[DXtreme81]

Treffo wrote:

Read a new interview with VIv at Ultimate Guitar. Nothing new maybe but still: Campbell admits that creating riffs for the legendary rock group hasn’t always come easy for him. The 47-year-old guitarist considers himself more of a blues player, and he says that switching to "rock mode" has been a fulfilling challenge And to be honest, it's a bit of a struggle for me to write for DEF LEPPARD. It's not really my natural inclination to write LEPPARD-like songs. I always find that I have to kind of step outside of the box and try to be objective about what I'm doing. I'll say to myself, "Is this going to work for Joe [Elliott, DEF LEPPARD singer]?" I especially think that because of the way I sing. On my demos I tend to be more of a soul-type singer. I've come to realize that Joe doesn't naturally follow the same thought process in terms of the melodies. I'm not a good enough songwriter where I can write to order. If somebody says, "Write a song for Britney Spears" — I can't do that. I'm not a prolific songwriter. I'm not one of these songwriter hacks who can churn out a song a day for so-and-so. It's a painful process for me. I wonder why DL can't write stuff together instead. Viv could for example come up with great guitar parts and don't care about finished demo songs, but no. Those days are obviously long gone. Imo, there is so much potential in DL that's not being used because of the way they work. I will probably never understand why. But maybe some of them don't like working together other than playing live. It's strange, but DL are not a band like they used to be, they're more like individuals now, writing solo songs that somehow gets their way onto a DL album. I guess what's most missing is a leader, like Mutt was in the 80's. I really hope DL tries to find a good outside rock producer for the next album and start writing together. (imo)

If you look at the writing credits on the X album they are all collaborative...although of course that doesn't necessarily mean the writing sessions were much different from the Sparkle Lounge sessions. We'll never really know to what degree they have or will work together to craft a new song, but I agree if they really want to make an album as good as they can that they have to write songs as a cohesive unit and have a producer who's willing to be that outside voice and to challenge them. If we ever see that again remains to be seen...but as fans we can always hope.

tragik007 wrote:

There will always be hardcore fans listening and loving everything they do from awful cover albums to side projects but the rest of us moved on when we got stuck with 10 ballads on every album and really unimaginative music for over 15 years.

I'm definitely not in the camp that loves everything they do but I think they deserve more credit then that. I think the big problem over the last 15 years has mainly been the music industry completely turning their back on them in the '90s and the huge lack of direction in their music because of that. I don't disagree that their earlier music is better then the later stuff but with any band that's been around as long as Leppard it's similar circumstances...and yeah losing Steve Clark was pretty significant for them musically (not to mention personally.) It does seem to be the general consensus that a big name producer would do nothing but good for the band...I really hope that's something they're willing to do for the next album.

[Niklas]

As for the new album, it absolutely be interesting what label they will go with, or if they will release themselves or whatever. The big producer name is mostly a financial question I think. When they were about to record Euphoria they wanted to work with Trevor Rabin, but according to Rick Allen didn't think they could afford it. They also discussed Bob Rock, but according to Joe the way he worked was having the band write 40 songs from which he would pick ten or so to be on the album. A way of working which the band didn't approve of.

I tend to think they reason the same way Kiss did (maybe still do?). We can spend x amount on the album and it will sell y amount of units. We can spend xx amount of money and it will still only sell y amount of units. And that's a bit sad really. I'd love to see the band work with a big name producer like Bob Rock or what have you.

[Belle]

Niklas wrote:

I tend to think they reason the same way Kiss did (maybe still do?). We can spend x amount on the album and it will sell y amount of units. We can spend xx amount of money and it will still only sell y amount of units. And that's a bit sad really. I'd love to see the band work with a big name producer like Bob Rock or what have you.

That's not sad, that's business. As much as we want to think if this as pure art, there is a huge financial aspect. Every album is a risk and since they can only go off the sales figures for the last album to budget for the next, there is no logic to spending more on the producer, especially when sales for the entire category are down.

Just out of curiosity, if they were to spend xx on the producer, would you be willing to spend xx on the album instead of x? Because since y isn't going to change much, the loss has to be made up someplace.

[Niklas]

Belle wrote:

Niklas wrote: I tend to think they reason the same way Kiss did (maybe still do?). We can spend x amount on the album and it will sell y amount of units. We can spend xx amount of money and it will still only sell y amount of units. And that's a bit sad really. I'd love to see the band work with a big name producer like Bob Rock or what have you. That's not sad, that's business. As much as we want to think if this as pure art, there is a huge financial aspect. Every album is a risk and since they can only go off the sales figures for the last album to budget for the next, there is no logic to spending more on the producer, especially when sales for the entire category are down. Just out of curiosity, if they were to spend xx on the producer, would you be willing to spend xx on the album instead of x? Because since y isn't going to change much, the loss has to be made up someplace.

Well, that theory only holds up if you believe the logic to be true. I really do think they could shift more units if they made a great album. So I don't necessarily agree with that logic. Would I be willing to pay more for an album if more money was spent on it? Not necessarily, but that's a very hard question. If someone took away all my DL records and I would have to buy them back, I would no doubt pay ten times more for Hysteria than for, say Sparkle Lounge. But again I don't really know.

But then again, the band and the record company were willing to put themselves in debt when they recorded Pyromania and Hysteria so who knows? Of course they are in a very different position now, and the music business has changed a lot.

The producer is hired by the record company to produce, or perhaps extract, an album from the band that has the potential to sell as many units as possible, so if they will be offered a big budget contract by any of the large record companies, chances are probably bigger of working with a big name producer than if they are to release the album themselves or on a small label.

I think the two most interesting questions as far as DL are concerned, are whether they will sign with another record company (an extension with their former company doesn't seem to be forthcoming). What producer will they work with on the next album?

[nbritt]

how would it work if they signed with Wal-Mart or another retailer. Would the retailer spend money on the album or would the band do it themselves and then the retailer distribute it? I'm not real sure how that works.

[DefLep]

They already have "a few tracks" with MUTT from SFTSL that were left off deliberately.

I am hoping hoping hoping that they collaborate with MUTT again and do a full album proper with him.

This way we can all get another taste of the drink that got us addicted to DL in the first place.

[TimeWitch]

I hope they DON'T sign with any label & instead sell a subscription where I could get a song via e-mail OR download them from their site; they should just focus on good songs, forget the whole album concept right now. How much would it cost to just e-mail songs, like a private sale? Less than it does to make a Master Copy & then have the robots kick out 250,000 copies per cd plant, according to How's It Made(I think it's cancelled now).

As for their choices of producer, sounds like they have too much "no" power, now that they're famous; I can partly blame their fanbase, but it's also merely the cycles society runs thru. BUT they need someone to get them to leave their comfort zones, are there any girl producers? I've not read of any here & I don't know the who's who of music. Maybe where they'd say no to a guy....

[bad_dog]

nbritt wrote:

how would it work if they signed with Wal-Mart or another retailer. Would the retailer spend money on the album or would the band do it themselves and then the retailer distribute it? I'm not real sure how that works.

Ive said before on this forum that a project with WalMart would probably be the only way we will ever get another classic sounding Def Leppard cd. WalMart would probably insist on it like they did with ACDC and KISS recently, because WalMart only cares about selling a ton of cd's, and they know that unless it sounds like Pyro or Hysteria nobody will buy it. And WalMart would want some control, and would probably only do it if Mutt were involved. Just my opinion based on how WalMart works.

So I think it would be a good thing for those that want something that resembles the Pyro/Hysteria sound, but would be a bad thing for those that want to hear Sparkle Lounge 2.

[AndyLGR]

bad_dog wrote:

nbritt wrote: how would it work if they signed with Wal-Mart or another retailer. Would the retailer spend money on the album or would the band do it themselves and then the retailer distribute it? I'm not real sure how that works. Ive said before on this forum that a project with WalMart would probably be the only way we will ever get another classic sounding Def Leppard cd. WalMart would probably insist on it like they did with ACDC and KISS recently, because WalMart only cares about selling a ton of cd's, and they know that unless it sounds like Pyro or Hysteria nobody will buy it. And WalMart would want some control, and would probably only do it if Mutt were involved. Just my opinion based on how WalMart works. So I think it would be a good thing for those that want something that resembles the Pyro/Hysteria sound, but would be a bad thing for those that want to hear Sparkle Lounge 2.

Unbelievable that you really think a supermarket would have a say in how an album should sound.

[DefLep]

LOL - good point!

There is no question that the whole business has changed. Combine this with the last 13 years of "DL-lite" and you have the band that they are today.

I do think that they have an open road ahead of them here. No contract and the freedom to choose. Choice of producers, choice of labels, choice of sound!

"DL-lite" must die IMO! Time to step back into the pure Mutt-laced DL we all love and have been waiting for for over 13 years!!

C'mon boys, you know what we want. We wanna get rocked!!!!

[nbritt]

it would be nice if they did get together with Mutt and put out a killer album. They supposedly had songs that they held off of Sparkle. They supposedly wrote them with Mutt maybe they can get together on the next album.

[Quarky]

People change, and Mutt included. I don't think bringing back Mutt will bring back the magic of the earlier albums. They need a fresh voice IMO. When DL and Mutt did High n Dry, he had been working on albums like Back in Black. Recently, most of his stuff has been with Shania!

I would like to see them work with a new producer, but would be amazed if it happened. At this stage in their lives I can't see them wanting to go through that torturous kind of process again. They will just want to put out 10-12 good songs and get out of the studio IMO, rather than spends a few awful years working on songs that are 20-30% better, but at the end of the day, don't achieve the critical and commercial success that they crave.

I think as people, and a band, they are probably a bit too comfortable to go through the routine of those early albums, and to be honest, in their position, I would probably feel the same

[nbritt]

Quarky wrote:

People change, and Mutt included. I don't think bringing back Mutt will bring back the magic of the earlier albums. They need a fresh voice IMO. When DL and Mutt did High n Dry, he had been working on albums like Back in Black. Recently, most of his stuff has been with Shania! I would like to see them work with a new producer, but would be amazed if it happened. At this stage in their lives I can't see them wanting to go through that torturous kind of process again. They will just want to put out 10-12 good songs and get out of the studio IMO, rather than spends a few awful years working on songs that are 20-30% better, but at the end of the day, don't achieve the critical and commercial success that they crave. I think as people, and a band, they are probably a bit too comfortable to go through the routine of those early albums, and to be honest, in their position, I would probably feel the same

well, everyone went kinda crazy over the new Nickelback album that he worked on. I just want to see them have direction which is something they didnt have with SL. Even though it was a good record

[nbritt]

Quarky wrote:

People change, and Mutt included. I don't think bringing back Mutt will bring back the magic of the earlier albums. They need a fresh voice IMO. When DL and Mutt did High n Dry, he had been working on albums like Back in Black. Recently, most of his stuff has been with Shania! I would like to see them work with a new producer, but would be amazed if it happened. At this stage in their lives I can't see them wanting to go through that torturous kind of process again. They will just want to put out 10-12 good songs and get out of the studio IMO, rather than spends a few awful years working on songs that are 20-30% better, but at the end of the day, don't achieve the critical and commercial success that they crave. I think as people, and a band, they are probably a bit too comfortable to go through the routine of those early albums, and to be honest, in their position, I would probably feel the same

Well Mutt is a good producer and they are comfortable working with him, and I think he could help them alot, after all he did just work with Nickelback and that album is supposedly pretty good. I just want them to have a better direction on the next album. They didnt have any direction on SL even though I like the album and the songs, I feel some of the songs are out of place on that record. They need an album that has a general overall feel and just flows together.

[Rhonnyuk]

nbritt wrote:

They need an album that has a general overall feel and just flows together.

...which can only come from writing and recording together. IT WILL NOT HAPPEN. It will be a Sparkle Lounge 2.

[lotustt]

Rhonnyuk wrote:

nbritt wrote: They need an album that has a general overall feel and just flows together. ...which can only come from writing and recording together. IT WILL NOT HAPPEN. It will be a Sparkle Lounge 2.

Ohhh wah wahhhh, are you crying?

[nbritt]

Rhonnyuk wrote:

nbritt wrote: They need an album that has a general overall feel and just flows together. ...which can only come from writing and recording together. IT WILL NOT HAPPEN. It will be a Sparkle Lounge 2.

I know that, I've been saying that for a while now. If they would all pull there ideas together and try to work them out together it will be better, and ifyou can get a good producer in the mix it will be even better.

[SlangsterX]

I agree that they definetly need to ALL get in one spot and hammer out the writing process. I'm not saying not to bring any ideas, but this disjointed process is visible in the music. Also agree that the sound on SL was not great. They must have a more cohesive effort this time around, which I think they will...I hope. and I rate SL pretty high.

Sx

[ladylepluv]

Ok call me an idiot, but I did say (sometime ago on the forum) that they should get the producer of Nickelback's latest album to produce the next DL album.

Before knowing that Mutt worked with them, I didn't think they should work with him because he may be stale by now, but my apologies.

Mutt is the one.

DL needs to get "Rockin, Hard Rockin(it's not Metal) again.

I hope it happens. Nickelback is my latest fav.

[Rhonnyuk]

lotustt wrote:

Rhonnyuk wrote: nbritt wrote: They need an album that has a general overall feel and just flows together. ...which can only come from writing and recording together. IT WILL NOT HAPPEN. It will be a Sparkle Lounge 2. Ohhh wah wahhhh, are you crying?

No. Weirdo.