I came across Def Leppard’s First Strike EP, basically an album released in 1984 to cash in on the band’s massive Pyromania success… but then pulled and hard to come by. Until, of course, YouTube.
God f****g bless YouTube. As a big time Def Leppard fan growing up I would have given an arm and a leg (all right, bad one) to get my hands on this:
1. Heat Street 2:53
2. Answer to the Master 3:24
3. See the Lights 3:38
4. When the Walls Come Tumbling Down 3:48
5. Wasted 3:30
6. Sorrow is a Woman 3:38
7. Glad I’m Alive 4:09
This came courtesy off Adrenalize87, a YouTube user. His/her page was loaded with other old-school Def Leppard.
- Medicine Man - basically Rock Rock ’til you drop from Pyromania
- Misty Dreamer (Tomorrow Seems Like Yesterday) - the first version of Sorrow is a Woman from On Through the Night, though there are tidbits of When the Walls Came Tumbling Down, too.
- War Child (massive epic track). Imagine if On Through the Night had 10 tracks like Overture… you know, the Black Sabbath meets Led Zeppelin influences. War Child was Led Zeppelin, big time. For Black Sabbath, that would be:
- Ride into the Sun. This was part of the Def Leppard EP, along with Overture and Getcha Rocks Off.
You can argue all you want, what was better Pyromania or Hysteria. Heck, even Adrenalize had its moments and were it not released in 1991, when grunge was just taking off… I suspect that could have been just as successful as Hysteria, but no true Lep fan can argue that High n Dry and On Through the Night stood out as classic rock albums, as well.
Frankly, sometimes I think that if I had to choose just one album, it would be High ‘n’ Dry… all depends on the mood.
If you liked On Through the Night, then some of these tracks will bring a smile to your face.
God bless Def Leppard. God bless YouTube. God Bless Adrenalize87.
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