Wallingford, CT - Media Reviews

Def Leppard Can Still Rock By Thomas Kinter

If its commercial fortunes are ever to rise again, Def Leppard may need to lure its salvation's attention away from Shania Twain. The British rock act has foundered as a studio act since Twain's husband, "Mutt" Lange, left his role as its producer, resulting in a string of albums that have fallen well short of the group's memorably vibrant early work. Thursday night, the band proved itself still capable of showing fans a good time, with a fun and feisty show at the careerbuilder.com Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford, one highlighted by roaring bits of the band's past catalog.

Irish roots artist Ricky Warwick opened the show in somewhat curious fashion, extracting aggressive anthems from his acoustic guitar in a solo set. There was raw energy to be found in songs such as 'Can't Live With Maybe,' but he was a curious choice to set the tone for the high-energy headliner.

Def Leppard's signature mix of electric guitar sizzle and hooks that are pop-friendly without being soft was rolled out right away in the opener, 'Let it Go,' lead singer Joe Elliott's yelp fighting for attention in the heavy arrangement. The equally insistent 'Action' followed, given sizzling flair by guitarist Phil Collen that matched the double bass roll rumble of drummer Rick Allen.

The thunderous 'Bringin' On the Heartbreak' deserved the enthusiasm received, both because of guitarist Vivian Campbell's glittery playing and the fact that it is far less formulaic than the average rock power ballad. The instrumental muscle of 'Switch 625' was equally well-received, as were favorites along the lines of 'Foolin'' and Elliott's thickly echoed wail of the title track to the group's most poular disc, 1987's "Hysteria."

The show derailed a bit when new material was offered up, particularly in the case of the techno/dance-sounding detour 'Slang'. Tunes from the most recent album had familiar-sounding appeals, but even Collen's acidic touch on 'Four-Letter Word' didn't distinguish it as any more than a slab of thumping rock.

The show leaned wisely in the direction of past successes, displaying a group that knows where its bread is buttered by pulling five of its final seven songs from 'Hysteria,' including an extended run through the grabby, pulsating 'Rocket.' Also in that stretch were the 1983 nuggets 'Rock of Ages' and 'Photograph,' both easily digestible but still possessed of teeth and more than enough bombast to make their sales. Elliott was often flat in the show's early going, but by the time he hit the home stretch he was a good match for the spirited material he fronted.

The show's three-song encore built to the predictably raucous finale 'Let's Get Rocked,' but took a trip off the beaten path when the band served up an impromptu cover of Thin Lizzy's 'Don't Believe a Word.' Brimming with a pleasant enthusiasm and a touch of unpredictable jamming flair, it was indicative of a band that still has plenty of ability to make top-shelf rock, if only it finds the right songs.

By Hartfiord Courant 2003.

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