This must clearly be a band on verge of calling it quits, right? Until two days ago, I'd say yes. But I got to hear the album thanks to VH-1's handy little album-preview. I was prepared for something really embarrassing - a bunch of tired-sounding covers, surely. Wow, was I blown away when this thing started playing. I found myself unable to stop listening, in fact, and when the album was done, I was in shock.
Yeah! is the best thing they've done in years, but that sounds like a back-handed compliment and it's not meant to be. The energy of the band here is the same as back in the 80s, ranking right up there with Pyromania and Hysteria. It is that good. Def Leppard did the almost impossible — they were able to do an entire album of covers that not only works as a tribute to their favorite artists but also remains true to their own sound.
However, I do have to report some major annoyances with this release which, luckily, have nothing to do with the actual music, but how it is being packaged and distributed. The standard version of this album is 14 songs:
1 - 20th Century Boy (T. Rex)
2 - Rock On (David Essex)
3 - Hanging On The Telephone (Blondie)
4 - Waterloo Sunset (The Kinks)
5 - Hell Raiser (Sweet)
6 - 10538 Overture (ELO)
7 - Street Life (Roxy Music)
8 - Drive-In Saturday (David Bowie)
9 - Little Bit Of Love (Free)
10 - The Golden Age of Rock 'n' Roll (Mott the Hoople)
11 - No Matter What (Badfinger)
12 - He's Gonna Step On You Again (John Kongos)
13 - Don't Believe a Word (Thin Lizzy)
14 - Stay With Me (Faces)
If you live near a Walmart, you can also pick up a bonus CD for $5.88 that includes 5 more songs and three interviews:
1 - American Girl (Tom Petty)
2 - Backstage Interview #1.
3 - Search & Destroy (Iggy & The Stooges)
4 - Backstage Interview #2.
5 - Space Oddity (David Bowie)
6 - Backstage Interview #3.
7 - Dear Friends (Queen)
8 - Heartbeat (Jobriath)
Article comments
1 - Guppusmaximus
"We all know what happened to rock in the 90s, how grunge came along and pretty much wiped clean any traces of anything that happened to contain (gasp!) a guitar solo. Much of it deserved to be swept away and forgotten, but unfortunately some bands fell victim undeservingly....."
YEAH! this is definately a review from someone stuck in the mainstream.
2 - Tom
Mainstream? Please feel free to read through my catalog of reviews here on Blogcritics, Guppus. You will find otherwise.
3 - Rhonda Elizabeth
I'm enjoying YEAH! Much of the music on all 4 CDs is music that I'm familiar with - having purchased the originals back in the early 70s when they was released.
What Def Leppard accomplished with this release is a return to pure, unadulterated rock and roll.
It's a pleasure and one that isn't often found.
The one disappointment for me is Rock On. The band's studio version pales in comparison to the live version they presented in concert last year.
I would have rather have had a live version of Rock On instead of the live version of No Matter What. Better yet, I'd really enjoy a live video of Rock On.
Def Leppard added true theatrical tones to the presentation of this song - sort of what you'd expect from Queen. :)
I do LOVE the live version of Action. That's a nice bonus.
Revisting your beginnings isn't always a bad thing. And when it comes to music, well YEAH! shows that it can be something really tremendous. :)
4 - Mark Saleski
tom johnson "stuck in the mainstream"?
THAT is one of the funniest things i've ever read.
5 - Lepplady
Never mind the mainstream. Yeah! delivers nothing but good fun, the way only Def Leppard can do it.
6 - Guppusmaximus
Tom, that's a statement that I would expect to read in a VH1 article about Metal History. And, if you're such an afficiando of underground music than how can you spill such vile ignorance when Dream Theater came out with "I&W" in '92 which destroyed any or all "grunge" garbage,musically, that was released on the Mainstream at that time. When you review a crappy release from Def Leppard and,"rank it right up there with Pyromania and Hysteria.",then you are losing credibility with me and I probably wouldn't want to read your defining moment about Queensryche's POOR SEQUEL!
7 - george
After hearing Phil belt away on "Stay With Me", I'd like to hear him do more solo projects. I think that they would sound good.
Yeah! was the best lep album since retroactive, which I enjoyed very much. I can't wait til they come to town!
8 - Penny
Crazy!
Thanks for the info on Walmart, Tom. And I thought I was so smart getting 2 bonus tracks from my Target CD!
Great review!
9 - 25YearFan
After playing this CD about 2 dozen times, I agree that this is DL's best effort in some time. Although alot of the content pre-dates most of their fans' music familiarity, it's a mature and inspired effort. I don't have to know these songs to fully appreciate what the result is here. It's a well rounded and diverse selection that this band really enjoyed playing and I really enjoy listening too. The Thin Lizzy cover is excellent!
10 - Chris
I would like for just once. To see a review from a die hard fan not someone that was a fan back in there hayday of the 80's. Everyone has an oppion an that is what this is.
11 - Tom Johnson
I don't know, Chris, what constitutes "die hard fan" in your eyes, but I'd say that going to all the effort to find all the information about the bonus tracks would definitely put me above the average listener. Writing about it would too, I think.
If you didn't want an opinion, what exactly did you read this page for? Is a review of an album not an opinion? I review music, that's what I do. I've heard and know every Def Leppard album except for one, X. Am I any more qualified in your eyes to provide an opinion on Yeah now?
Here's the thing: a review of an album shouldn't need to come from a die hard fan. In fact, it's probably better that it doesn't. Die hard fans are just that - they're die hards. They listen to everything a band puts out, good and bad, and they enjoy it all. A review should not be written for the masses by someone who cannot make a distinction between a band's trash and its triumphs. And reviews are not written for die hards, by the way - die hards are going to buy the album no matter what. Thank God for die hards, bands love 'em and need 'em. I wrote this to help sway those who might not even know it existed, or those who saw it and thought "pshaw, a covers album?!" So, please, don't ever ask for a review intended for mainstream audiences to come from a die hard fan. Die hard fans do a disservice to casual buyers when they try to sell their favorites to them. You want the skeptics to be won over by an album. I am a skeptic, and I was won over. Consider this a victory, rather than the meaningless "win by forfeit" a die hard's review will offer.
12 - Anthony
video for Rock On now at DefLeppard.com and VH1.com
13 - linceart
very great!!!!!