High 'n' Dry (Def Leppard)

Torn between the grit of "On Through The Night" and the more commercial aspects of "Pyromania" and "Hysteria", this 1981 effort may be the ultimate Def Leppard album. The hooks are excellently delivered, the production has become a little more polished, and the band's performance is a little more melodic than before. The album is also noteworthy for being the first to feature AC/DC producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange and the last to feature guitarist Pete Willis.

Let It Go: Gritty guitar harmonies and an upbeat drum beat open this song's introduction nicely, the verses place a more prominent bassline and catchy vocal lines with building guitars in the background, the chorus brings some infectious gang vocals, the solos section bring in some excellent leads thrown in, and the bridge brings in more melodic guitars and unusual vocal effects. A pretty awesome start.
9 out of 10

Another Hit And Run: This track comes off the opener with heavier guitar harmonies during the introduction, the verses suddenly bring in a style made memorable by more melodic guitar chugs and higher pitched vocals, the pre-chorus and the chorus bring in more cool vocal lines and nicely complementing backing vocals, and the solo section packs in some particularly strong Maiden-esque shredding. A solid song, though one of the weaker tracks on the album.
8 out of 10

High 'n' Dry (Saturday Night): A lone guitar opens this song with a solid melody before the rest of the band comes in, the verses continue at a solid mid-tempo and feature particularly prominent vocals, the pre-chorus is another builder, and the chorus brings in more infectious vocal trade-offs and heavier guitar playing. A pretty cool title track though somewhat overrated.
8 out of 10

Bringin' On The Heartbreak: Ironically, the band was reluctant to include this track due to its ballad nature. Fortunately, it is done in very good taste and features melodic guitars during the introduction, a spacy mid-tempo pace and soft croons during the verses, heavier guitars coming in during the pre-choruses, and the chorus features a explosive refrain. A little stereotypical in structure but it's not as bland as what they would later associate themselves with. In fact, it sounds like a heavier version of April Wine's "Just Between You And Me". . .
10 out of 10

Switch 625: As the ballad fades away, we go into this interesting instrumental. The song is made memorable by its chugging bass, upbeat drums, mysterious guitar riffs and solos, and excellently effective vocalizing towards the end. I suppose it's like a less melancholic version of Pink Floyd's "Great Gig In The Sky".
9 out of 10

You Got Me Runnin': Bright guitar riffs open this song's introduction in a way that reminds me of KISS's "King Of The Night Time World" with some backing bass, building drums, and solid vocal whoops; the verses continue at an upbeat pace with great vocals and muscular guitar playing, and the pre-chorus and chorus seem to write themselves with their excellent vocal lines. One of my favorite tracks on the album.
10 out of 10

Lady Strange: More upbeat guitars open this song with riffs that reminds me of Rush's "Limelight" in a way, the verses are performed in the vein of the song before it with higher pitched vocal lines, the chorus is another awesome chanter, and the solo section incorporates some gritty shredding. Another great highlight.
10 out of 10

On Through The Night: Perhaps a leftover from the previous album, this song comes in with faster guitars and steady drums during the introduction, more high pitched vocals thrown in during the verses, another great refrain during the chorus, and more cool shredding during the solo section. A pretty cool track.
8 out of 10

Mirror, Mirror (Look Into My Eyes): Now we come to one of the most unique tracks on the album and the song that made me interested in checking out this era of the band. The introduction brings some mystical guitar melodies and a mid-tempo rhythm in the background, the verses continue with solid vocal/guitar trade-offs thrown in, the chorus may be the most infectious on the album, and the final verse brings in a cool climax.
10 out of 10

No No No: Closing the album out is a track that reminds me of AC/DC's "Riff Raff". It features energetic guitars during the introduction, great vocal/guitar trade-offs during the verses with hard hitting drums underneath, and a decent refrain during the chorus. A pretty good closer, though not as catchy as it could be.
8 out of 10

Overall, this album gets 90 out of 100, 90%, and 4.5 stars. It's probably a little too lightweight for extreme metal die-hards, but this is a great album to check out for any fan of the bands that I associated them with or anyone that hates their more commercial era with a burning passion. There's no "Pour Some Sugar On Me" to be found. . .