http://tennessean.com/entertainment/music/archives/03/05/32282107.shtml Friday, 05/02/03 Def Leppard changes its spots By KEITH RYAN CARTWRIGHT For The Tennessean It's hard these days to mention Def Leppard without hearing something of a snicker. Often, and mistakenly, likened to the Los Angeles metal scene of the late '80s - Poison, Ratt, Dokken, Warrant - the British rockers were never truly a ''big-hair band.'' Instead, in much the same manner as Bon Jovi and Aerosmith, they had an image; who could ever forget the tattered jeans from the Pour Some Sugar on Me video? But with a slew of hits, their albums consistently sold millions. ''Without being overly unkind toward any other artist,'' said vocalist Joe Elliott, ''we were always music-based and not image-based. A piece of vinyl, a cassette or a disc doesn't get tacky looking. A lipstick, big-tousled-haired, slightly overweight rock star starts to look a bit silly. ''I had ripped jeans and torn T-shirts, but they weren't designer slacks. Even if they were, it was always secondary to the fact that we always spent two years making a record, not two weeks. ''Aerosmith is more glam-rock looking than we are, and they're from a generation below us,'' he continued. ''They've gotten away with wearing the exact same clothes for 30 years, and Ratt tried to copy it, but Ratt looked tacky after awhile.'' Formed in 1977, Def Leppard burst upon the American music scene in 1983 with the release of their third album, Pyromania, and subsequent first world tour. Twenty years later, the band is still writing, recording and releasing new material. Def Leppard's career, as successful as it has been, hasn't been without its share of trials and tribulations. Early on, they were left with no choice but to replace original rhythm guitarist Pete Willis because of an alcohol problem; a drunken Rick Allen lost an arm in an automobile accident; and lead guitarist Steve Clark overdosed on a lethal mixture of drugs and alcohol. Nevertheless, the band (Elliott, Phil Collen, Rick Savage, Allen and Vivian Campbell) have persevered through all the adversity (releasing Hysteria, which sold more than 14 million copies, and Adrenalize), as well as a shift in the musical landscape, which still saw the release of Retro Active and Vault. Nearly 15 years removed from the height of the group's popularity, Vault still averages 5,000 sales a week and remains in the Top 20 of the Billboard Top 200/top catalog albums chart. And Def Leppard's 10th album, last year's X, debuted at No. 11 on Billboard's Top 200 chart. ''I don't go around looking at the Billboard thing to boost my ego,'' Elliott said. ''You're hoping that it's going to achieve some kind of success. That's why we put records out. We've had to justify to a new generation of journalists for the last 10 years why we want people to buy our records. Well, why do people make records? ''It was only Eddie Vedder and Kurt Cobain that were under the pretense, and it was a pretense, that they were releasing records that nobody would buy. Eddie, if you don't want success, then go back to pumping gas.'' Elliott made sure to mention, however, that he thought Pearl Jam's debut, Ten, was a phenomenal album. Despite the emergence of the Seattle scene, Def Leppard, unlike other acts of the late '80s, remained somewhat relevant. But it was difficult to sit back and listen to a whole new breed, led by Nirvana, disrespect their very existence. ''They got huge on Nevermind,'' Elliott explained, ''and then you see the interviews that Kurt Cobain did and he says, 'We'll never play anything but clubs.' The next thing, Madison Square Garden beckons and they've got big angels all over the stage, as big as anything from Spinal Tap to Black Sabbath. ''I knew it would happen, because I know what success is. ''We always wanted to be the biggest band in the world,'' Elliott said, ''and we were unashamedly after that. That's why I'm saying it now, because I still want it.'' © Copyright 2003 The Tennessean A Gannett Co. Inc. newspaper