Review: 'Def Leppard - Historia/In The Round' DVD

2-27-2002 - 9:59 PM

By Malcolm Michaels 

One of the biggest bands of the 80's and arguably one of the most 
cutting edge has set forth their older material on DVD in 2002. 
Unfortunately, instead of being on the cutting edge, Def Leppard is 
on the chopping block with this release. 

After experiencing all-time highs in the 80's, Def Leppard seemingly 
disappeared in the 90's. With the exception of their 1996 critically-
acclaimed album "Slang," most of the bands offerings were mediocre and 
didn't meet with the sales success they achieved in the 80's. However, 
it's a new millennium; a new Leppard album is on tap for 2002, tentatively 
titled "X", so perhaps the band is ready to try to reclaim their past 
glory. 

What's On The Disc
The "Historia/In The Round" DVD is the combining of two previous Def 
Leppard releases: 1988's "Historia" and 1989's "In The Round, In Your 
Face." Both are packaged onto a single disc and presented 4:3 full screen 
video. 

The "Historia" portion of the disc features a collection of the bands 
videos from the "On Through The Night," "High 'N Dry," "Pyromania" and 
"Hysteria." You'll be able to watch the whole "Historia" portion or select 
individual videos to view via a very amateur-looking menu system. In fact 
the menu system prevalent throughout the disc is easily one of the most 
lackluster menu systems we've ever seen, though functional. 

The "In The Round" part of the disc features a 1988 Def Leppard concert from 
Denver, Colorado. Filmed "in the round" with the stage setup in the middle of 
the arena, the band plays its classics from that time period. The concert is 
definitely the selling point for the DVD and shows the band at their best. 

Also included on the DVD are five videos from the bands last two albums: 
"Slang" and 1999's "Euphoria." The highlight of the videos are two of the 
bands best videos ("Work It Out" and "Slang") that most people have probably 
never seen. 

How Does It Look
Unfortunately the video is absolutely horrible. The band and its management 
obviously did not take the time to do a decent transfer. In fact, we wonder 
if the old videos were just copied to the DVD - it's that bad. 

When one sees a DVD, we expect to see a much sharper picture with image quality 
by far the best the videos have ever looked. However, with this DVD there is 
no difference in watching the VHS and the DVD version. Besides film grain 
being present and hampering detail, the picture is flat and in some cases 
pixilated. To paraphrase an 80's Def Leppard contemporary, "this video gives 
DVD a bad name." 

How Does It Sound
Inititally the DVD was scheduled to be released last year yet was delayed so it 
would include an "enhanced stereo" sound. We shudder to think what the end 
result would have been if the audio would have gotten the same treatment as 
the video. 

Thankfully that didn't happen and the highlight of the DVD is the audio. With 
remasters of the bands first four albums long overdue, the DVD provides a glimpse 
into what they may sound like when that finally happens. The bass is a little 
loud in parts and there are a few slight dropouts in the audio track, yet 
overall the audio on the DVD is very good. No, there is no Dolby Digital 5.1 
surround track which would have been nice, yet considering the effort put into 
the disc, we're happy with the "enhanced stereo" and a quality mix. 

What About The Extras
A new interview with all five members of the band is included on the DVD. It is 
only 10 minutes, yet it provides some anecdotal stories about the band and their 
videos. Unfortunately, the interview looks like it was shot by someone with no 
experience and results in a very unprofessional look. 

A basic Def Leppard discography is also included featuring the bands nine album 
covers and a song list for each. 

The disc also includes English, Brazilian Portuguese and Latin American Spanish 
subtitles. 

Final Thoughts
Unless you're interested in the interview or the five "new" videos, we can't 
recommend this DVD especially if you own the original VHS videos. The biggest 
disappointment is the look of the DVD with the video transfer being an 
embarrassment. While the audio helps redeem the disc, you're probably better off 
waiting until Def Leppard and its label remaster the bands first four albums. 

Genre: Music
Length: 180 minutes
MPAA Rating: NR
Studio: Universal
Director: Wayne Isham/Various
Starring: Joe Elliott, Rick Savage, Rick Allen, Phil Colllen, Steve Clark, Vivian Campbell, Pete Willis  
Rating: 4 out of 10