Def Leppard’s High ‘n’ Dry album was released in July 1981.
Def Leppard High ‘n’ Dry
It may be easy for some to overlook the significance of Def Leppard’s second studio album, with the band’s subsequent, incredibly successful follow-ups Pyromania and Hysteria overshadowing it. Yet there is a sizable group of Def Leppard fans who maintain that the High ‘n’ Dry album not only is the band’s best release but the band at its best — from its songs, sound, and attitude to the band member line-up.
Regardless of the band era you favor, High ‘n’ Dry is arguably Def Leppard’s most important album.
If debut album On Through The Night planted the proverbial seeds of a young band’s budding talents, High ‘n’ Dry saw those seeds break ground and begin to bloom, revealing what Def Leppard was truly capable of.
High ‘n’ Dry: A New High
High ‘n’ Dry showcased a more finely crafted version of Def Leppard. Whereas On Through The Night introduced the band’s ability to rock hard, High ‘n’ Dry confirmed it wasn’t a fluke by repeating the same feat, just on a much grander scale.
High ‘n’ Dry charted a course that would reward the band with spectacular successes for decades to come. Uncoincidentally, High ‘n’ Dry was also the first time Def Leppard collaborated with record producer extraordinaire Robert John “Mutt” Lange, who brought out the best in the band as only he could: Joe Elliott’s thick vocals sounded more powerful and confident, guitar portions were more ambitious and tighter in their arrangements, bass and drums were more substantial and prominent in keeping the tempo. (Read an in-depth look at Mutt Lange’s body of work with Def Leppard and beyond here.)
The album’s production exhibited a raw, hard edge throughout. And while sleeker than On Through The Night, it would still sound less polished and not as multi-layered compared to the band’s future album releases.
Ultimately, High ‘n’ Dry struck the right balance, engulfing listeners with its distinct hard rock sound, all the while infusing each of its songs with an ample amount of Def Leppard’s (and Mutt Lange’s) melodic sensibilities.
A Seventh Band Member?
It’s been said numerous times over the years that producer Mutt Lange is Def Leppard’s unofficial sixth band member. Here’s another Def Leppard hyperbole: In addition to Mutt Lange, High ‘n’ Dry features a seventh member…in the form of guitars.
The album showcases Def Leppard’s guitar sound in a way that’s unlike any of the band’s other albums, courtesy of the masterful dual assault from guitarists Steve Clark and Pete Willis.
Revisit the High ‘n’ Dry album and pay extra attention to the guitar parts throughout all the songs — not just the guitar solos (or “Switch 625”) — and listen to how the guitars complement and interact with Joe Elliott’s vocals. They are so prevalent and practically have a voice of their own.
Mutt Lange’s influence and involvement certainly a part in the accomplishment, but the majority of the credit goes to Steve Clark and Pete Willis, two of High ‘n’ Dry‘s most integral contributors.
High ‘n’ Dry Is Not About The Singles
Even though High ‘n’ Dry left an indelible mark, the album surprisingly does not contain any singles that were major hits.
The album did have some radio support: “Let It Go” (originally titled “When The Rain Falls”) did receive decent radio play and ended up charting, peaking at #34 on Billboard‘s less consequential, more niche Mainstream Rock chart.
Sentimental favorite “Bringin’ On the Heartbreak” (originally titled “A Certain Heartache”) was also a single, but it didn’t do much chart-wise.
The first time “Bringin’ On the Heartbreak” was released as a single, its music video featured a straight-up concert performance by the band.
Joe Elliott suited the part of rockstar lead vocalist…
…and Steve Clark and Pete Willis handled their guitar parts as only they could:
It wasn’t until 3 years later, due to the success of Pyromania, that “Bringin’ On the Heartbreak” was remixed, revived, and re-released as a single (with B-side “Me and My Wine”).
Timing-wise, it all worked out splendidly and to the band’s advantage, due mostly in part to the support of up-and-coming cable network MTV.
Not only did the remixed version’s music video feature an entertaining, albeit overly dramatic, storyline when compared to the original single’s video, but it also provided the band with the opportunity to feature Pete Willis’ replacement, new guitarist Phil Collen. (Coincidentally, Pete Willis was fired from Def Leppard exactly one year to the day of High ‘n’ Dry‘s U.S. release.)
In the updated “Bringin’ On the Heartbreak” video, Joe Elliott still had his rockstar look down pat, though with straighter hair…
And Steve Clark still looked as cool as ever…
In the end, the “Bringin’ On the Heartbreak” re-release peaked at #61 on Billboard‘s Hot 100 singles chart and helped introduce the band to international audiences. Japan, for example…
But it wouldn’t be until Pyromania that they would discover the true meaning of commercial success.
Another High ‘n’ Dry album? Let It Go!
While High ‘n’ Dry remains the go-to album for numerous Def Leppard fans, some still long for the band to revisit the same hard rock sound that made the album such an unforgettable favorite.
There have been moments since its release when a Def Leppard song has arguably captured High ‘n’ Dry‘s harder vibe: “Four Letter Word,” “Forever Young,” and “Broke ‘N’ Brokenhearted” are just a few recent examples.
With that said, could Def Leppard realistically record another album that resembles High ‘n’ Dry? No, for three very important reasons.
First, it’s not the type of album (i.e., music) the band is particularly interested in recording at this stage of their career.
Second, without Mutt Lange’s involvement, the project becomes even further out of reach.
Third, the band no longer includes the two band members who were essential in creating High ‘n’ Dry: Steve Clark and Pete Willis.
Aside from all the brilliant guitar licks, riffs, and shredding solos each contributed throughout the album, Steve and Pete also co-wrote nearly every song on High ‘n’ Dry. (Interestingly, two additional song gems from the High ‘n’ Dry recording sessions were left unfinished, becoming a part of Pyromania instead: “Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)” and “Photograph“)
Here is a breakdown of the High ‘n’ Dry album’s track listing, along with who wrote each song (bold emphasis added to illustrate the point):
- “Let It Go” (Writers: Pete Willis, Steve Clark, Joe Elliott)
- “Another Hit and Run” (Writers: Rick Savage, Joe Elliott)
- “High ‘n’ Dry (Saturday Night)” (Writers: Steve Clark, Rick Savage, Joe Elliott)
- “Bringin’ On the Heartbreak” (Writers: Steve Clark, Pete Willis, Joe Elliott)
- “Switch 625” (Writer: Steve Clark)
- “You Got Me Runnin'” (Writers: Pete Willis, Steve Clark, Joe Elliott)
- “Lady Strange” (Writers: Pete Willis, Steve Clark, Rick Allen, Joe Elliott)
- “On Through the Night” (Writers: Steve Clark, Rick Savage, Joe Elliott)
- “Mirror, Mirror (Look into My Eyes)” (Writers: Steve Clark, Joe Elliott)
- “No No No” (Writers: Rick Savage, Pete Willis, Joe Elliott)
Bottom line: Revisiting the magic created during the band’s High ‘n’ Dry era isn’t possible, especially without the input and immense contributions of original members Steve Clark and Pete Willis.
So, best to savor the album for what it is and was, and leave it at that.
Read a review and ranking of all of High ‘n’ Dry’s songs here. And if you really want to indulge in a lot more Def Leppard, check out this must-read book!
High ‘n’ Dry To This Day
The band still includes some High ‘n’ Dry representation on tour.
“Bringin’ On the Heartbreak” (the only track off the album that’s included on the band’s first greatest hits release, Vault) is usually a given, and songs like “Let It Go,” “Another Hit and Run,” and “High ‘n’ Dry (Saturday Night)” have occasionally made it onto setlists, too.
Even “Switch 625” became a setlist staple for some time, though performing Steve Clark‘s epic opus without Steve himself just isn’t quite the same.
The High ‘n’ Dry Album Experience
High ‘n’ Dry wasn’t a monster-selling album like Pyromania and Hysteria. It peaked at #38 on Billboard‘s top albums chart and ended up reaching double platinum, a far cry from the albums that would follow it.
Yet make no mistake, it paved the way.
High ‘n’ Dry is also structurally unique in how it deviates from the likes of Pyromania and Hysteria. For example, three songs can easily be selected off of Hysteria (let’s say “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” “Animal,” and “Hysteria“) as well as Pyromania (“Photograph,” “Rock of Ages,” and “Foolin'”) to sum up or best represent those respective albums.
High ‘n’ Dry is a different animal.
Even though all of High ‘n’ Dry‘s songs can stand on their own, the best way to truly appreciate their unrelenting intensity is to listen to the entire album all the way through. That’s how well they all flow into each other. It’s a prime example where the whole is far greater and even more impressive than the sum of its parts. Thus, choosing only a handful of select songs (or singles) would be too limiting and do the album a disservice.
An Impressive Hit (And Run)
Commercial success or not, High ‘n’ Dry laid the groundwork for the band to build upon going forward. It also marked the beginning of a career-changing collaboration: Def Leppard working with Mutt Lange.
Without High ‘n’ Dry and the opportunity to work with Mutt, there likely never would have been a Pyromania or Hysteria, or at the very least, the type of albums they ended up being.
Fortunately, we’ll never know, but that’s how significant and vital High ‘n’ Dry was in directing Def Leppard’s career path to superstardom.
High ‘n’ Dry Is Classic Def Leppard — Final Thoughts
Def Leppard’s High ‘n’ Dry is an excellent sophomore effort, to put it mildly. Not only is it a classic, but it’s also in a class by itself. It’s a transformative album, one that was pivotal in defining who Def Leppard was, and authoritatively positioned the band for what it could (and would) ultimately become.
In a 1981 Rockline interview, a young Joe Elliott humbly explained what the band tried to achieve with the High ‘n’ Dry album:
“We’re just trying to get energy across really, that’s all. We just like playing rock ‘n’ roll. That’s the music we’ve grown up on, that’s the music we’ll always play. And we’re just an energetic band live, and we try to get it across on record…”
The band unequivocally accomplished that and so much more. And even though more commercially successful Def Leppard albums would follow it, High ‘n’ Dry‘s impact still resonates powerfully to this day.
