This Is Heresy - 'Hysteria' Is Perfect
Friday, February 10, 2017 at 12:01AM I really enjoy Ultimate Classic Rock. Great website, good writers. But this post of theirs below is heresy. Def Leppard's Hysteria is perfection - a work of art. The album says everything about the time it was written. The album IS 80s metal. Period.
Ultimate Classic Rock writers argue that the album is too long and it shouldn't play more than 45 minutes. This is absurd. Hysteria was released in 1987. During that time, people bought a record and let it play. Attention spans were longer. People appreciated music. Now, no one cares about anything. People throw a fit for having to wait three minutes in a line at Starbucks! One of the writers even wants to change up the track listing! Another writer wants to kill "Love Bites!" Are you freaking kidding me? That was a number one hit single! Yet another writer wants to kill "Love and Affection" which he calls "insufferable" but that's wrong. The song is one of the best ballads in the entire Lep catalog.
I'll note the four collaborative writers on this piece are all men, a sad by-product of music journalism, especially where metal is concerned. It wouldn't have been too hard to find a female music writer to weigh in on this subject and I guarantee the outcome would be different. Def Leppard is a male band but women made them rich and famous. They know where their bread is buttered too in that regard.
We cut Def Leppard's way-too-long 'Hysteria' down to a more manageable length: https://t.co/ObVVCHlUq7 pic.twitter.com/tYkhUsGer9
— UltimateClassicRock (@UltClassicRock) February 9, 2017
Reader Comments (15)
The authors do raise several valid points, chief among them the need to fill out more space once CDs came along. When you look at a lot of classic slabs of music magic, it is often surprising to see how short they were. The authors also focus in on one song ("Excitable") across the board and another ("Run Riot") that are, being fair, weaker compared with other ones. That I think "Gods of War" is one of the better songs and not worthy of the hypothetical bin is just a preference. But I can see the logic in some of their points and choices.
Methinks, however, that their choices don't really speak to a male-bias. In that regard, I think you accidentally play into the sex/gender war. Would female writers pick different songs to include or exclude? Sure. But isn't that just to say that different people would pick different songs, just as these critics do (with some noted points of contact)? I don't think liking or not liking a song, album, or band happens with one sex or gender voting en bloc. That is too reductive, even if it is tempting for argument's sake.
You also add in a comment about how "women made them rich and famous." That is partially true, yes. And it is especially true after they stripped out some of the rawness of their earlier work. But we can reverse the argument too: Def Lep are also responsible for perpetuating the view of woman as disposable playthings, of marginalizing them and reducing them to the level of stereotype (the tales of their In the Round tour(s) are legion). Sure, newer theories can advance the theory of groupies and their power over the men they "comforted." I get that. Not all women are pawns of the bands they encounter. But it is problematic to tout women as helping the band without noting how the band also reinforced stereotypes that people like you, Allyson, subvert. That is especially true when you tie part of your claim to how these men made their choices in their review.
I won't belabor other points that are problematic--the issue of attention-span is a non-starter given that you are going in reverse order relating to the facts at hand--or challenge your love of this album. That is what love is all about. And you own it as you should. All I am suggesting is that I respectfully disagree with some of your points.
There is a larger discussion to have about male v. female in metal. But this isn't it. I just hope others take me to task or add to the posts. This is an interesting "point of entry," as Judas Priest might say (and therein lies the rub, and the point, to a lot of my previous points).
And this album was huge for me in 87 and 88, when it really got big. I loved Def Leppard at the time. They were probably my favorite band.
And the male/female thing in metal has always intrigued me. I've always loved the fact that except for Def Leppard and Bon Jovi concerts, the female/male ratio of attendees was always very low. Especially at Priest and Maiden shows. I loved being a woman who loved metal. A lot of guys who like this music always wanted a woman who appreciates metal. And I always got along better with men than women. But that's another topic.
So, Yeah, great album, the length is fine. A lot of good songs but the ones I could have done without are Love Bites, Don't Shoot Shotgun and Excitable. Those are just meh. To me.
And I'll read the article now.
Rita, I too can't stand "Love Bites" ,and "Excitable" does nothing for me either, although "Don't Shoot Shotgun" is one of my favorite tracks on the album. As for being into bands like Oriest and Maiden, please allow me to toss you the universal salute my dear. \m/ 😎
And I return the salute to you my friend \m/
8 to 11 is the optimum number of songs for an album (unless, of course it's a double album/concept album/live album), with 9 or 10 being best.
This is a pet peeve of mine. Don't release 4 singles before the album release. One, OK. Anymore than that, it gets tiresome, give me the album so I can listen to it in its entirety. The artists themselves are perpetuating this attention span disorder. Single, single, single , single, album. People have already decided what they think before the album is released. And I understand what they're doing. Tease, tease, keep current, etc. But that torpedoes albums.
Personally, I don't listen to any music by an artist until the full album is available. I've been screwed and mislead by singles, both ways. But once you get past 9 songs, there seems to be a lot of filler.
Just my opinion, but Hysteria could lose a few songs and be better.
Rita, I must also agree with you on another point: JP's "Love Bites" simply slays DL's song of the same name. "I will return to trap and devour"?!?! Now that is a mouthful of metal!
Gary, I just want to suggest an extension to your observation: Jung would also likely have had something to say about all this. Thing is, his reasoning, though derivative, would likely have been more interesting! I say all of this while puffing gently on a cigar, of course!
Let's face it, "Hysteria" is far from perfect.
But "Pyromania" is!
How 'bout Kick Ass?!!!... Check it...
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3P4dU3idUlI
And it also contains one refrain that all should respect: "C'mon Steve, get it." What comes next ain't ever going to happen again. RIP Riffmaster.
Also, and I don't why it didn't occur to me in my first two posts, the title of this album is interesting in terms of women as well. Not sure how many have followed that term of art back into its earlier days. Fascinating.