Euphoria (Def Leppard album)
| Euphoria | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Def Leppard | ||||
| Released | 8 June 1999 | |||
| Recorded | April 1998 – March 1999 at Joe's Garage in Dublin, Ireland | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 51:01 | |||
| Label | Mercury | |||
| Producer |
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| Def Leppard chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Euphoria | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Rolling Stone | [2] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+[3] |
| Q | [4] |
Euphoria is the seventh studio album by English hard rock band Def Leppard, released in 1999. The album aimed to return to their signature sound made famous by the band in the 1980s. It was produced by the band with Pete Woodroffe. The album charted at No. 11 on The Billboard 200[5] and No. 11 on the UK Albums Chart.[6] The album is also known for including the song "Promises", which hit the number one spot on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart.[7] The pop metal tune has been performed on numerous tours since, with 440 plays according to Setlist.fm publicly.
Overview
Following Slang, the band was initially unsure of which direction to take for their next release, upon reconvening in April 1998.
The band would enlist the aid of former producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange for four days in a more limited role. Three songs were co-written with Lange, who lent background vocals (as he had on other albums): "It's Only Love", "All Night" and "Promises".
A song first recorded by Vivian Campbell's side band Clock, "To Be Alive", received a Leppard makeover. For the first time since 1981's High 'n' Dry, an instrumental was included (Phil Collen's "Disintegrate"). This instrumental was known before as "Spanish Sky", a ballad that evolved into this track.
1996 Formula One racing champion Damon Hill, a neighbour of Rick Savage, would contribute a guitar solo to the track "Demolition Man".
In its first week of release, Euphoria sold over 98,000 units in the US and just missed the Top 10 of the Billboard 200, reaching No. 11. First single "Promises" topped Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart in June 1999, a spot the band had not held in six years.
Euphoria would later be certified gold in the US, Canada and Japan. The album-supporting tour stretched from May 1999 to September 2000.
Upon the album's ten-year anniversary in June 2009, The Record Review noted that "the band has yet to match it with any release since (despite the stiff competition of 2002's X) and it still stands between leaders Hysteria and Pyromania as the band's best album."[8]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Demolition Man" | Phil Collen, Vivian Campbell, Joe Elliott | 3:24 |
| 2. | "Promises" | Collen, Mutt Lange | 3:59 |
| 3. | "Back in Your Face" | Elliott, Collen | 3:20 |
| 4. | "Goodbye" | Rick Savage | 3:36 |
| 5. | "All Night" | Collen, Lange | 3:38 |
| 6. | "Paper Sun" | Collen, Campbell, Elliott, Savage, Pete Woodroffe | 5:27 |
| 7. | "It's Only Love" | Elliott, Lange, Savage, Campbell | 4:06 |
| 8. | "21st Century Sha La La La Girl" | Collen, Elliott, Savage | 4:06 |
| 9. | "To Be Alive" | Campbell, P.J. Smith | 3:53 |
| 10. | "Disintegrate" (Instrumental) | Collen | 2:51 |
| 11. | "Guilty" | Collen, Savage, Elliott, Campbell, Woodroffe | 3:47 |
| 12. | "Day After Day" | Collen, Elliott, Campbell | 4:36 |
| 13. | "Kings of Oblivion" | Elliott, Collen, Savage | 4:18 |
| bonus tracks | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
| 14. | "I Am Your Child (Japanese Bonus Track)" | Elliott, Collen, Savage | 3:27 |
| 15. | "Under My Wheels (Unmixed Version)* (Alice Cooper Cover)" | Michael Bruce, Dennis Dunaway, Bob Ezrin | 3:21 |
| 16. | "Worlds Collide" | Elliott, Savage | 3:45 |
| 17. | "Immortal" | Elliott | 3:44 |
| 18. | "Burnout" | Allen, Campbell, Collen, Elliott, Savage | 4:08 |
Certifications
| Country | Provider | Certification (sales thresholds) |
|---|---|---|
| United States | RIAA | Gold |
| Canada | CRIA | Gold |
Personnel
- Joe Elliott – lead vocals
- Phil Collen – guitar, backing vocals
- Vivian Campbell – guitar, backing vocals
- Rick "Sav" Savage – bass guitar, backing vocals
- Rick Allen – drums
Additional musicians
- Charlotte Ritchie and 2 Boys – hey's on Back on Your Face
- Ricky Warwick, Gary Sullivan, Ciaran McGoldrick- Claps and Hey's on Back on Your Face
- Mutt Lange – additional vocals on "Promises" and "All Night", additional guitar on "All Night"
- Damon "Demon" Hill – end guitar solo on "Demolition Man"
Production
- Pete Woodruff – producer, engineer, mixing
- Def Leppard – producer
- Ger McDonnell – engineer
- Ronan McHugh – engineer
- Tom Stanley – mix assistant
- Bob Ludwig – mastering
- Andie Airfix – artwork
- Andy Earl – photography
References
- 1 2 Allmusic review
- ↑ Greg Kot (8 July 1999). "Rolling Stone review". Rollingstone.com. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
- ↑ Tom Lanham (11 June 1999). "Entertainment Weekly review". Ew.com. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
- ↑ Blake, Mark. "Review: Def Leppard – Euphoria". Q (EMAP Metro Ltd) (July 1999): 106.
- ↑ "Allmusic (Def Leppard charts and awards) Billboard albums".
- ↑ "Def Leppard chart stats".
- ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/euphoria-r417101/charts-awards
- ↑ Ian Rice (6 August 2009). "Ten Years Later: Def Leppard". Recordreview.wordpress.com. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
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