http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20060921/1012069.asp

Def Leppard's metal still mighty

By JEFF MIERS
News Pop Music Critic
9/21/2006

DARIEN CENTER - The '80s loom large. And why not? For anyone in their mid- to 
late 30s, this was the decade when so much was decided. Political awakenings. 
Perhaps the genesis of a sense of family and love relationships. But God forbid 
that your taste for music was forged during the Reagan years. Drum machines for 
drums; arms for hostages; big hair for talent - it wasn't the friendliest of 
times for anyone who believed in the promise of the '60s. Though Def Leppard 
started out in Sheffield, England, copying the twin-guitar harmonies of Thin 
Lizzy and the angular muscle of Judas Priest and Black Sabbath, the music 
Wednesday was of a different stripe. This was "pop metal," a friendlier version 
of the sound that was electrifying Britain and haunting independent record 
stores in this country, circa 1980.

Def Leppard pulled a large crowd to Darien Lake, and there's no doubt that 
co-headliners Journey had something to do with the number of people willing to 
brave the cold. But clearly, it was this British fivesome - unchanged, pretty 
much, save for the loss of original member and guitarist Steve Clarke - that 
was responsible for bringing metal to the folks who would've never been 
receptive to it. Def Leppard played a close to flawless show to an audience 
ranging in age from 15 to 50. The group pulled from throughout its career, and 
there was, as a result, an interesting mix of music. The blatant AC/DC-infused 
hard rock of "Let It Roll" sat snugly against the post-Mutt Lange mega-overdub 
choir of vocals informing "Women." The power-ballad "Bringin' On the 
Heartbreak" had a brief but friendly chat with "Foolin'," a hard rocker from 
"Pyromania." And at different points throughout the show, tunes from the band's 
recent album of covers - the excellent "Yeah!" - brought an immediate! sense of 
historical context to the gig.

Singer Joe Elliott delivered the full-voiced goods, his husky throatiness 
adding to the grittiness of the gig, while the twin-guitar team of Phil Collen 
and Vivian Campbell did harmony a la Thin Lizzy and shredding a la post-Van 
Halen equally convincingly. The rhythm section of Rick Savage and Rick Allen 
did what it always does - played like a machine, tightness never even being an 
issue.

Journey opened with an incredibly well-played set. This band performs with 
absolute fire every time, and Wednesday's show was no exception. There's a 
problem, though, and the fault for it doesn't lay with any of the band members. 
Vocalist Steve Perry is missing, and has been for some 15 years. The remaining 
core members - guitarist supreme Neal Schon, bassist Ross Valory and the man 
who replaced original keyboardist Gregg Rolie, Jonathan Cain - continue to play 
this music like they mean it. Journey played a set that concentrated on deep 
cuts, though the group did play the hits the crowd was expecting - "Open Arms," 
"Who's Cryin' Now," etc. But the tunes they played in between had fire - Singer 
Jeff Scott Soto was particularly great on "Ask The Lonely," "Edge Of the Blade" 
celebrated Journey's darker side, and "Chain Reaction" was darned close to 
progressive rock.

e-mail: jmiers@buffnews.com

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