Def Leppard’s fifth studio album Adrenalize was released on March 31, 1992.
Def Leppard: Adrenalize
It had been five very long years since Def Leppard’s previous album Hysteria was released, which brought the band immense commercial success, a world tour that lasted years, and when all was said and done, a lingering question: What’s next?
What kind of release would the band come up with to follow up Hysteria, an album that handily outsold its blockbuster predecessor, Pyromania, and was now one of the biggest selling rock albums in history?
Add to the equation that Def Leppard’s pseudo-sixth member Mutt Lange was not going to be the new album’s producer, and the pressure — mostly self-imposed by the band — to develop Hysteria‘s successor was all but certain to mount.
Incidentally, Mutt Lange’s parting advice to the band was to not attempt to create an album in the vein of Hysteria, and to go in a completely different direction.
Rick Savage explained the situation to Classic Rock:
“It was obvious Mutt wasn’t going to be a hands-on producer, like he’d been on the previous three albums. He said, ‘You know what you should do – you should forget about doing a ‘Hysteria’-type album and make a Guns N’ Roses-type album.’ We didn’t know how to take that.”
No Promises, No Guarantees…
Any questions regarding the creative direction of Def Leppard’s fifth studio album came to a halt and quickly became unimportant when the band had to cope with yet another tragedy: the death of Steve Clark.
Eventually, a whole new set of questions would arise and need to be addressed, this time about the band itself: Is there a path forward without Steve Clark, whose contributions to Def Leppard were incalculable? Would the band proceed as a four-piece? Can the band survive this latest tragedy?
Def Leppard: From Tragedy To Triumph, Again
Ultimately, Def Leppard overcame the momentous setback of Steve Clark’s death, persevering and thriving, as their latest album, Adrenalize, became yet another #1 release, selling millions of copies around the world.
Many fans longing for the band’s return, especially after such a long hiatus, welcomed Def Leppard back with open arms. Radio stations, on the other hand, needed more convincing, as the music industry and radio listeners’ preferences were increasingly veering towards grunge music in the ’90s.
As a result, extra efforts were made early on to “reintroduce” Def Leppard and answer some inevitable questions.
A special promotional interview CD was created by the band’s record company and mailed out to radio stations, to not only help promote the Adrenalize release but also address questions surrounding the status of the band.
The interview disc featured a booklet that included a list of questions; the CD’s tracks simply included Joe Elliott’s recorded answers to those questions.
Even knowing how things turned out, it’s still captivating to hear some of Joe’s responses in hindsight. For example, question #12: “Will there be a fifth member of Def Leppard?”
Here’s an excerpt from Joe’s answer:
“Yes, there will be a fifth Leppard. We don’t know who it is…We just gotta make sure we get the right guy. We’ve got a few people in mind…The most important thing is they’re British and that they’re a very nice guy.”
The disc also included a track-by-track breakdown of Adrenalize‘s songs (who better to promote a new Def Leppard album to radio stations than Joe Elliott himself?) which included some interesting tidbits.
For example, Rick Allen originally came up with the idea for “I Wanna Touch U,” but the song’s opening verse was actually based on a chorus Joe had written for a completely different song tentatively titled “High Over You,” which was later changed to “High On You.” That song title ended up being the first line for “I Wanna Touch U.” (“I get high on you…!”)
In At The Deep End, Hang On Tight
Adrenalize featured several memorable tracks. “Let’s Get Rocked” is still a fan favorite; “Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad” remains one of the band’s biggest power ballads; other gems like “Stand Up (Kick Love Into Motion)” and the album’s epic “White Lightning” continue to be ever-popular.
To this day, Adrenalize remains the only album Def Leppard recorded as a four-piece (also seen in the band’s “Let’s Get Rocked” music video).
Arguably, in retrospect, Adrenalize‘s single release strategy was not as effective as it could have been. For instance, should “Make Love Like A Man” have been the second single off the album? And should it have been a single release at all? (Read an in-depth look at the “Make Love Like A Man” single release here.)
Moreover, “Tonight” was the third ballad off the album released as a single. For various reasons, this too was a misstep. (Read an in-depth look at the “Tonight” release here. And if you really want to indulge in more Def Leppard, check out this must-read book!)
Adrenalize: Looking Back
Being such a unique, trying time, it’s understandable that the band has mixed feelings about Adrenalize, even to this day.
Rick Savage had this somber yet candid reflection about the album (included in Def Leppard’s 2015 Classic Rock Presents Fanpack):
“We tried to outdo Hysteria, which was a mistake…It really doesn’t cut it for me.”
Meanwhile, Joe Elliott has stated that his opinion about the album changes constantly, from not liking it to considering it a “cool, glam rock” album.
Here’s Joe discussing it, and adding what he thinks is Adrenalize‘s stand-out track:
Def Leppard Adrenalize — Final Thoughts
Inevitably, Def Leppard was a changed band with the Adrenalize release. Regardless of your opinion of the album, the band unquestionably overcame yet another tragedy, persevered, and continued on in their quest to tour the world and entertain audiences.
Joe Elliott is famously known for saying at the end of Def Leppard’s concerts, “Don’t forget us, we won’t forget you!” The phrase seems all the more appropriate when reflecting on the band’s challenging Adrenalize era.
Fortunately, Def Leppard was not forgotten by fans, and it felt good to have the band back.
