Ridgefield, WA - Media Review Quotes

By Brett Oppegaard

It all seemed so rote, until the group loosened up with a version of "Rocket" that included a snippet of music and lyrics from The Who's "My Generation." There was a lot of improvisation and tempo shifts in the tune, including a good guitar solo from Phil Collen, that indicated this band had more to offer than it was offering.

By the way, it was another warm and clear night at the amphitheater. Only a few dozen people, though, sat on the lawn. Most were in the reserved seating area, which appeared quite full.

Singer Elliott, for his part, remained energetic and continually was stoking that crowd with hand gestures and emphatic poses, even though his voice faded significantly by the end of the show. Both guitarists, Collen and Vivian Campbell, roamed around the stage shirtless, while one-armed drummer Rick Allen busily banged away on the foot pedals of his specialized kit.

That glimpse of real passion in the song "Rocket," though, made the rest of the show seem even flatter than it probably was.

Stifled by success, it appears, this group is taking the easy money rather than pushing itself. With the resurgence in popularity of anything '80s, Def Leppard certainly has a part to play. Maybe the band won't have any more big singles. But interpretation of those past hits can be compelling, too. Just playing the same songs the same ways over and over will get old again quickly for everyone.

By The Columbian 2003.

Read the full review at - columbian.com

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