Music Review : Def Leppard's Yeah!

I haven't heard too much Def Leppard, partly because their records aren't easy to find where I come from, and partly because most classic rock stations tend to skip right over the 80's.

So when I saw this album, I picked it up as an introduction to the band, and to 70's British rock music. It has served well as both, and is highly recommended.

First off, you should know this is an album composed entirely of covers. No original material here. This smacks of "writer's block", a cheap tactic to keep their name on the charts and in public consciousness. However, it turned out to be a very good album, and has all the energy and metal goodness which made the group famous.

The album moves with deliberate energy, from an amazing opener (20th Century Boy), a slow paced second track which builds up to a guitar-fueled orgy halfway through (Rock On), a third track that's mildly reminiscent of mid-90's boy bands were it not for the tight guitar riffs and fretwork (Hanging On The Telephone) and goes on to a track which sounds like Aerosmith at their best (Waterloo Sunset). The album is worth getting just for the first six tracks — that's not to say the others aren't very good, though.

The distinctive DL style pervades the album, with the freedom that two guitarists offers and Joe Elliot's boyish-yet-sensitive voice. The drumming is adequate, and punctuates the music in a pleasing way, but don't expect Ringo Starr. The guitars work to create a "wall of sound" effect, but not on each track, so it never gets tedious. The guitar riffs aren't exactly "Smoke on the Water", but once again, adequate, and fit the mood and energy levels of the songs. A little more variety in the sound would have been nice - but, as they say, if it ain't broke...

The entire album has a rich 70's texture, from the energetic riffs, the expensive-sounding production values, the subject matter of the songs (love, relationships, beauty, and so on), the cover art, everything. These songs even have guitar solos - it's been a long time since we heard them, hasn't it? The singing actually follows the underlying chord structure and progression - again, since rapcore and nu-metal invaded the airwaves, which is a rarely heard thing. If you like both classic rock and heavy metal, this is the perfect mixture, and you're sure to like this. If electric guitars don't twiddle your thumbs, though, you might want to pass.

The liner notes are very well put-together, and besides the mandatory photos of band members in unnatural poses, contain interesting tidbits about each of the tracks that are covered and the artists who wrote them. I hadn't heard any of these songs before, so the liner notes served as a good foot-in-the-door to 70's UK pop.

If you're sick of rap music, death metal and grunge, look no further.