Def Leppard "Hysteria" (1987)
An interesting one... I mean the music itself is just catchy, bombastic,
glammy rock with a touch of studio sheen to it, but there's a bit of a
story to the album's creation.
The album was originally to be produced by Mutt Lange (he's produced
everything from AC/DC and Foreigner through to Maroon 5 and Britney
Spears) who had produced their previous album 'Pyromania', but Lange
bowed out due to exhaustion. The band tried to make things happen with
Jim Steinman (of Meatloaf fame), but he wanted to make a raw,
stripped-down rock record, clashing with Leppard who wanted to go with a
more glossy and pop-metal sound. Eventually Steinman departed and the
band tried to produce themselves. These sessions were eventually
scrapped when Lange came back into the fold.
Of course, as is well known, Leppard's drummer lost his arm in a car
accident. The band stood by him and his decision to keep drumming,
using a mix of traditional drums and some automation tricks to fill in the
gaps left by his missing arm.
The long wait, the time put in, and all the studio work paid off. At its peak, the album was moving around a million copies a week.
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