album well enough, true it's not up to par with Leppard's past albums but it was still enjoyable enough IMO. I guess your opinion on Lep's more commericial albums depends on which of they're material you were first exposed to, and the first song I ever heard from them was Animal, so I naturally gravitated more towards they're commericial stuff so that's what I was first exposed to(though I deifinitely do appreciate their earlier albums) Def Leppard pretty much introduced me to rock music and inspired me to check out other bands like The Scorpions, so I don't hold the same grudge against Def Leppard that most people do for changing they're sound(though I can understnd why they do, in the liner notes for Rock Of Ages:The Definitive Collection, Elliot mentioned that he found it hard to look back on most of the'yre earlier songs from On Through The Night)I've enjoyed all of they're albums on some level, even Slang. Aerosmith on the other hand i've never really been a big fan of, I find the're music decent, but not something I feel like listening to very often.

This album

I listened to it once... that was enough. I prefer Slang to this, at least they were trying.

ultmetal wrote:

Def Leppard - Songs from the Sparkle Lounge (Bludgeon Riffola) 2008

1. Go (3:20)
2. Nine Lives (3:22)
3. C'mon C'mon (4:04)
4. Love (4:17)
5. Tomorrow (3:35)
6. Cruise Control (3:03)
7. Hallucinate (3:16)
8. Only the Good Die Young (3:33)
9. Bad Actress (3:03)
10. Come Undone (3:33)
11. Gotta Let Go (3:55)

For years and years Joe Elliot and crew have been denying that they were ever a heavy metal band, or even a hard rock band. They want to be a pop band and that is exactly what they deliver on "Sparkle Lounge". If the lame cover art or album title doesn't give it away, "Songs from the Sparkle Lounge" is eleven attempts at modern radio pop. Of course, since much of modern pop attempts to 'rock', Def Leppard have moved away from the slick production and multi-layered vocals of the popular 80's albums and have instead gone for a more minimalist, modern rock sound. Unfortunately the guitar production is so hollow sounding that even a familiar minimalist rock and roll riff doesn't come across very strong. Album closer "Gotta Let Go" is the only song that even comes close to really "rocking" and this is the only song that I don't find completely annoying. "Bad Actress" has the potential to be a good hard rocker as well, not unlike The Sweet or Slade, but is drug down by a useless modern rock guitar rhythm and weak guitar tones.

The band doesn't print the lyrics in the booklet, frankly, what's the point with lyrics like, "C'mon C'mon, C'mon, everybody, everyone, C'mon C'mon, baby, baby, baby, won't you give me a good time, squeeze me, please me, make me feel like the last time" or "Go Just Go, Go Just Go, Go Just Go". Yes, this is the kind of dribble that Def Leppard are reduced to now, not that I expected anything really deep or meaningful. I mean, this is the band that gave us "Pour Some Sugar On Me". However, these are the type of lyrics I expect out of some pop diva or corporate boy band, not a seasoned rock band like Def Leppard. Oh, but wait, I keep forgetting, they are not a rock band, they are a pop band.

Of course what would a Def Leppard album be without a least on sticky sweet ballad. The token ballad this time is titled "Love", an melodramatic, acoustic piece complete with layered background "ooooos" and "ahhhhhs".

Country superstar Tim McGraw sings the intro on "Nine Live". His involvement with the song adds nothing to the song or the record. It's actually quite easily overlooked. Rather, it's a quick marketing grab for Def Leppard, who could draw a few fans from the music buying Country Music audience. Unfortunately for those fans, I don't hear much on here that would appeal to them either.

Surprisingly, guitarist Vivian Campell is released to do a few guitar solos, which any Dio fan worth his devil horns knows that the man in more than capable of. Just take a listen to his solo in "Hallucinate" and remember what a great guitarist he use to be and obviously still could be. Unfortunately, a few seconds of guitar solo doesn't really save this album from being quickly forgotten. Fans of Def Leppard's early NWOBHM material will find nothing to like about this one. Fans of their slick 80's pop metal sound will probably be disappointed as well. However, I am sure their die-hard fans will find something to like here. I know they quite a few of them because every time I write a review like this I receive several expletive filled emails from them. Trust me, I know how you guys feel. I'm the same way with Aerosmith. Unfortunately I just can't give Def Leppard the same pass.

Agreed!! sounds like they were too caught up with the indie/garage rock fad. A weak album indeed better than the dreaded X which is one of the worst pop albums of all time but worse than Slang