================================= Hear/Say - iGuide Music Reviews ================================= Slang, Def Leppard DEF LEPPARD Slang (Mercury) 11 tracks, 46:20 Release: 5/14/96 DON'T BUY THIS, BUY: Def Leppard Hysteria (Mercury, 1987) (but only if you must) WORST LYRIC: "I'm tired and feeling hateful/I'm tired and I can't breathe/So tired I would be grateful/If you close the door when you leave." -- from "Deliver Me" [2 rating] DEF, DUMB AND BLINDLY DERIVATIVE After selling millions of records with an ironclad pop-metal formula, why would this Leppard try to change its spots? What's next? Leppard sings Gershwin? Trying to shake a string of bad luck (drummer loses arm, guitarist overdoses), Def Leppard have decided to reinvent themselves with Slang, their first album in four years. Or should we say, reinvent everyone else? The leadoff track -- "Truth?" -- sounds like an inept reworking of Bjrk's industrial-lite hit "Army of Me." The title track sounds like Prince recovering from sinusitis. Other songs echo U2, Bon Jovi, Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins and (can it be?) Color Me Badd. What were they thinking? Perhaps the problem is they were thinking. Recently, lead singer Joe Elliott told the press, "I'm sure there are people out there who want more of the same, but we need to grow up." Nuh-uh. The only good thing about this attempt at "growing" is that it almost makes you nostalgic for the big-hair/silly-chant/thunder-chord formula that has sold millions of Def Leppard records. Almost. -- John McPartlin ----------------------------------- Photo credit: Plug and socket by Graphistock, Guitar plug by Lisa Daniel.