DEF LEPPARD Guitarist Describes New Songs

The Riverfront Times recently conducted an interview with DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen. A couple of excerpts follow:

The Riverfront Times: What are the new songs sounding like?

Collen: We started when we were on the last tour. We've never written songs or recorded [that way before]. We were backstage at some of these gigs, in a trailer. We'd start getting these songs together. It was really good, 'cause you're still in tour mode. There's an energy — and verve, if you like. There's something happening while you're on tour that's very different [from] when you get off tour and sit around for three months and all of a sudden go, "Oh, what do we do again?" You haven't got direction. To put it in a nutshell, it sounds like "Hysteria" songs done in the style of "High 'N' Dry", with no ballads. If that makes any sense.

The Riverfront Times: That makes total sense.

Collen: We've got one slow song, but it's definitely not a ballad. It's really kind of weird. When I listen back to the stuff, that's what hit me. We've gone minimalist on the production — it's not all glossy big vocals and like, humongous [makes roaring sound] drums. It's more like a real band. But the songs are more in the vein of "Hysteria".

The Riverfront Times: Are there any songs that you never want to play — ever again?

Collen: "Pour Some Sugar On Me", "Photograph" or "Rock Of Ages", we always try to not play these at rehearsals. 'Cause it's like pulling teeth. But the minute you play them in front of people, it's a totally different vibe, there's a different reaction. All of a sudden, it's fine, it's great. But rehearsing them it's a different story. You go, "Oh my God, it's like watching paint dry."

Read the entire interview at this location (scroll down).