Def Leppard Releases Official Video For Symphonic Version Of 'Animal'

Def Leppard just released the director's cut version of the track "Animal" from their upcoming album Drastic Symphonies.

I honestly love this new video. It takes original footage from the actual "Animal" video and uses modern clips of Def Leppard performing live. There are shots of the orchestral musicians during the recording process and a whole lot of nods to UK pride, making for a smart way to show this reinvented version of a classic song in a new way.

Drastic Symphonies comes out May 19th.

Rick Allen Attacked In Florida

Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen was attacked outside a Four Seasons Ft. Lauderdale, Florida Monday night. He was allegedly ambushed by a 19 year old nut from Ohio (of course) named Max Edward Hartley. Allen walked outside to smoke and Hartley pounced, knocking Allen to the ground. Allen fell and hit his dead. A woman saw the attack and tried to help Allen and then Hartley started attacking and dragging her... by the hair. 

Allen was in Florida for a Def Leppard/Motley Crue tour stop.

All this information comes from a police report. Police arrested Hartley near another hotel - after allegedly smashing some cars, too. Allen wants to prosecute, so we will likely hear more about this incident in the future.

Def Leppard's drummer Rick Allen was attacked by a 19-year-old man outside of his hotel in Florida over the weekend, according to a Fort Lauderdale Police report posted by Daily Mail. https://t.co/o1hiv9N5Id

— Rolling Stone (@RollingStone) March 16, 2023

Def Leppard Announce 'Drastic Symphonies' With The London Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Def Leppard will release a new album May 19 called Drastic Symphonies. The release will feature classic tracks alongside the work of The London Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

You already know I love when rock and metal bands work with orchestras. Symphonic Led Zeppelin by the London Philharmonic Orchestra is one of my favorite albums of all time. Now I get a Def Leppard version - but this upcoming release is different! While the Led Zeppelin album - and many orchestral interpretations - just feature the music without lyrics, this new Lep work features the vocals, often in re-imagined or in re-recorded ways. About the upcoming release, Def Lep guitarist Phil Collen says:

"t was an amazingly inspirational process culminating in the live recording of the RPO at Abbey Road studios in London. An absolute team effort that took a good part of a year. It's a new Def Leppard album, it's a greatest-hits-plus album, with some rarely heard songs, it's a live RPO album and we think it's perfect."

You read that correctly: the Leps spent a year on the project. The songs were recorded last March and it's been in production since. I just pre-ordered the vinyl version off Amazon - it was around $40. You can do the same by clicking the image in this post.

Wishing Joe Elliott Well

For a short while, Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott received hospital-level treatment after arriving in Bogota, Colombia. The band - along with Motley Crue - will play a World Tour gig there tonight. Despite Elliott suffering from "difficulty breathing," he is apparently fine and the show will go on as planned. Perhaps he was just not feeling 100% and went to the hospital for a more-thorough checkup. Or maybe it was the altitude? Let's hope it was nothing more serious!

Performing while sick must really suck, so map props to Joe and every other musician who hits the stage being a little under-the-weather.

DEF LEPPARD's JOE ELLIOTT Briefly Hospitalized In Bogotá; Tonight's Concert To Go Ahead As Scheduled https://t.co/5dCkBx7Yaj pic.twitter.com/ss5IzWPif3

— BLABBERMOUTH.NET (@BLABBERMOUTHNET) February 25, 2023

BOGOTA – the show is still ON for tonight at Parque Simon Bolivar! We're ready to rock and roll with the fans in Colombia! 🤘 🔥 pic.twitter.com/KoEXqwGt9r

— Def Leppard (@DefLeppard) February 25, 2023

Holy Cow - Look At The Crowd For Motley Crue!

The World Tour with Motley Crue and Def Leppard stopped in Mexico City over the weekend. Motley singer Vince Neil posted some photos of the show and the crowd. I actually did a double-take when I saw the crowd photos. The amount of people that attended the show was massive.

The bands played at Foro Sol Stadium which holds 65,000 people. I do not know if the show was sold out or not, but there is no doubt that tens of thousands of folks attended.

New Vinyl Haul! How About You?

I was (finally!) feeling well enough to leave the house last night for the first time in what felt like forever. I went out to eat and also to a famous little store near Cincinnati called Plaid Room Records. A good photo of the place is below (and some Bengals tweets because they have a partnership with Plaid Room, so you can actually see the inside of the shop in the moving video).

Anyway, I got a nice haul of new records last night including the famed 2011 remaster of Fleetwood Mac's Rumours, Notorious B.I.G. Life After Death, the remaster of Def Leppard's wonderful and underrated Retro Activ and Ice Nine Kill's Welcome To Horrorwood on VHS black vinyl (that's just one of the special editions available).

I'm pretty stoked for all these new records and to keep adding to my collection. I am really excited to listen to the Fleetwood Mac. It's supposed to be the most pristine of all the pressings - even better than the original! I wonder if it can compete with the sound of the remastered Steely Dan Can't Buy A Thrill? Because that is one album that sounds amazing on my player. Another album I have that just cooks is the remaster, re-issue of Def Leppard's Hysteria. My Glam, the sound on it is just majestic. Anyone else buy any cool new records lately?

USA, Loveland OH • Plaid Room Records •#nowspinning #vinilo #vinyl #vinilos #vinyljunkie #vinyligclub #vinyladdict #vinile #vinylcollector #vinylclub #vinylporn #vinylparty #rock #music #vinyls #vinylcommunity #vinyllove #vinyloftheday #turntable #audiophile #vinylradarUSA pic.twitter.com/marDzUAirk

— @vinylradar (@vinylradar) February 16, 2019

"Tiger Trot" by Leroi Conroy

Thanks for stocking our records - @plaidroom @coleminerecords pic.twitter.com/oeW1xw6BY8

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) January 14, 2023

Joe Elliott Guests On Ghost Track, 'Spillways'

Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott is a big fan of Ghost. He's taken that fandom to a new level and now appears on the track "Spillways" with the band. "Spillways" is on Ghost's album Impera. The version featuring Joe Elliott is new and also happens to be Elliott's favorite track on Impera.