http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/discography/index.jsp?pid=4437&aid=773513

Yeah!
Album Review

Def Leppard always had a streak of glam running beneath their heavy rock -- 
listen to "Armageddon It" or "Photograph" for proof -- so it's no surprise that 
when the quintet decided to record a covers album in 2006, they devoted it to 
the '70s glam and hard rock that inspired them to pick up their guitars and 
play. What does come as a surprise is that the resulting Yeah! is a sheer 
delight, a roaring rock & roll record that's their best album since Hysteria. 
Often, cover albums get bogged down in reverence or ambition, as artists either 
offer interpretations that are straight copies or fussy reinterpretations as 
they busily try to make a favorite song their own. That's not the case here. 
Def Leppard alternate between fairly faithful renditions of familiar classics 
like T. Rex's "20th Century Boy," Badfinger's "No Matter What," or David 
Essex's "Rock On," to subtle reinterpretations where they make seemingly 
difficult covers seem easy and unmistakably Def Leppard. It's true on their 
streamlined, muscular take on Electric Light Orchestra's swirling, psychedelic 
"10538 Orchestra," but it's most notable on their remarkable reworking of the 
Kinks' "Waterloo Sunset," which now sounds like a power ballad from Hysteria 
without ever once sounding like it's an affront to the immortal original. This 
take on "Waterloo Sunset" works because it's informed by a palpable love of the 
original, and that love is apparent throughout this terrific record. But there 
are plenty of good covers albums that are fun merely because the band is having 
a good time. What makes Yeah! exceptional is that Def Leppard is reconnecting 
with the reason why they're even in a band by playing the rock & roll that 
inspired them in the first place. They're reinvigorated by this material, and 
by playing these songs, it's easier to appreciate what makes Def Leppard a 
great rock & roll band. Compare their versions of Free's "A Little Bit of Love" 
or Thin Lizzy's "Don't Believe a Word" to the originals -- they're not as big 
and bluesy as Free, but the huge riff that drives the song is a direct 
forefather of Leppard's powerful signature sound, and "Don't Believe a Word" 
hammers home that few bands built on Lizzy's twin guitar harmonies as well as 
this group did. But it's not just that these covers put Leppard's music in 
context; it's that they sound more like a genuine rock & roll gang than they 
ever have: listen to the truly raw take on the Faces' "Stay with Me," which may 
not be quite as sloppy as the original (how could it be?), but it's equally 
greasy and riveting -- plus, it's sung with raw gusto by guitarist Phil Collen, 
whose turn on the mic emphasizes that this is a sound of a true group. They 
still sound like Def Leppard -- there are still cavernous drums, huge guitars, 
and driving harmonies -- but they no longer sound as slick and calculated as 
they did on their albums after Hysteria; they sound alive and vigorous, making 
a convincing case that they're now their own best producers. If they could 
carry this sound and feel onto an album of originals, they would have a killer 
record, but saying that diminishes the accomplishment of Yeah!. It's a killer 
record in its own right, and more pure fun than anything yet released in 2006. 
Few bands could achieve an artistic comeback via a covers album, but as this 
glorious record proves, there are few bands like Def Leppard. 

~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

© 1992-2005 AEC One Stop Group, Inc.
Content provided by All Music Guide®, a trademark of AEC One Stop Group, Inc.