Slang (album)

Slang
Studio album by Def Leppard
Released 14 May 1996 (1996-05-14)
Recorded 1994–1995 in Marbella, Spain and January – February 1996 at Bow Lane Studios in Dublin, Ireland
Genre
Length 45:58
Label Mercury
Producer Pete Woodroffe and Def Leppard
Def Leppard chronology
Adrenalize
(1992)		 Slang
(1996)		 Euphoria
(1999)
Singles from Slang
  1. "Slang"
    Released: May 1996
  2. "Work It Out"
    Released: July 1996 (US), August 1996 (worldwide)
  3. "All I Want Is Everything"
    Released: August 1996 (US), September 1996 (worldwide), November 1996 (UK)
  4. "Breathe a Sigh"
    Released: November 1996 (Worldwide), February 1997 (UK)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic link
Chicago Sun-Times[3]
The Cincinnati Post(D+)[4]
Entertainment Weekly(B+) link
Sputnik Music link
Rolling Stone(mixed) link
Q[5]

Slang is the sixth studio album by English hard rock band Def Leppard, released in 1996. The album marked a musical departure from their signature sound, and was produced by the band with Pete Woodroffe. Slang is the first album with new material to feature new guitarist Vivian Campbell (Campbell had previously played on the B-side collection Retro Active in 1993 and on the new song on Vault a year earlier). It charted at #14 on The Billboard 200[6] and #5 on the UK Albums Chart.[7] It is also the only Def Leppard album that does not feature their recognisable logo on the album cover.

Overview

Between the releases of Retro Active and Slang, Def Leppard endured hardships including guitarist Phil Collen's divorce from actress Jacqueline Collen, bassist Rick Savage's battle with Bell's Palsy and the death of his father, and the arrests of both drummer Rick Allen and lead singer Joe Elliott for spousal abuse and assault, respectively. Though the band says Adrenalize was recorded during a bleaker time, the absence of Mutt Lange (for the first time on a Def Leppard record since 1981) made it possible for the band to show what they were really feeling.[8] Says Joe Elliott, "There was a period with Mutt where if you came out with anything slightly negative, it was 'Fuck it!' and it was gone!" Continues Phil Collen, "We've all got personal things that have happened during the recording of Slang, and we've just ploughed on and some of it has come out on the record."

Doing without the services of Mutt Lange, the band changed another habit by recording together as a band, in a townhouse in Marbella, Spain. Slang would feature less production in favour of a more organic sound, catalysed by drummer Rick Allen's reversion to a semi-acoustic kit. "We'd got so sick of recording the old way. We didn't want to do it any more. We wanted the music to be more personalised and let the character of the individuals to come out," explains Rick Savage.[8]

Songs such as "Turn to Dust" introduced sarangi and other instrumentation atypical for the band. The album's lyrical content featured a darker and more introspective turn for the most part, with lighter fare restricted to the Prince-influenced "Slang".

"The whole thing is potty," David Quantick wrote in Q, "but in a supple and melodic way – even the ballads lack the usual Def Leppard sense of having been written for lead-lined hippos to sing. Slang is the sound of a band doing something fast and interesting, at the exact point in their lives when most bands are taking up golf and inhaling the contents of aquariums in country manors."[5] Q later included the album among its 'best of 1996', describing it as "the work of a huge band, aware that the straight-ahead rock they once plied so enthusiastically is dead and who have embraced the new breed with élan."[9]

Slang was the first Def Leppard album to fail to achieve platinum sales in the US. Elsewhere, the album performed better: it placed four singles on the UK charts, and did go platinum in Canada. On the supporting tour the band performed for the first time in Southeast Asia, South Africa and South America.

A limited edition release included a 6-track bonus disc, "Acoustic in Singapore", recorded live in October 1995.

Deluxe Edition

On 22 November 2011, Phil Collen revealed in an interview to the Birmingham Express And Star newspaper that the band plan to reissue Slang in the future with extra tracks included. He stated the band "...did have a lot of songs when we recorded, different versions, songs that never quite got finished." On 26 December 2011, Vivian Campbell gave an update on the re-issue whilst speaking on his Facebook page in response to fan questions about Christmas songs. "We did once record a song called "Heavy Metal Christmas" during the Slang sessions - tongues very firmly in cheeks! It was actually a proper (and rather good!) song but was lacking lyrics - hence the goof-off title. It'll likely see the light of day when we re-release Slang soon. Some unheard stuff, too, as far as I know."

On 18 January 2012, Vivian mentioned on his Facebook regarding the proposed re-issue that "Ownership of Slang masters (and all out-takes) revert to us later this year, so there's a good chance that we'll re-release with bonus material."

Joe Elliott confirmed on his 25 August 2012 Planet Rock radio show that "...in a few months time we are re-releasing Slang as a double vinyl, a double CD with loads and loads of different mixes, bonus tracks and all sorts of stuff." This was followed by Elliott playing the bands 1999 Euphoria B-Side 'Burnout' (which was first released on the "Goodbye" CD single) at the end of the show and revealed it had been recorded during the 1995/1996 Slang sessions, which the singer described as "...a little teaser", implying that the song may be included on the upcoming re-issue.

On 21 January 2014, it was announced on Def Leppard's Twitter page that Slang will be re-issued on 11 February 2014.[10] The re-issued album will include 19 additional tracks, made up of various early versions of songs on the original album, as well as previously unreleased material.[11]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Truth?"  Phil Collen, Joe Elliott, Rick Savage, Vivian Campbell3:00
2."Turn to Dust"  Collen4:21
3."Slang"  Collen, Elliott2:37
4."All I Want Is Everything"  Elliott5:20
5."Work It Out"  Campbell4:49
6."Breathe a Sigh"  Collen4:06
7."Deliver Me"  Collen, Elliott3:04
8."Gift of Flesh"  Collen3:48
9."Blood Runs Cold"  Collen, Elliott4:26
10."Where Does Love Go When It Dies"  Elliott, Collen4:04
11."Pearl of Euphoria"  Elliott, Collen, Savage6:21

Certifications

Country Provider Certification
(sales thresholds)
United States RIAA Gold
Canada CRIA Platinum
United Kingdom BPI Gold

Personnel

Additional musicians

Production

Notes

  1. ↑ https://books.google.com/books?id=Tw0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA12
  2. ↑ Aizlewood, John (August 2012). "Def Leppard Embrace Grunge. Alternative Rock Recoils". Q: 63. There's nothing like selling squillions of records to induce a mid-life crisis. Hence Def Leppard's decision in 1996 to get down with the kids, hire a villa in Spain and, rather belatedly, go grunge for their sixth album, Slang.
  3. ↑ Barron, John (2 June 1996). "Spin Control". Chicago Sun-Times. p. 13.
  4. ↑ Wilson, Ken (20 June 1996). "Leppard lacking in appeal". The Cincinnati Post. pp. Metro 20.
  5. 1 2 Q, June 1996
  6. ↑ "Allmusic (Def Leppard charts and awards) Billboard albums".
  7. ↑ "Def Leppard chart stats".
  8. 1 2 Ewing, Jerry (June 1996). "Def Leppard". Metal Hammer. pp. 58–60.
  9. ↑ Q, January 1997
  10. ↑ https://twitter.com/def_leppard/status/425766063058747392
  11. ↑ "Def Leppard Gather Demos and Unreleased Tracks for 'Slang' Reissue". Ultimate Classic Rock. 22 January 2014. Archived from the original on 22 January 2014. Retrieved 22 January 2014.

References

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