Songs From The Sparkle Lounge | 
| Artist: Def Leppard
Label: Mercury
List Price: $13.98
Buy New: $6.78
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Rating:  155 reviews
Sales Rank: 302
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 001100402
UPC: 602517660373
EAN: 0602517660373
ASIN: B0015D3Z80
Release Date: April 29, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand New - Factory Sealed - Shipped from Florida via USPS First class mail. We ONLY sell what we have in stock. NO back orders here.Import Edition
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| Tracks:
| • | Go | | • | Nine Lives | | • | C'mon C'mon | | • | Love | | • | Tomorrow | | • | Cruise Control | | • | Hallucinate | | • | Only The Good Die Young | | • | Bad Actress | | • | Come Undone | | • | Gotta Let It Go |
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Album Description
BAND RETURNS WITH BRAND NEW STUDIO ALBUM
"SONGS FROM THE SPARKLE LOUNGE"
SET FOR RELEASE ON APRIL 29 Album Release Kicks Off With U.S. Spring Concert Tour! Album Contains 11 NEW Original Songs Including the Single
"Nine Lives" Featuring Tim McGraw Def Leppard, Great Britain's premiere arena rock band, is back with a bang--kicking off 2008 with the release of their 14th studio album and a U.S. arena concert tour scheduled for this spring. Entitled Songs From The Sparkle Lounge (Bludgeon Riffola/Island/UMe), the album contains 11 new songs including the highly-anticipated single "Nine Lives" featuring a groundbreaking collaboration with country music superstar Tim McGraw. Songs From The Sparkle Lounge is Def Leppard's first album of brand new material since 2002's X and begins yet another remarkable new chapter in the band's 30-year recording career. Recorded last year during month-long stints at lead singer Joe Elliott's Dublin studio, the album's title refers to a backstage area called "The Sparkle Lounge" on Def Leppard's 2006 tour where the band would go to write songs. Tracks from the album have been described by the group as written in the style of Hysteria, with the production of High 'n' Dry. "The whole record's got a great '70s feel," said lead singer Joe Elliott. "By our standards, it's a very different album as we've been very adventurous, musically, on certain numbers. On the album there are classic Def Leppard songs and then there's also tracks that are very new-wave influenced while others sound like middle-to-late '70s AC/DC. There will definitely be some moments on it where anybody that's familiar with our music will go, 'Whoa! I wasn't expecting that!'" The foundation for the album's collaboration with country music superstar Tim McGraw was layed at Def Leppard's 2006 Hollywood Bowl show where McGraw joined the band on stage for an encore performance of "Pour Some Sugar on Me." The artists stayed in touch following the performance, and when the band started writing the song "Nine Lives" they immediately thought of reaching out to McGraw to sing on it. Guitarist Phil Collen flew to Nashville to play it for McGraw who loved it and recorded the song in Nashville shortly after. Other standout tracks on the album include "Go," reminiscent of the band's classic track "Rocket" in its power and aggressive tribal beat; "Love," an emotive and moving epic song; and the anthemic "Tomorrow," a song written by guitarist Collen about the death of his father. With more than 65 million albums sold worldwide and two prestigious Diamond Awards to their credit, Def Leppard--Joe Elliott (vocals), Vivian Campbell (guitar), Phil Collen (guitar), Rick "Sav" Savage (bass) and Rick Allen (drums)--continues to be one of the most important forces in rock music. Over the course of their career, the band has produced a series of classic groundbreaking albums that set the sound for generations of music fans and artists. The group's spectacular live shows, filled with powerful melodic rock anthems, have become synonymous with their name and they are an institution in the touring industry as they continue to sell out arenas worldwide.
Album Description
UK pressing of the 2008 album from Great Britain's premiere Arena Rock band featuring one bonus track: 'Love' (Piano Version). This is Def Leppard's first album of brand new material since 2002's X and begins yet another remarkable new chapter in the band's 30-year recording career. Recorded last year during month-long stints at lead singer Joe Elliott's Dublin studio, the album's title refers to a backstage area called The Sparkle Lounge on Def Leppard's 2006 tour where the band would go to write songs. Tracks from the album have been described by the group as written in the style of Hysteria, with the production of High 'n' Dry. 11 new songs, including the highly-anticipated track, 'Nine Lives' featuring a groundbreaking collaboration with Country Music superstar Tim McGraw. Mercury.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 150 more reviews...
Their best original studio material since Euphoria April 29, 2008
Taylor X (Las Vegas, NV (USA))
53 out of 69 found this review helpful
Songs from the Sparkle Lounge is Def Leppard's tenth studio album. The album is produced by the band and Ronan McHugh. In America the album was released on 29 April 29, 2008. The album features Joe Elliott on vocals, Rick Allen on drums, Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell on guitar, and Rick "Sav" Savage on bass. Tim McGraw appears on Nine Lives.
Ever since Def Leppard released Yeah!, their covers album from 2 years back, to a mixed critical and fan reception, everyone wondered how long it would be until the next album would get released - and above all, if it would be worthwhile. A lot of publicity was built up by the band, claiming it would (to the pleasure of many fans, this one included) that there would be no ballads, and that it would be in the style on seventies-style hard rock. So how does Songs from the Sparkle Lounge measure up?
It's official. For the first time since Steve Clark died, Def Leppard seems to be on a winning streak. 2 years after delivering Yeah!, an incredible covers album that was the band's finest work in years, they serve up what is arguably their best album of original studio material in a decade. Largely in the style of Euphoria and 70s glam rock, it's an excellent listening experience that rarely missteps. It's not an album for those seeking a return to the band's earlier, heavier NWOBHM sound, but if you're a fan of all phases of the band's career, or you at least liked Euphoria, it's doubtful you'll be disappointed.
-"Go" (Collen, Elliott) - 3:21
The band doesn't waste any time getting down to the good stuff. It's one of those "mature but still rocks hard" songs, which will bring memories of Paper Sun from Euphoria (and that's a good thing.)
-"Nine Lives" (Collen, Elliott, McGraw, Savage) - 3:32
Tim McGraw joins the band for this tune, which he also co-wrote with them. This was the song that got the most pre-release publicity, not to mention the one I had my biggest doubts about. But fear not, it's pretty good! A nice cross of country and rock.
-"C'mon C'mon" (Savage) - 4:09
On more recent efforts, Def Leppard seems to have been getting more into their 70s glam rock influences. That reigns true on this track. It's a nice musical return to the 70s, but the sound is still distinctly all Leppard's own. Good stuff.
-"Love" (Savage) - 4:17
Def Leppard promised no ballads, but whether or not this song is one is debatable. Don't worry, I'm not complaining. With a first half that will bring Queen's classic Love of My Life to mind, and a latter half that the late Beatles or Electric Light Orchestra would be proud of, it's an incredible tune.
-"Tomorrow" (Collen) - 3:35
This is the song Phil Collen wrote about the passing away of his father. And it's surprisingly upbeat and optimistic musically despite the subject matter. The song has some excellent riffs, and it wouldn't surprise me if a few years down the road, this is one of the most-remembered songs from the album.
-"Cruise Control" (Campbell) - 3:03
This is another one of those hard rocking but mature songs that will remind you of the band's work from the Euphoria album. Good work from the whole band on this one. It's a composition that shows off just how diverse musically Viv can be.
-"Hallucinate" (Collen) - 3:17
Straight-up retro-flavored glam rock. If this song weren't a Def Leppard original, it would have been right at home on Yeah!. A great song, definitely one of this reviewer's favorite cuts from the album.
-"Only the Good Die Young" (Campbell) - 3:34
This tune slows things down, but still rocks throughout. A nice mix of rock and pop sounds from start to finish, and some especially excellent guitar work from Viv.
-"Bad Actress" (Elliott) - 3:03
Back to the retro-70s glam stuff. Once again the band is at the top of their game here. It's one of those songs that must be heard to be appreciated.
-"Come Undone" (Elliott) - 3:32
Again, we get a tune that gives us a nice mix of sounds, pop and rock alike. A great Elliott composition, it's one of the many songs on here that will remind you of Euphoria-era stuff.
-"Gotta Let It Go" (Campbell) - 3:55
A great way to finish the album. This is a straight-up rock tune, with some of the post-Steve Clark formation's best guitar work to date. In the simplest terms possible, a great song.
As far as bonus tracks go, the UK and Japanese versions contain a piano version of Love. Japanese versions only include a Def Leppard Only version of Nine Lives (without Tim McGraw.) If you buy the album on iTunes, you get the former bonus track (not sure if this is a limited-time thing or not, so if you plan to get it online, I'd advise doing it ASAP just to be safe.)
First Yeah! and now this. For the first time in a long time, the band has a good things going. If you're at all a fan of Def Leppard, or you're like me and you're one of those many fans who liked Euphoria but loathed the material immediately before and after, pick this one up.
-Taylor X
NO COMMENTS PLEASE (I have no way of responding currently)
 It finally happened again. An actual rock album from Def Leppard April 30, 2008
J. C. Amos (Seattle)
37 out of 45 found this review helpful
After X, I began to accept that we would never hear Lep rock quite like they did in the Pyomania Days. Sure, X had a couple rocking tracks like Cry and Scar, but mostly the songs were poppy and some that I don't care for at all that could've been written by Matchbox 20. Even Euphoria, which rocked fairly hard, tried to be too much like Hysteria.
I think Sparkle Lounge (despite the fairly lame album title) is the album that Def Leppard fans like me have been waiting for. It rocks. The last time I've heard so many rocking Lep tracks in one album was in Retro-Active, and half of those were covers. This just may be their hardest rocking outing since Pyro. And the band is in top form. Joe sounds fantastic, as always. It's amazing that after all these years he hasn't lost his range. The guitar work from Phil and Vivian is great. There are some good, memorable riffs on nearly every track, which is something X was missing. The production value is great as well.
I was hooked from Go. It is one of the best Def Lep tracks I've ever heard. I can't quite compare it to any other song of theirs, though I've tried. If I had to choose, I'd say it sounds a bit like something on Retroactive, like Desert Song combined with Ring of Fire. But it's fast, has a nice dark tone to it and it's heavy! I've never heard a song like Go from the band before and I love it.
The Single Nine Lives is good too, even being co-written by Tim Mcgraw. Luckily it's not a country song. It rocks and reminds me a bit of Armageddon It, though of course not as classic. Other tracks here are good too. C'mon C'mon has a nice pop-rock feel to it. Love is the only ballad on the album and it's a very different Lep ballad, with acoustic guitar parts that sound like Battle for Evermore from Zeppelin and some Queen-style choruses. And Bad Actress must be what's drawing the AC/DC comparison, and it's also a different track for them. There are a few songs that I don't care for as much as others (Hallucinate is okay, but sounds like a Euphoria leftover) but there's nothing here that's throw-away and the album is listenable through and through. And one of the best things is that for the most part, everything here is different from what we've heard before, though the album still remains Def Leppard.
For those who've complained that this band hasn't rocked in a long time, this may be the album you've been looking for.
No lounge songs here, folks April 29, 2008
Sal Nudo (Champaign, Illinois)
20 out of 23 found this review helpful
Probably not since 1996's "Slang" have I been so satisfied with a Def Leppard album of original material. "Euphoria" from 1999 contains excellent tunes but is slightly mired down with some total clunkers at the start, while 2002's "X," though bravely seeking to navigate into pure pop-rock waters in the vain of the then-popular boy bands, is a bit limpid when compared to the entire Leppard catalog. Enter "Songs from the Sparkle Lounge," an album that has real hit potential for a band that deserves more accolades to come its way in this day and age.
With its splashy cover and a less curt title than most Def Leppard albums, "Sparkle Lounge" right away makes its presence felt -- and the in-yer-face music does not once disappoint. The first track, "Go," is a pure jolt of both retro and modern Def Lep energy and may have made a stronger lead-off single than "Nine Lives" with Tim McGraw, though that great song's crunchy guitar work, hand claps and various addictive choruses are ten times more real and fun than tunes such as the contrived "Let's Get Rocked" from "Adrenalize." Equally as elated-sounding is Rick Savage's glammy toe-tapper "C'mon, C'mon," apparently the band's next choice for a single, which could easily find a happy home in commercials, movies and arenas till the end of time. Savage also wrote the multi-dimensional "Love," which threw me for a bit of a loop. "Love" begins with a thunderous explosion but quickly subsides to beautiful flamenco-style guitar picking and Elliott's soft vocals, which at first come off as sappy. Luckily, though, "Love" actually turns out to be a creative piece that is somehow a concoction of Queen's extravagant vocals, The Beatles' easy melody and Leppard's militaristic guitar work wrapped into one.
Interestingly, the Leps mostly chose to forgo a collaborative songwriting process in favor of bringing individual projects to the table. Collen's soaring "Tomorrow" features a Bono-esque "hoo-hoo" rally at the start and a message of living for today, but it's his other tune, "Hallucinate," which qualifies as one of my favorites on the CD. The opening riff of "Hallucinate" is chunkier and bolder than "Photograph's" from the early 1980s, but Elliott's amazing vocals and the chorus within the song are what make it so special. Elliott, meanwhile, flaunts his rugged vocals, rollicking songwriting skills and intrepid attitude on the rough-and-tumble "Bad Actress" and the majestic but rocking "Come Undone," which is another favorite of mine.
Vivian Campbell, too, deserves credit for his songwriting work on "Cruise Control" and "Only the Good Die Young." The former song takes on the eerie point of view of a suicide bomber, while the latter is a sweet and deserving tribute to the legendary Steve Clark, whose dark but catchy riffs have managed to live on in Def Leppard's music. Uncannily, "Only the Good Die Young" is a cool mix of Beatles and old-school Leppard, which proves Campbell is an underrated weapon in the band, someone with a great voice and guitar-playing skills, and a guy who seems to bring a fresh approach.
Joe Elliott's voice is less raspy than in years past -- probably all the screaming and cigarettes over the years have taken their toll -- but his iron vocals are still on cue enough to more than get the job done. The underrated Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell are brilliant on this CD, pulling off stunning, fluid guitar solos everywhere, and Rick Allen's drum fills are so liquid-smooth that the guy must be receiving technical help somewhere. Nonetheless, this new approach to percussion on a Leppard album only enhances what is rapidly becoming a Hall of Fame career. Highly recommended.
 Songs From Mediocreville April 30, 2008
Glenn O. Kirms (Northfield, NJ)
12 out of 27 found this review helpful
Although Def Leppard was mainly labeled as a heavy metal band, they never considered themselves that kind of a band. Even though High 'n' Dry, Pyromania, Hysteria, Slang seemed to borderline on the metal and progressive edge, their more recent efforts have truly shown their true source of affection - pop rock. While 'X' definitely was a boy band, glam, pop rock fest and one wondered if it wasn't a bunch of eighteen year olds writing the material, I don't know what to say about this latest offering. The opening track, 'Go' is a rocker and 'Nine Lives' rocks out a bit with some unusual collaboration with Tim McGraw, but the rest of the album is a take it or leave it. For the die hard fans this would be a keeper as evidenced by their 5 star reviews and just happy to have some original material from the band, but at what cost. Does this really cover any new ground and does it really hearken back to the days of Hysteria as in some pre-release statements about the album? Probably not. The case would be far from it from my point of view only. While some like the individual aspects as far as song writing from all the members, that doesn't necessarily mean that a great album can come forth. Just because you're in a band doesn't mean that whatever you put forth onto the album is going to be good. Basically, I would consider this a good pop-rock album and nothing even resembling past days and that doesn't mean that I'm trying to compare which is sometimes difficult to do when Def Leppard has had some monumental albums. Here it is only a sampling of 3-4 minute songs and the band can't even get beyond that. While they said no ballads, what do they do? They throw the song 'Love' on it and you can argue against that it's not a ballad, but face it, for most people the tempo of the song is going to constitute it as a ballad. So, for me, this album, while filled with short, new material, it's too short and way too focused on the pop side of the industry and really lacking any sort of depth from the age that the band is now in, in their life. With these group of band mates they could have done so much more (at least get the album up to 50-60 minutes for the fans), but once again they have limited themselves and not thought outside of the box to make a truly dazzling album. For me, I will give credit when credit is due on any release, but this just isn't up too par for a five star review.
def leppard awoke! they came back April 29, 2008
charles (New York, NY)
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
after listening to five of the new album "songs from the Sparkle Lounge",
i would have to say for the first time in a long long time def leppard got back the heavy guitar riffs and harmony that made male and even female fans remember the glory days of old when High N Dry was hot and Pyromania was king. I dont know how or what woke the band up, but they sound heavy.It is like Steve Clark is there along with original band mate Pete Willis of course not in form but in spirit. The Song "Go" is awesome! "Gotta Let it Go" is another great tune as is "Come Undone"."Bad Actress" has some feel to Hysteria or Pyromania days. I also think Leppard used some AC/DC sound ..that was well know from their 70s days like "Powerage", or "Let there be Rock" or even "Highway to Hell"-just the riffs i am speaking about. "Nine Lives" is also a cool track. "Hallucinate" sounds smooth just the beginning has that AC/DC sound as well as "Tomorrow". You be the judge. Take it from me a old-time Leppard fan, I think the boys got a hit album.
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