http://www.pennlive.com/entertainment/patriotnews/index.ssf?/base/entertainment/1186980011145360.xml&coll=1

CONCERT REVIEW
Def Leppard dusts off old gems, memories
Monday, August 13, 2007
BY KIRA L. SCHLECHTER
Of The Patriot-News 

The only band to have nearly all its original members at last night's 
Hersheypark Stadium show was the British group Def Leppard, but no one seemed 
to care -- it was a night of remembering times spent at the record player with 
headphones on.

Def Leppard is between albums, which might have been a good thing, considering 
its eclectic set list. Opening with a "Hysteria" album double of "Rocket" and 
"Animal," the band -- members were in lockstep all night -- then slipped in the 
rarely heard "Excitable," from the same album. It's great to hear a band take a 
chance and play something just because it wants to.

Singer Joe Elliott made a good many of the night's high notes, including on 
"Foolin,'" but it was hard to hear him. His vocals and those of guitarists Phil 
Collen and Vivian Campbell and bassist Rick Savage were often muffled and 
muted. Another rarity, "Mirror, Mirror," was stately and featured lovely dual 
playing from Collen and Campbell but could have been a touch faster.

"(Another) Hit & Run" was beefy and powerful, and was followed by a raw "Love 
Bites," marked by fine harmony singing and the melodic outro the band has added 
to live performances. Savage had his turn in the sun with a liquidy bass solo 
that kicked off a smoking cover of David Essex's "Rock On," from last year's 
covers collection, "Yeah!"

They all switched to acoustic guitars, even Elliott, for a nicely done "Two 
Steps Behind," but the real treat was an unplugged take on the ballad "Bringin' 
On the Heartbreak," not part of their set lists of late.

The band teasingly left out the choruses, building the suspense, and while 
Elliott might have taken the song down an octave, he let it rip on the final 
chorus.

The lyric "Hysteria," the droll "Armageddon It," the big hit "Photograph" and 
the even bigger hit "Pour Some Sugar On Me" ended the set, but not being able 
to hear Elliott -- and he was trying his best -- was frustrating. The encore, 
"Rock of Ages," is always a defiant way to end, kind of like an "amen" at a 
revival meeting.

Openers Styx and Foreigner bore only a few members between them from their '70s 
heydays. Styx was minus singer Dennis DeYoung, Foreigner without original 
vocalist Lou Gramm.

Styx was full of youthful energy on tracks such as "Blue Collar Man" and "Too 
Much Time on My Hands," but singer/guitarist Tommy Shaw stole the show with his 
trademark "Renegade."

Foreigner, too, has a new singer, Kelly Hansen; its only original member is 
guitarist Mick Jones. It was almost like watching a tribute band, but Hansen 
powered out a set as if born to the task.

None of the bands had any new material. But, again, no one cared. It was all 
about those memories.

KIRA L. SCHLECHTER: 257-4763 or kschlechter@patriot-news.com 

© 2006 PennLive LLC. All Rights Reserved.