Quote:
Originally Posted by sopsych
I dredged up some information on how Mutt Lange writes. Or at least how he did with Bryan Adams (who by the way sounds a little like Joe Elliot).
Bryan Adams Interview | Bryan Adams Anthology | Bryan Adams Songs
Based on Mutt's work with Adams and Shania Twain, I'd say he maxes out at generic love songs and never makes lyrics great.
Anyway, back to Def Leppard specifically, I'd heard of the remakes before, but had not listened to them, because I'm against all that. Joe Elliot's voice has deteriorated, and it's erratic. The "Rock of Ages" remake makes that too clear. The remake also lacks the musical layering that helped make old Def Leppard songs great. |
Good Bryan Adams interview. I learned that Mutt Lange is an expert at not becoming emotionally attached to one's creations, so that he can easily tear away parts of songs that aren't working and record fresh.
I agree with your comment that Mutt seems to make mostly generic love songs, based on the ones of his that I've heard, but he's great at creating harmonies.
I actually thought Joe Elliott's voice was pretty good on the new recordings (I'd expected more change). I'll listen more carefully to the musical layering in the older versions of Def Leppard songs, because I hadn't figured out exactly what made the newer versions sound thinner or "cleaner." EDIT: I listened to both the new and the old "Rock of Ages" again and prefer the new one! But I like the original version of "Pour Some Sugar on Me."
My new discovery about Def Leppard is that, to my surprise, they didn't just create covers of some of their older songs. They also recently recorded a
Def Leppard Lullaby CD (Phil Collen and Vivien Campbell played), following in the footsteps of U2, Zeppelin, Aerosmith and others.
Joe Elliott says in an interview: "Instead of sending your kids to sleep with Baa Baa Black Sheep, they fall asleep to A Whole Lot of Love or Pour Some Sugar on Me; bring them up rock and roll style." The Def Leppard Lullaby CD contains 12 of their songs rerecorded in a softened style for children.
I was curious how the Def Leppard Lullaby music would sound, hoping it would be a little rough & tumble, with a bit of edge...
but no.
Prepare yourself for xylophones:
Dreamin' With Def Leppard Lullaby CD - "Pour Some Sugar On Me"
Def Leppard To Create Lullaby Versions Of 'Love Bites,' 'Animal' & More - Starpulse.com
Def Leppard - Pour some sugar on me (Lullaby Version) + DL - YouTube
^ I thought this would horrify you, so I had to mention it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Urban Hatemonger ?
Yeah great idea, why not throw away a 30 year old friendship with someone who basically became your mentor & 6th member of the band to write a song about his ex wife and new husband who you probably don't even know anyway.
|
Maybe I have a higher opinion of Def Leppard than you do. I doubt they would think that showing support for Shania would be a betrayal of their former producer.
If Def Leppard were truly close friends with producer Mutt Lange, then I think they would have spent some of his 14 years of marriage to Shania actually learning to appreciate the woman he loved, such that they would be happy for her and wish her the best when she rises from the ashes of the relationship Lange burned.
My guess is Lange also wishes Shania well after the sadness their marriage became. Hopefully he has enough depth to feel that his friends need not spurn her or avoid expressions of happiness that she rebuilt her life. Loyalty to a friend doesn't mean taking sides. < -- Def Leppard could write about that.