[.ca] Hysteria (2 CDs)

From Amazon.com:
Probably Def Leppard's best album, and certainly their most successful, Hysteria pretty much sums up 80s hard rock: catchy, tuneful, and fun. It's also one of the few albums from the period that doesn't sound dated now, and singles like "Pour Some Sugar On Me", "Armageddon It", and "Rocket" remain staples of rock radio. The rest of the album is equally entertaining; "Animal" and "Hysteria", while mid-tempo, have the same slick intensity, and "Love Bites" is one of the few pop-metal ballads that doesn't sound saccharine over a decade after its release. Def Leppard may be remembered more for their hair than their music these days, but that's more due to changing tastes than anything else. It's still good. --Genevieve Williams

Why send men to do a robot's job?:
In 1985, after putting the five then-current members of Def Leppard into a freeze-dried chamber, Robert John "Mutt" Lange began the follow-up to his last studio effort, "Pyromania." His vision was grander this time, and the work on the new songs was slow but precise. He recruited '80's-era T-1000 Robots to complete his singular vision, but the sessions were fraught with problems. Some of the T-1000's rebelled, and Lange, who was suffering through a terrible bout of stress, perhaps because he had not met Shania Twain at this juncture, soon had to take a leave of absence. When Lange came back the T-1000's were in full control of the monumental "Hysteria" sessions, and he could do nothing but wallow in drug-induced self-pity. His only real contribution to the album was the opening riff on track 12, which the robots granted him. (It's really not a bad riff, Mutt!!) By August 1987, "Hysteria" was ready to roll for public consumption, and the members of Def Leppard were released from their concubines. A tradgedy occurred when something went wrong with drummer Rick Allen's thawing process, and the young man lost his left arm. Luckily, the stilted beats the robots had concocted on "Hysteria" suited Allen's new playing style just fine, and everbody was anxious to proceed. In another unexplained tradgedy with the band, singer Joe Elliott contracted the mumps while frozen, but he lived to tell his tale. If you caught this tour in '87, '88, '89, you've caught history, no??

WARNING.....pop metal:
Do not buy this CD expecting it to sound like Pyromania. Why you ask? Because it's completely different than Pyromania. Of course this still goes under the genre of rock but this is big-time POP metal. Different drums and vocals which any teenage chick living in the 80's would die for. No wonder there were 7 singles off of this 12 song CD. Pyromania is straightforward kickass rock and roll. Hysteria is vastly different. Longer songs, more complex song structures, and insanely good production which is why you manage to hear everything going on in the background in songs like "Rocket". I listened to it a couple times and have to admit that it was pretty good....considering it was POP. BUT, this was the 80's so rock was pop. Unlike today with crap bands and all the losers who dream of being like Usher or Alicia Keys. Get this CD. Does not disappoint.

Hysteria is one of the best selling albums of all-time:
With sales topping more than 15 million, Hysteria is one of the best metal albums of all-time and I know it has been 19 years since the release of this metal classic. This album is brilliant and simply the best album from Def Leppard. Love Bites reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles. Pour Some Sugar on me reached #2. Armageddon It reached #3 and Hysteria reached #10 (which should have been Def Leppard's second #1 single on the Hot 100 countdown). Rocket and Animal are stand-outs from this album. Def Leppard's Hysteria is one of the best metal albums of all-time. The success of this album proves that it is one of the best metal albums of all-time. The commercial success of this album was amazing. Love Bites is the best song from Def Leppard.

Excellent edition for the Def Leppard fan:
This re-release is a great treat for any Def Leppard fan. Most of the bonus music is available on other DL releases at this point but in slightly different variations. For the fan it is interesting to hear the differences more casual listeners may not notice. The cover of Release Me should make anyone smile at how bad it is.

An absolute classic.:
It's true that this album wasn't as "metal" as those before it, but that didn't stop it from being their best and most popular album. I like the early stuff too, right back to "On Through The Night", but this is easily tops. Half of this disc is pretty much singles, hence six of these songs are on their "Greatest Hits" album. Included is "Women", "Animal", "Love Bites", and the still often heard "Pour Some Sugar On Me". One of my favorite tracks by far, which never seems to be mentioned by anyone, is "Gods Of War". That song is awesome. Only a few albums from this genre are close to being this great, those are "5150", "Dr. Feelgood", and "Appetite For Destruction". All of them should make you "Def".

• Women
• Rocket
• Animal
• Love Bites
• Pour Some Sugar on Me
• Armageddon It
• Gods of War
• Don't Shoot Shotgun
• Run Riot
• Hysteria
• Excitable
• Love and Affection
• Tear It Down
• Ride into the Sun
• I Wanna Be Your Hero
• Ring of Fire
• Elected
• Love and Affection
• Billy's Got a Gun
• Rock of the Ages Medley: Not Fade Away/My Generation/Radar Love/Come To
• Women
• Animal
• Pour Some Sugar on Me \oExtended Version\c
• Armageddon It \oThe Nuclear Mix\c
• Excitable \oOrgasmic Mix\c
• Rocket \oThe Lunar Mix\c
• Release Me - Stumpus Maximus and the Good Ol Boys