'High N' Dry' Album Facts Video

It is hard to believe, but Def Leppard's High N' Dry album is 39 years old. To celebrate that milestone, the band just released a "facts" video about the album. There are some fun tidbits here spread among the classic clips.

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Comments

[HrMtlFan]

If anyone is a big fan of this album (like me), please, do yourself a favor and track down the 2019 remastered reissue by Mercury Records. It is available on both vinyl and CD. To me, the sound is dramatically improved over any prior version of the record. Makes for a fabulous listening experience on good equipment. Enjoy!

[Glamrockerarchie]

This album is my fav album by these guys, great beginning to end

[Metalboy!]

I remember when this debuted ... Me and the boyz, plus the chix, couldn’t get enough and we would just play it over and over while partyin’ like no tomorrow (quite literally) in whoever’s basement it was at the time when their parents would be out of town.

And thanks for the tip, HrMtlFan ... I will check out the 2019 remastered version because, though there’s no questioning it’s Metal mastery, it always sounded a bit tinny to me.

But now, due to new technology, we can here it in all it’s glory!

And the way the boyz intended!

Rock On!

[Bkallday]

Always been a big fan of this band but i was just never able to get into their first two releases. Pyromania to me was the true genesis of the great band they were to become.But i know that personal experiences & memories with the music is a huge part of it. The harder edge of Pyromania pulled me right in though!

[Shawn]

To me this was ground breaking material 39 years ago. Thanks HrMtlFan I will look for the re-issue. 39 years wow time is flying by... About this time I was discovering Saxon/Priest/Fastway/Maiden/Girl School/Man O War/The Rods - it was all a blur -- but it was the best time to be alive. Discover music the real way by word of mouth and picking out cool album covers ...

[Metalboy!]

Shawn! ... I bought ALL the albums of those bands you named and then some ...

It’s fun to think of Saxon as the inspiration for “Spinal Tap” with Harry Shearer and Michael McKeon shadowing them on one of their tours, doing research for the movie ...

Or how Dave King, formerly of Fastway, once being asked not too long ago about the experience of being the frontman of that band, to which he replied, “Who?”

Meanwhile, the guy was completely killing it vocally back then as opposed to the complete yawner he is now in superstar act, Flogging Molly ... Geezus!

Let me Go, Rock n’ Roll!!!

[Gogmagog]

Most of the time I think this is Def Leppard's best album (every once in a while I convince myself it's their debut record). As good as the songwriting is, I can't rate Pyromania ahead of either one because of the bloody drum machine. I would pay good money to hear a remaster of that with Rick Allen behind a real drum kit.

[Shawn]

@Metalboy I still need to hit the lottery for that music summit we desperately need. Get this whole entire forum together to meet and share all this great music. The NWOBHM was iconic. (not to be confused with ICON)

Great story on the Fastway singer. Saxon and Spinal TAp makes perfect sense.

[Metalboy!]

Gogmagog: I still rate “Pyromania” above all for one reason - “Photograph”!

Shawn: Love ICON, ironically one of Eddie Trunk’s favorite bands, who I despise, haha!!

HIM: ?

Funny Gary: ?

Anyone: ?

[Gogmagog]

If Pyromania had real drums it wouldn't just be Def Leppard's finest album, it would be one of the top 5 rock records of all time. But if I want to listen to those songs, I have to seek out the bootlegs. This is from the Dortmund festival in 1983, which I believe HIM and I have agreed is the greatest festival lineup of all time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSnxHmpfUkA&t=497s

[Him]

I still prefer the first three Lep albums, even as I acknowledge the power of what came after . . . given what it was (and there were bright spots, to be fair, and I have been).

But Elliot is being a bit loose with the facts in this video. If _High N' Dry_ is 'where [the band] wanted to go', then they only went in that direction for one more album. After that, they actually went the way they (some of them, ahem) wanted to go . . . NWOHM with a Bon Jovi twist. Meaning: pop metal. Good pop metal, granted. But pop metal.

Dare I say (again), the firing of Willis and then the death of Clarke added polish and popularity. But _High N' Dry_ was in the middle of three albums that I constantly replay. Not faulting them. They went where they wanted and conquered the world. What do I know about mullets, half-shirts, and acid washed jeans? Obviously, not enough to become a mega-star.

[Metalboy!]

Party Metal!