VIVIAN CAMPBELL Calls DEF LEPPARD'S HYSTERIA Album Landmark In Music History

Tuesday, 9th August 2022

Def Leppard 2022

Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell was recently interviewed on the 35th anniversary of Hysteria and shared his thoughts on the band's biggest album.

The 'Hysteria' album celebrated its 35 anniversary on 3rd August.

Released on 3rd August 1987 it has gone on to become the band's most successful album selling 20 million copies, 12 million in the USA alone.

Vivian spoke to Eddie Trunk on SiriusXM for his trunk Nation show on 3rd August and talked about the album at the end of the interview.

Vivian talked about The Stadium Tour 2022, 2023 touring plans, Last In Line, new single/live show, difference between DL/LIL, health update/current treatments, New DIO Holy Diver Remix, 35th anniversary of Hysteria, and playing the songs live.

Listen to the 25 minute interview below.

Visit the Tour News section. For more news on future tour plans.

Visit the Album News section for more news on new music (based on band member quotes).

Def Leppard 2022.

Vivian Campbell Interview - 3rd August 2022 Quotes - (Transcribed by dltourhistory)

Hysteria 35th Anniversary/Being A Fan

Vivian Campbell - "Oh I was a huge fan. I was always a Def Leppard fan from way back. I remember buying the Wasted seven inch."

Vivian Campbell - "I remember having the first album. I remember buying the second album so on and so forth. But when Hysteria came out I actually bought it on cassette at first 'cause I didn't have a CD player."<

Vivian Campbell - "And actually wore out the cassette pretty much. I was listening to it that much. But it was also one of the very very first CD's I ever bought."

Vivian Campbell - "So you know it really kind of was a record for that digital CD era you know. Where you could really kind of get into high fidelity and listen to the different, you know, layers of guitar."<

Vivian Campbell - "At first it was a little shocking to me. I remember hearing it the first tie and thinking hang on the guitars are very minimal here. They're very light. But it wasn't that it was lacking in guitar parts."

Vivian Campbell - "It was just there were so many different parts that they had to be very specific about it, guitar tones and stuff."

Vivian Campbell - "It wasn't certainly your traditional hard rock record, but I think everyone's aware of that by now."

Hysteria/Band Sound

Vivian Campbell - "Sure yeah absolutely. But then you've also gotta allow artists and bands room to grow you know. And it was kind of courageous. You could see what was happening with Leppard starting with Pyromania, you know, and the electronic drums and whatnot and the big vocals."

Vivian Campbell - "So it was definitely heading in that direction. I don't think a lot of bands would have had the temerity to try that you know."

Vivian Campbell - "Obviously it was a combination of Def Leppard and Mutt Lange that did it you know. With Mutt's expertise and vision. You know but it was also much Def Leppard's openness to that you know. To embrace it and to try it and it was a big risk but I think it's paid off."

Playing Hysteria Songs Live

Vivian Campbell - "Yeah it's incredible. I mean there's not a bad song on that record. You know it's unbelievable. There's a reason why it has been such a landmark recording in music history you know."

Vivian Campbell - "So it is it's good to play it and to actually get inside the songs. It's very informative."

Vivian Campbell - "You know just to hear the parts, to learn the parts and see how they work together."

Vivian Campbell - "And then the whole vocal aspect of it."

Live Vocals

Vivian Campbell - "That's true. We definitely work really hard and yeah it is a back handed compliment. So we'll take it."