Review: Def Leppard, Heart

Photos by Kris Knowles/Friend of B2R

Def Leppard may be the ultimate Saturday night party band.  

The only ambition of its marvelously melodic and unrepentantly escapist music is to make the listener feel good.  Intentionally devoid of significance, Def Leppard's highly processed approach strategically fuses the catchiest elements of pop and heavy metal.  The band offered ninety minutes of perfectly executed arena rock Saturday at the Sprint Center.  

"We'll take you back in our time machine to 1983," vocalist Joe Elliott said in his introduction to "Foolin'."

The audience of about 11,000 roared its approval.  The band's ability to attract such a substantial audience over twenty years after its commercial zenith reflects the durability of its catalog and its ongoing influence.  One of the most popular acts of the 1980s, Def Leppard has the luxury of loading its set list with one massive hit after another.   

Uninhibited couples engaged in dirty dancing during the ballad "Love Bites."  Parents and their children exchanged intergenerational high-fives at the opening notes of "Let's Get Rocked."  Most everyone cheerfully sang along with the blissfully nonsensical "Bringin' On The Heartbreak."   Although Def Leppard is a British band, its lyrics seem as if they've been filtered through a shoddy language translator.  Silliness is just part of the band's appeal.  Drummer Rick Allen remains an inspiration (he lost his left arm in a 1984 car accident) while the boundless energy of guitarists Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell belied their intricate playing.  

During the era-defining hit "Photograph," immense video monitors displayed a scrapbook collage intended to make the band seem heroic.  It was an unnecessary bit of hagiography.  The song's monumental riffs already serve as a testament to Def Leppard's legacy.  The members of Heart also know a thing or two about about powerful guitar riffs.  The memorable riff on the 1976 hit "Barracuda" served as just one of the highlights of the Seattle band's opening set.   Although Heart didn't enjoy the excellent sound field accorded Saturday's headliner, its thunderous 65-minute appearance demonstrated its ongoing vitality.  

A newfound blues element in Ann Wilson's magnificent voice enhanced the band's likability.  Nancy Wilson's acoustic guitar introduction to "Crazy on You" remains spine-tingling. The sisterly harmonies displayed on a cover of Led Zeppelin's "The Battle of Evermore" were exquisite.  A startling rendition of "What About Love" stripped the 1985 hit of its bloated excess. Unfortunately, the 1996 chart-topper "These Dreams" remains irredeemably awful.   That minor misstep aside, Saturday's concert was a refreshingly carefree affair.  

"I can't think of a better way to spend a Saturday night than this," Elliott exclaimed near the end of the concert. The rapturous response of 11,000 satisfied fans confirmed his conclusion.

| Bill Brownlee, Special to The Star

Def Leppard set list

Undefeated
Let's Get Rocked
Animal
Foolin'
Love Bites
Rock On
Rocket
Two Steps Behind
Bringin' on the Heartbreak
Switch 625
Hysteria
Armageddon It
Photograph
Pour Some Sugar On Me
Rock of Ages

Heart's setlist
Rock and Roll
Magic Man
Heartless
Straight On
What About Love
These Dreams
Alone 
WTF
Crazy On You
Barracuda
The Battle of Evermore
Love, Reign o'er Me

Comments

[Johnson]

"The only ambition of its marvelously melodic and unrepentantly escapist music is to make the listener feel good."

versus what?

What is it you dream country or rap or Peter Gabriel or Steely Dan does, or is, that is somehow more releveant or superior to good ole rock and roll.

Ah BB, oh how you do love to snarkily look your nose down at rock and roll, as if it is somehow "less important" than other crap you love, typically boring, mellow crap.

NEWSFLASH -
IT IS ALL simply show business.
IT IS ALL simply escapist entertainment designed to make the listener feel good. period.

There is no better or more important types of musical entertainment, it is ALL just unimportant and meaningless fluff designed to entertain.... nothing more, nothing less.

[Johnson]

The point was; as a writer, who supoosedly places great value on words, there is no need to waste words starting a review like that, unless you start using those same words in every review you write.

Just get to the point.

[Bubba]

I didn't go - but HEART played two ZEPPELIN songs? Very cool. I simply didn't feel like messing with a Sprint Center crowd last night. Hope everyone had a great time. Sounds like you all of 11,000 did.

[Steve J]

Let's give these two groups credit. They don't sell new music anymore and are past their prime. But they have always been good performers, and good to fans, even at their peak. They are professionals, unlike a Jane's Addiction show when you don't know what you will get.

[Jacinthe]

Mr. Finn's writing is outstanding. His reviews really can let you know what was going on at the show. He explained how Def Leppard is fun, mindless pop/ metal music, nothing too deep. I appreciate Finn's use of language and his insightful essays, vs. those who are overly critical about shows. I value his perspective. KC is lucky we have him!

[Darrell]

Uh...Mr. Finn didn't sign this review. Mr. Brownlee did.

Having cleared that up, I'll say that I like Bill's work as well.

[wadkc]

Does Phil Collen own a shirt? I remember seeing him backstage in the late 80's or early 90's and he didn't have a shirt on then... or any other concert I've seen them play.

His lads got a kick whenI brought him an album of his previous band "Girl" to sign. He looked like the band's title on the LP. I would assume he hid that from them.
I must be the only one with a copy.

Can Joe still sing without help? That's the real question I want answered.

[rayjay23]

I'm a Def Leppard fan from Don Kirshner's rock concert days on a static filled tv set. I wasn't expecting much, but they delivered a good show, short, but good. Too many solo's and not enough songs. I did enjoy "Bringing on a Heartbreak" because they played "Switch 625" which is a great piece of music.

Heart put on a better show in my opinion, and I do not own a Heart album at all, never have. Ann Wilson can still belt out a tune at the age of 61 (we looked it up during the show), and really hoped they would keep playing. Their Zeppelin covers were excellent and pretty true to the original.

Evan Watson opened the show and was entertaining, though his life performance may be better than his recordings if what I heard on itunes is what I have to go by.

Great show, purchased tickets were in closed section so we received a nice upgrade to the back of the lower level.

[Mel]

Once it has been established that this is 'feel good' music, the review is irrelevant. For example, I like "These Dreams," and I really don't give a flip what the reviewer thinks.

[gary dean]

I got a good Boot of this show

[Hamster]

"I got a good Boot of this show"

Gary, is it on Dime?

[Keith in KC]

I agree with rayjay23 on Heart stealing Saturday night's show. I bought my ticket only because they were on the bill. I thought the Wilson sisters were more animated (Nancy was bouncing around on stage, purely enjoying the performance) and Ann's voice was even stronger than the one time I saw them on the Bad Animals tour in '87 or so. I thought three covers was a bit much and would have replaced those songs with three Heart originals ("Kick It Out," "Love Alive," and "Allies" would have been my choices) But it's a minor gripe. Their performance proved that the Wilson sisters are still relevant as a live entity, have a legacy to uphold, and will not go away quietly. Rock on, ladies!

Def Leppard?? Well, my issue is that I really liked their first two albums, back when they were an emerging example of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal in the early 80's. Then "Pyromania" came out, things got poppier (I still dig "Photograph") and the band lost me with "Hysteria". Too much of their performance Saturday was schlocky and a couple of songs, "Love Bites," for example, made me drowsy. I heard at this year's Download Festival in England, they played early Rockers like "Wasted" and "Let It Rock." Now THAT's the Def Leppard I remember! I saw them open for Blackfoot on the "High And Dry" tour at Memorial Hall in 1982, and Def Lep were on fire that night.

It wasn't all bad, though. The aforementioned "Bringin' On The Heartbreak," with it's acoustic opening and electric finale (The "Switch 625" outro was my favorite moment of the night) was just great. "Rocket" was also a highlight. But to answer wadkc's question, it not only appeared that Joe Elliott got some vocal 'help,' but many of the backing vocals sounded a little too pristine to my ears. I think everyone in Def Lep got some vocal enhancements. They were alright, but at times, they seemed to be going through the motions. I know a tour takes a lot out of a band, but I like Springsteen's credo of playing each show as it were your last. Let's hope Def Lep finds a spark before this tour ends. That's just my view of Saturday's show.

Oh, and Evan Watson's solo Blues set (four songs in about twenty minutes) would have been a nice opener at Knuckleheads or Crosstown Station, but most fans were at least respectful as the arena kind of swallowed him up. Def Lep's Vivian Campbell came out and accompanied Evan on a pretty snazzy version of Bill Withers' "Use Me." Nice cover. Overall, a decent Rock show at The Sprint Center, but Heart bested Def Lep this round. For me, it wasn't even close.

[Pellboy]

To Bubba, Zep's "Rock & Roll" has been a mainstay of Heart's set since their late 70s heyday. They have always played it as if it were made for them. The Zep and Who finish to the show would have been cool to see, but I was doing Tower of Power in Paola Saturday which btw, may actually have been the highlight performance (from a strictly fun perspective)of my SD, RTF and TOP triumvirate this past weekend.

Don't want to sound like an old, prudish fart as I actually like some newer music, but after seeing those 70s-era acts still bringing it strong and then watching the VMAs with my sons last night, it made me feel a little sad for them as they're stuck with the likes of Adele, Katy Perry and Kanye/Jay Z as their popular live alternatives. My god.

[gary dean]

@ Hamster it will be soon

[Geordan]

"watching the VMAs with my sons last night, it made me feel a little sad for them as they're stuck with the likes of Adele, Katy Perry and Kanye/Jay Z as their popular live alternatives."

AMEN, my brother.

[Steve]

Hey Collen, put a shirt on. It's time.

[joshy todd's mother]

@wadkc - that makes two of us that own the girl album, but mines on cassette...

[TheDMV]

NO!! Collen do NOT put a shirt on....not with abs like that....he's still hot.

Gotta say I agree, Heart was the better act on Saturday even though I am a dyed in the wool, see'em every time they come to town Def Lep fan.

Also, I couldn't even sit through the VMA's....that's crap.

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