Slang (album)
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| Slang | ||
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| Studio album by Def Leppard | ||
| Released | May 13, 1996 | |
| Recorded | 1995 in Spain and Fine Bow Lane Studios in Dublin, Ireland | |
| Genre | Hard Rock | |
| Length | 45:58 | |
| Label | Mercury | |
| Producer(s) | Def Leppard, Pete Woodroffe |
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| Professional reviews | ||
|---|---|---|
| Def Leppard chronology | ||
| Vault: Def Leppard's Greatest Hits (1980-1995) (1993) |
Slang (1996) |
Euphoria (1999) |
Slang is the eighth album by British hard rock band Def Leppard, released in 1996. The album marked a radical musical departure from their signature sound, and was produced by the band with Pete Woodroffe.
In the mid-90s, the musical climate had turned very hostile to "pop metal" groups, and most of them vanished following dismal album sales. Def Leppard thus decided to move away from the sound that had made them popular in the previous decade. Recent deaths and divorces within the band played heavily in the writing sessions, which were also being influenced by the members' musical tastes at the time.
For the first time since 1981, longtime producer Mutt Lange was nowhere to be found, and the band changed another habit by recording together as a band, in a townhouse in Marbella, Spain. Slang would feature less production in favor of a more organic sound, such as drummer Rick Allen's reversion to a semi-acoustic kit. Rick Allen's drumming was spectacular in "Slang" and showed the slow and steady-thinking side of Def Leppard.
Songs such as "Turn to Dust" and "Pearl of Euphoria" introduced sitar and other East Indian instrumentation. The album's lyrical content featured a darker and more introspective turn for the most part, with lighter fare restricted to the Prince-influenced "Slang". Vivian Campbell, who joined Def Leppard after the recording of Adrenalize, ended up contributing to two songs, mainly on the single "Work It Out".
All these changes seemed to be too much for the band's remaining fans (even their classic logo was modified on the cover of the album). While Slang was favorably reviewed for the most part, it was the first Def Leppard album to fail to achieve platinum sales in the US.
Elsewhere, the album performed better: it placed four singles on the UK charts, and did go platinum in Canada. However, the subsequent world tour played to much smaller crowds. Attempts to promote the new material during shows were met with silence, and the band was forced to revert to their better-known 80s catalog that ironically was being shunned on rock radio.
There were some positives as the band performed for the first time in Southeast Asia, South Africa and South America to sold-out venues. However, for all their desire to grow as artists, the much-touted "next phase" of Def Leppard had gone virtually unnoticed.
Ten years later, most fans (according to Defleppard.com)comment on Slang as Def Leppard's richest and darkest album of all time. With an influence more on making a sensational Asian-pop metal than on producing a pop/hard metal album, fans remain divided on whether it was a great idea or not, with many agreeing that it was only a great album made at the wrong time. This is Def Leppard's first serious wrong step and led them into a windy road away from success.
Since "Slang", Def Leppard have constantly tried to contend with trying to bring their fans back. "Euphoria" tried to bring the fans back with the Def Leppard sound again, but only brought a few more thousand fans in. "X" also tried very hard with huge critical success, but brought the end of the road for some fans. "X" was a pop album that was much different than Def Leppard's roots, and because of the difference between what the band wanted and what the fans wanted, Def Leppard was crumbling on the knees on the millenium, unable to come back. Even though this was happening, fans of Def Leppard loved the changes and found it a breath of fresh air due to their regular pop metal sound.
"Rock Of Ages: The Definitive Collection" and "Best Of Def Leppard" tried to gain back new fans, and won, gaining platinum in North America. This led to their much harder cover album, "Yeah!" which was critically acclaimed by most critics and gave Def Leppard fans much to believe in, with the promise of a heavier metal album in 2007. Although "Yeah!" didn't do well, it pulled the fans back into the world tours and showed a record high attendance since "Hysteria".
If one thinks about it, "Slang" was not a wrong step, but a break from the old and in with the new. Although fans were depleting, Def Leppard had survived and promised their fans one thing: they were far from retirement. They were going to come back, and this time, better than ever. Even today, Def Leppard are still considered by many fans to be the smartest and most talented artists of the '80's, bringing not only the mullets, the Union Jack and the ripped jeans that still exist, but also bringing on a new legion of musicians wanting to follow in Def Leppard's footsteps. Today, Def Leppard survives and so does this new legion of fans, hoping that one day, Def Leppard will be able to produce another "Hysteria" and (to many), another "Slang".
Contents |
[edit] Track listing
- "Truth?" (Campbell, Collen, Elliott, Savage) – 3:00
- "Turn to Dust" (Collen) – 4:21
- "Slang" (Collen, Elliott) – 2:37
- "All I Want Is Everything" (Elliott) – 5:20
- "Work it Out" (Campbell) – 4:49
- "Breathe a Sigh" (Collen) – 4:06
- "Deliver Me" (Collen, Elliott) – 3:04
- "Gift of Flesh" (Collen) – 3:48
- "Blood Runs Cold" (Collen, Elliott) – 4:26
- "Where Does Love Go When It Dies" (Collen, Elliott) – 4:04
- "Pearl of Euphoria" (Collen, Elliott, Savage) – 6:21
[edit] Personnel
Def Leppard
- Rick Allen - percussion, drums
- Vivian Campbell - dulcimer, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, vocals, background vocals
- Phil Collen - acoustic guitar, mandolin, electric guitar, vocals, background vocals
- Joe Elliott - bass, guitar, vocals
- Rick Savage - synthesizer, acoustic guitar, bass, vocals, background vocals
Additional personnel
- Malvin Mortimer - background vocals
- Pete Woodroffe - piano, keyboard
- Gavyn Wright - orchestra leader
[edit] Production
- Producers: Def Leppard, Pete Woodroffe
- Engineers: Ger McDonnell, Will Shapland, Pete Woodroffe
- Mixing: Pete Woodroffe
- Mixing assistant: Matt Pakucko
- Mastering: Bob Ludwig
- Programming: Bobby Brooks, Brad Buxer, Hugh Drumm, Ger McDonnell
- String arrangements: Craig Pruess
- Percussion arrangement: Craig Pruess
- Art direction: Jeff Murray
- Design: Jager de Paola
- Photography: Cynthia Levine, Jeff Rooney
- Liner note producer: Terry Zoakitny
[edit] Singles
- "Slang" (Worldwide, except US)
- "Work It Out"
- "All I Want Is Everything" (Worldwide, except US)
- "Truth?" (North America, radio only)
- "Breathe A Sigh" (UK only)
| Def Leppard |
| Joe Elliott | Vivian Campbell | Phil Collen | Rick Savage | Rick Allen |
| Steve Clark | Pete Willis | Tony Kenning | Frank Noon |
| Discography |
|---|
| Studio Albums: On Through The Night | High 'n' Dry | Pyromania | Hysteria | Adrenalize | Retro Active | Slang | Euphoria | X | Yeah! |
| Compilations and extended plays: Def Leppard EP | First Strike | Vault: Def Leppard's Greatest Hits (1980-1995) | Best of Def Leppard | Rock of Ages: The Definitive Collection |
| Singles: Bringin' on the Heartbreak | Rock of Ages | Animal | Pour Some Sugar on Me | Love Bites | Armageddon It | Rocket | Let's Get Rocked |
| Concert Tours |
| Early Tours 1978/79 | On Through The Night World Tour | High 'n' Dry World Tour | Pyromania World Tour | Hysteria World Tour | Seven Day Weekend Tour | Slang Tour | Euphoria World Tour 1999-2001 | X World Tour 2002/2003 | Rock Of Ages Tour 2005 | YEAH! Tour 2006 |
| Related Articles |
| Robert John "Mutt" Lange | Terror Twins |
