From: "Mike N. Reinemann" Date sent: Wed, 29 Dec 1999 04:09:11 -0500 Subject: Def Leppard finds new generation of fans with rock of aged, Def Leppard finds new generation of fans with rock of aged After toying with sound, Brit band has rededicated itself to its metal roots 12/23/1999 By PHIL LUCIANO of the Journal Star Supposedly, a leopard can't change its spots. But Def Leppard can't seem to survive except through constant revision. The English band, which spent much of the'80s scoring pop metal hits like "Photograph" and "Rock of Ages" (and selling more than 40 million albums), also has triumphed over more than its share of much-publicized personal problems. But a more recent challenge - remaining relevant in the suddenly mercurial world of'90s rock - proved elusive until the band, which plays the Peoria Civic Center Arena on Wednesday, went back to basics. In 1996, the group - formed in 1979 by five teen- agers in working-class Sheffield, England - tried grabbing onto the tail end of grunge with the album "Slang." Fans ignored it, leaving the band dumbfounded as to the next step. "We didn't know what direction to go," says lead guitarist and chief songwriter Phil Collen, 42. "We wanted to be sort of contemporary." They put an ear to British radio, which was then rife with the likes of Verve and the Spice Girls and offered the guitar- heavy band little inspiration. So they looked in the mirror for insight. "The best rock songs we've heard is the stuff we've done," Collen says, mater-of-factly, in his heavy accent. "So that's what we did." The result was "Euphoria," released last June, which borrows heavily from major Lep successes like "Hysteria" and "Pyromania." Helping out was uber-producer Robert "Mutt" Lange, who had put together the late-'80s Def Lep albums. For "Euphoria," Lange penned three tunes, including "Promises," which enjoyed ra dio airplay earlier this year and sounds much like many Lep hits: thunderous guitars, catchy hooks and layered melodies. Much of the rest of the CD also echoes Def Leppard of yore, especially the ballads "Goodbye," which could've served as the theme for any senior prom circa 1986, and "Paper Sun," which delivers all the guitar-crunchy foreboding of "Bringing on the Heartbreak." Still, the record offers some twists, such as "All Night," a cheeky, funky cut that you might expect on an old Prince B-side; "Back in Your Face," a shout-along paean to'70s Brit glam-rocker Gary Glitter; and "21st Century Sha La La Girl," a silly yet intriguing combination of slam-bam guitars and Archies-esque lyrics. Collen - spending the holidays at his home in Orange County, Calif., before their tour was to kick off in Cedar Rapids, Iowa - attributes the mix of influences to his youth as a fan of a plethora of musical styles. Though the band's sound was steeped in the British guitar rock of Thin Lizzy and UFO, Collen - who joined the band in 1981 - brought with him a love of Motown and other styles. Collen's influence played a big part in the musical direction of Def Leppard, which eschewed the glam-metal of the mid-'80s for a more melody- driven power pop. The simple formula produced hit after hit - "Photograph," "Animal," "Pour Some Sugar on Me," "Armageddon It" - and soon the all- male crowds gave way to legions of girls, who flocked to the group even though it had never cultivated a pretty- boy image like Poison or Motley Crue. Still, Lep did find itself surrounded by excesses a la Vince Neil and Tommy Lee. The "Hysteria" tour is the stuff of rock lore: During concert breaks, it's said, bandmates frequently would pop backstage to visit with female fans, who were required to drop their tops if they wanted to meet their heroes. "It wasn't as wild as people think it was," says Collen, who nonetheless discussed the matter no further. As the decade melded into the'90s, Lep continued to sell well with "Andrenalyze" and the accompanying tour in 1993. After that, though, the band found itself unfashionable, as rock fans turned to grunge. "Everyone got serious," Collen says. "I don't want to say miserable, but somber." That seemed to be the final bell for Def Leppard, which had staggered through years of near-knockouts. After 1981's sophomore album "High and Dry," original guitarist Pete Willis had to quit the band because of severe alcohol problems. In 1984, drummer Rick Allen's Corvette Stingray overturned at high speed, tossing him from the car and severing his left arm. And in 1991, Steve Clark, the band's original lead guitarist, was found dead in his Chelsea flat after mixing booze with antidepressants and pain killers. Through it all, the band played on, with vocalist Joe Elliot, bassist Rick "Sav" Savage and drummer Allen - who learned to play one-armed with the aid of a drum machine - adapting to Collen and another replacement six- stringer, Vivian Campbell. Still, grunge almost proved to be the hump they couldn't get over. In the mid-'90s, the band's performances seemed like nostalgia shows shunned by teens. "Any crowd is great," says Collen, "but it was depressing, because of all the old faces." Still, those same former fans who'd jumped on the grudge bandwagon leaped off when the ride soon turned dreary. And though many have opted for rap-metal artists like Korn, some have rediscovered straight-ahead rock'n' roll. In fact, during summer appearances with hipsters like Everclear and Hole, Def Leppard found youngsters receptive to their old-school pop. "Now, people want to be entertained," Collen says. Still, Collen - who in 1987 became a teetotaler and later a vegetarian - doesn't see a return to the wanton, over-the- top days of the'80s. The show has become leaner, focusing not on confetti cannons but the music, with Lep simply taking the stage and blasting away at the hits - which, even after years of repetition, the band still enjoys playing. "When we play'em in rehearsing, it's the most boring thing in the world," Collen says. "If we play 'Rock of Ages' one more time, we'll burst. But when you're in front of a crowd, it's something different. You get a reaction. "You think, 'This is cool.'" Opening Wednesday's show will be Lep contemporaries Dokken, assuming they can bring themselves to show up (they bailed out of an October show with Great White at the Madison Theater). Copyright © Peoria Journal Star