Showcase Album for June 1999 - Def Leppard "Euphoria"

Def Leppard was at the top of their game in the '80s but the winning formula that made Pyromania and Hysteria so good became old with Adrenalize and then was abandoned altogether with Slang. Sure, Adrenalize wasn't a bad album but it didn't approach it's two predecessors in content or creativity. Def Leppard needed a change, they needed to try something different. Enter Slang, Def Leppard stretched their creative wings on this one and left many fans in the cold. But Slang was a success because it gave Def Leppard the opportunity to try something new, a necessary step in the evolution (or de-evolution, as the case may be) of any band. Okay, Slang was not a great album but it revitalized Def Leppard and because of Slang, Def Leppard was able to go back to the Pyromania/Hysteria sound and inject something new into that same sound, thus they avoided creating a possible Adrenalize 2. Instead, they created Euphoria. The result is an album that, ironically, sounds like Adrenalize on the surface but a more thorough inspection of Euphoria reveals it for what it is: a return to Def Leppard's pop-metal roots but from a different approach. This is not a tired remake of Adrenalize, this is Hysteria fueled with the best of Slang, it's Adrenalize on steroids...

1. "Demolition Man" - This is a good, exciting rocker. It reminds me a little of "Tear it Down" off of Adrenalize but "Demolition Man" is better. The song also has a little roughness to it, reminding me somewhat of the album High 'n' Dry. Good song, it quickly has become a favorite of mine.
2. "Promises" - This song sounds like it could have been on Adrenalize. "Promises" also reminds me a bit of "Photograph", especially the guitar solo. Good, solid song.
3. "Back in Your Face" - This song, like "Demolition Man", is a bit rough at times (which is a good thing) and it is reminiscent of certain parts of some songs on High 'n' Dry. Excellent tune.
4. "Goodbye" - This song sounds like a cross between "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad" (Adrenalize) and "Blood Runs Cold" (Slang). Even though I love "Blood Runs Cold", this isn't the type of song I wanted to hear on the new album. It's okay, but that's it.
5. "All Night" - "All Night" is very similar to the song "Slang", it's sexual and funky, a little too sexual for me. Not one of my favorites from Euphoria but it's not a bad song, "Slang" was better.
6. "Paper Sun" - This song sounds a lot like "White Lightning" from Adrenalize, only better. It also reminds me of "Gods of War" (Hysteria). Like "Gods of War" and "White Lightning, "Paper Sun" is an epic, larger-than-life song. And a damn good one at that.
7. "It's Only Love" - I don't really care for this one, too soft and too light. It reminds me of some of the worse aspects of the album Slang. I find Joe Elliot's vocals on this one to be a tad annoying. Like "Goodbye", this isn't the type of song I wanted to hear on Euphoria.
8. "21st Century Sha La La La Girl" - This is a fun song, I like it a lot. Def Leppard is obviously being heavily influenced by '70s glam rock on this one. The song vaguely reminds me of "Pour Some Sugar On Me"...I guess it's that Joe Elliot rap-singing. All in all, this is a very cool song and my favorite on the album.
9. "To Be Alive" - Like "It's Only Love", this song sounds like some parts of the album Slang. Unlike "It's Only Love", I really like this song. It's not a great song but it is good. Still, it's not the kind of song I wanted to hear on the new album, I was hoping for more hard rockin' tunes.
10. "Disintegrate" - "Switch 625" revisited. Haven't heard an instrumental from Def Leppard in a long time and this one does not disappoint, it rocks big time.
11. "Guilty" - Another song reminiscent of Adrenalize, though I cannot be specific. Perhaps it's a bit like "Stand Up (Kick Love Into Motion)", I'm not sure, but it's a very good tune.
12. "Day After Day" - This song sounds like a cross between "Deliver Me" (Slang) and "White Lightning" (Adrenalize). Overall, a pretty good song.
13. "Kings of Oblivion" - Another song with that High 'n' Dry edge to it, almost sounds like "Switch 625" with lyrics. Good song...though something is missing, I can't quite figure out what.

Overall, Euphoria is a good album. It's better than both Slang and Adrenalize and almost as good as Hysteria but Pyromania still remains, far and away, Def Leppard's best album (in my opinion). Euphoria puts Def Leppard on the right track, though. My only complaint with Euphoria is that I wish they had put more rockers on the album, there just wasn't enough of the "Demolition Man"-type songs. I can't wait to see what the Joe Elliot and the boys do next.

Note: After listening to Euphoria many more times since my initial review, my opinion of Euphoria has grown. My original rating of 8.7 is no longer accurate. 9.3 is what I would give Euphoria today (seven months later). -- Joseph White

Overall Rating: 8.7
By Joseph W White
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