From: "Mike N. Reinemann" Date sent: Wed, 29 Dec 1999 03:12:35 -0500 Subject: Def Leppard attempts to re-create the magic Def Leppard attempts to re-create the magic Posted December 28, 1999 By Amber Hunt Gazette Associate Arts and Entertainment editor FAST TAKE WHAT - Def Leppard, with opening act Dokken WHERE & WHEN - TFive Seasons Center, 7:30 p.m. December 28 ADMISSION - $25, available at the Five Seasons Center box office and through Ticketmaster, (319) 363-1888 CEDAR RAPIDS -- What do you do when your rock band's popularity is dwindling after two mega-hits in the mid-1980s? Why, record a hybrid of those two hits, of course. Critics of heavy metal band Def Leppard's latest album might say the disc simply rips off the hugely successful albums, "Pyromania" (1983) and "Hysteria" (1987). And they'd be right, according to Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell. "Basically, we used `Pyromania' and 'Hysteria' as a template," Campbell explains. "You can draw very direct correlations between the albums." For example, the new album, titled "Euphoria," features the song "Promises." That song, according to Campbell, is pretty much a remake of "Pyromania's" "Photograph," which became a No. 1-selling single. "It's practically the same f---ing song if you listen to it," Campbell says with a laugh. "You'll see the same chords, just jumbled about. But to most nonmusical people, they sound like two different songs." Does that mean Def Leppard is simply hoping to repeat the successes -- and profits -- garnered from its earlier albums? "Absolutely," says Campbell, without missing a beat. "We make records to sell them, and basically, I would defy anyone who says they make records for another reason. It's great fun to play music, but we all want to be successful. Otherwise, I'll become a beggar." With a wife and 7-month-old daughter at home in Los Angeles to care for, that's not a desirable outcome, Campbell says. Besides, he adds, "Promises" is the most glaring copy. Mostly, Def Leppard used the previous albums to determine how to organize the new disc. "You have to have a certain quota of ballads, so we have two. I don't think that any supposed rock record can sport more than two," he says. The disc also has the obligatory epic rock song. On "Hysteria," it was "Gods of War." On "Euphoria," it's "Paper Sun." That presents something of a dilemma for the band, Campbell says, because the group has been playing "Paper Sun" at concerts but is considering adding "Gods of War" to the set list. "We don't know if we can play both in the same show," he says. "It's too much of a rock song for our core fans." Campbell joined the group about a year after the alcohol and drug-induced death of previous guitarist Steve Clark. The 37-year-old Campbell was born and raised in Northern Ireland. He moved to Los Angeles about 16 years ago. Before joining Def Leppard, Campbell performed with groups like Dio and Whitesnake, but he had become disenchanted with his life as a guitarist. "They all rotated around the lead singer," he recalls of his earlier groups. In those groups, everyone but the singer was paid on salary, he says, which means that no matter how huge a crowd gathered at Madison Square Garden for a concert, most of the band saw no extra profit. With Dio, Campbell was able to write a few songs, but, he adds, "I got screwed on publishing. They call it paying your dues. There's no equity in it. They're making a s---load of money off stuff that you wrote." With Whitesnake, Campbell wasn't allowed to write at all. By the time Def Leppard needed a new guitarist, Campbell thought he'd never play with a band again. He caved, however, to lead singer and longtime friend Joe Elliott's request to try it out. "Def Leppard is different from the other bands," Campbell says. "With them, everyone writes who wants to write. (Drummer) Rick Allen is the only one who doesn't write very much music for the band. It's an open forum in that regard, a five-way split." The new band stood out for Campbell, too, because it was the first time he worked with musicians from similar backgrounds. The other four members -- Elliott, Allen, guitarist Phil Collen and bassist Rick Savage -- all were from England and in the same age range (early 30s at the time). Their musical influences also were similar, stealing from early to mid-70s glam pop rock like David Bowie, Elton John and Gary Glitter. Def Leppard's highest point came before Campbell joined. The group had released "On Through the Night" in 1980, followed by 1981's "Euphoria," the namesake of the latest disc. The next two were the band's mega-hits. After Clark's death in 1991, the group saw a decline. The loss of the band's first guitarist isn't the only tragedy Def Leppard has endured. In 1984, drummer Allen lost his arm after crashing his car while driving home drunk on New Year's Eve. Other members have struggled off and on with drug and alcohol use, and Allen has been accused of beating his wife of eight years. The biggest trial for Campbell, however, was adjusting to their method of making music. "It was strange because they obviously had a lot of success with 'Hysteria' and 'Pyromania,' so financially we could afford to take our time making records," Campbell says. "I tend to have more urgency and hunger. I don't want to spend a year or two making a record. "Also, my experience making records was physically very different. I've made more records, but they've spent more time in a studio. Their songs are more inspired and dictated. It's effective, but not cost effective." At the same time, he says, it works for the band. "I can't imagine Def Leppard working any other way. The band works on the premise that the song is king, it's more important than the right sound." Def Leppard has tour dates in smaller cities across the country throughout the winter. The group also is planning a European tour before spring. What happens after that, Campbell says, is anyone's guess. "I'm not sure where the hell we're supposed to play between March and summer," he says. The group likely will separate for a few months in order to individually work on songs for a new album, he says. That's a mixed blessing, he adds. "That's the thing about being in this f---ing band that's so frustrating," he laughs. "The whole time we're making a record, it costs money. At least when we're touring, we're making money. Really, Def Leppard could tour and tour and tour even without a new record, but the whole point of touring is to promote something." Campbell hopes that the band's next single, "21st Century Sha La La Girl," this album's take on "Pour Some Sugar on Me," will be the hit for which the band's been waiting. All local content copyright © 1999 by The Gazette Company, Cedar Rapids, Iowa