Hysteria

I actually owned the Def Leppard 'Best Of' collection, but sold it because the only tracks I liked were singles off this album and maybe 2 or three from the previous 3 albums, I didn't have much to say about anything 'Adrenalize' onward...as they were crappy, by the numbers 90's love/rock ballads as far as I could tell and that bores me! Many Def Leppard die hards would actually point to this album as when they lost interest in the band, their 'sellout' point if you like - I'm not one of those fans. Whilst I do think the first three are excellent albums and arguably Def Lepperd at there purest 'Pop/Rock/Metal' / NWOBHM form, 'Hysteria' was both a leap into the unknown and one of those 'sacrificial lamb' albums metal and rock (unwillingly) needed to make the genre sustainable by opening doors to new audiences and commercial longevity and force it to be taken seriously critically, much like Metallica would do 4 years later with the Black Album for Thrash Metal. The hits are colossal : 'Women,' 'Rocket,' 'Animal,' 'Love Bites,' 'Pour Some Sugar On Me,' 'Armageddon It,' and the title track...count 'em, a ridiculous 7 singles(!), yet they're so good you'd be tempted to buy them as singles even if you had the album! While it's fair to say the first half of the album is much stronger than the second...when you're sharing a disc with what I've just listed you'd be hard pressed to stand out! That being said, 'Gods of War' and 'Don't Shoot Shotgun', while dripping in 80's cheese, are excellent in their own right! In many ways, this album is the ultimate rock band mainstream triumph. A concerted effort by the band and legendary producer Mutt Lange to concoct a (what Wikipedia describes as a) 'hard rock version of Michael Jackson's Thriller,' with the possibility of every track being a single and that's pretty much what it is, without being a random collection of great songs, it flows as good as any concept album. Rarely before or after has hard rock felt so box office and pristine, with faultless vocal performances from all members at the front or back. While the argument that because it's mainstream that there are no riffs is simply false! If 'Pour Some...' isn't a riffathon of the highest order, then 'Armageddon It' undoubtedly is and the lead lines on 'Animal' are as good as leads get in hard rock. This album no doubt has numerous aural clues that make it easily identifiable as a late 1980's rock album, the songwriting has remained timeless and is as excellent now as it was back then.

Almost a greatest hits album on its own. If you only buy or listen to one Def Leppard album, this is it. All killer tracks, superb mixing/production over seen by Mutt Lange. If I could give this album 6 stars, I would, it’s that good.

Brilliant CD

This was the first album I ever bought when it came out, back in 1987 (and I was a mere 11 years of age!). I can actually be proud of that because - unlike some people's 'embarrassing first record' scenario - Hysteria has held up as something of a classic, from an era of enviable rock music genius including the likes of Bon Jovi and Guns 'n' Roses. 'Animal' was - coincidentally - the first single I ever bought, and sounds quite unlike anything else I've heard before or since. Quirky, edgy, with the defined Def Leppard harmony in the chorus and distored "an-i-mal" vocal of Elliot, it remains a fine tune to my ears. And as for the rest of the album, it's just loaded with immense tunes allied to fun lyrics - 'Pour Some Sugar on Me', for example. And I still love 'Armageddon It' - I'm still geddin' it, nearly three decades later! There's little point saying how good this album is in 2016. I added it to my CD collection a few years ago, having originally purchased it on cassette tape (I know, I know - who the hell still has a device to play them on now, eh?), and Amazon has just asked me to review it. So review it I shall. It's a thing of nostalgia for me, much like 'Back to the Future' and the Sony Walkman. But while brilliant in the mid-80s, this album still sounds sufficiently different, interesting and emotive to say something to a new generation of people who simply want to rock out. It's cool, not sick. If you haven't bought it by now, then you'll no doubt know whether you'll ever want to or not (and with 25 million units shipped, there's an awful lot of people who have already had their copy). So you don't really need me to tell you how good - or otherwise - it is. I will say, though, that I am really pleased to see the Def Leppard renaissance of recent years - long may it continue!

An album of its time, Hysteria was created for and because of the hair-rock/metal stranglehold on pop in the beginning to mid 80s. Despite this it still holds up well today albeit whilst smiling at the cheese. The first 7 tracks are all wonderful but then it gets slightly patchy. Opener 'Women' is trademark Def Leppard circa 1986/7. Sleazy, slow and mid-paced, impecably produced and really rather good. 'Rocket' is actually very similar but even slightly better! 'Animal' is quality 80s stadium fare. Single-length and all shiny and electric and high pitched with a nice singalonga chorus. Job done. 'Love Bites' is classic and very listenable today. One of their all-time great tracks. As is 'Pour Some Sugar...'. Classic, fun and catchy. 'Armageddon It' is very good but has less of a pull for me, but that's a purely personal opinion - it's still a great song. 'Gods of War' is my pick from the album (along with 'Love Bites'). It wasn't a single and it is long and anything with Maggie Thatcher's voice just sounds wrong, BUT it is a fantastic tune, a style they revisited in their follow up with 'White Lightning' - another cracker! Then it all gets a bit pants for a couple of tracks. 'Don't Shoot...' is quite average and compared to the company it's keeping it fails to excite. It's one of those DL party tunes that don't really have any real tune at all. 'Run Riot' is slightly better but still isn't excellent. Title track, however, is pretty darn excellent. Understated, catchy and enjoyable. 'Excitable' is as 'Don't Shoot...' really - not great at all. 'LOve & Affection' is ok but for an album of this stature the closer really needs to be astounding and it really isn't. Despite the inclusion of 3 or 4 unwanted MOR party-crashers, Hysteria is an album to treasure and, more importantly enjoy. It's not a noodle-scratcher, it's just meant to be there for when you're feeling in a particularly 80s mood and need to ROCK OUT!!!

Another brilliant cd of this amazing band. I cannot stop playing it !!

I am rebuilding my CD collection and if I can't get it in a charity, then a pay full price for the really good stuff. Need I say more!

Love it

I was happy with the arrival!

Perfect..one of the highlights of the 80's ! Reedition in vinyle and the best.... for the first time ever... it includes the lyrics

Reçu très bien emballé, état neuf impeccable et excellent son ! Ravie qu'il rejoigne ma collection, quel album !!!

... Def Leppard goes back into the studio and records the entire album, with proper mastering to have this album REBORN with the glory it truly deserves. The 2LP 30th Anniversary version is not any significant improvement of all the versions of this album I have heard, even without the groove compression on the earlier 2-sided vinyl releases. The irritatingly boosted treble, compressed dynamics, absence of a good bass and veiled vocals have plagued this recording in ALL formats. I will resort to listening to the Mobile Fidelity Gold CD issue, or my collection of 12" 45rpm singles, while the 30th Anniversary 2LP version sits on my shelf in a ziplock bag awaiting the rebirth of the FINEST album in their entire repertoire. However I fear that day will never come.

Bardzo dobrze wytloczony i zmasterowany materiał. Zero szumu, trzasków. Album sam w sobie klasykiem.