In addition to my original vinyl version of Pyromania (I’ll show you, but don’t touch), I also have a deluxe edition from 2009. The booklet of that issue laments the lack of b-sides and out-takes with which to bolster the set. Therefore, it was a nice surprise to learn that Def Leppard had unearthed some treasures and their third album is getting a comprehensive reissue which includes the original album (remastered) and the 1983 live set from the 2009 release, plus two discs of previously unreleased material to make this the ultimate edition of Def Leppard’s pièce de résistance.

CD One: Pyromania

It’s no secret that producer Robert “Mutt” Lange’s working methods drove Def Leppard to the point of distraction as he meticulously pieced this album together. While the two had worked together on 1981’s High ‘n’ Dry opus, his approach this time around must have seemed like the complete antithesis to a winning formula. Music that’s polished to a sheen can often lose its charm, sometimes it’s better to have a little dirt under the fingernails. For example, there’s no doubt that Sabbath’s first six albums are the best and it’s only when they slowed down that it started going Pete Tong. However, Pyromania hits that sweet spot perfectly; these songs do sound constructed, yet they’re powered by an excitement that characterised their early work, and they don’t come more exciting than opener ‘Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)’. It’s a vitamin shot of a song that finds Pyromania running on adrenaline for the next 35 minutes.

Much of Pyromania’s success came from tapping into the prevailing zeitgeist; with the advent of MTV the album produced three singles that were prime rock candy (most notably ‘Photograph’) and beamed the band into millions of homes. More importantly, with the Orwellian year of 1984 fast approaching, Pyromania played into an apocalyptic fear with cuts like ‘Die hard The Hunter’, ‘Too Late For Love’ and ‘Billy’s Got A Gun’. Time is the greatest test for all things and the years that have elapsed since Pyromania’s release have only increased its charms, and this remastered version ensures it has never sounded better.

CD Two: Rarities

Given that CDs One and Three have already been available on the 2009 reissue, it is this second disc that will have Def Leppard aficionados salivating in anticipation. The whole set has been curated and collated by vocalist Joe Elliot which ensures a certain attention to detail, and it was in his archives that these unreleased tracks were unearthed. For a record that was thought to have no extras, it was akin to stumbling across the Holy Grail, and no more so than on the Pyromania’s “eleventh” track, ‘No You Can’t Do That’. It’s that cut which opens the second disc and will be most attractive to their fanbase. We can only assume that it was left off Pyromania due to time constraints, and why it wasn’t used as a contemporary b-side is equally puzzling. It certainly adds another spice to the mix and certainly doesn’t embarrass the album.

However, most illuminating are the “Rough Mixes” that close the disc. It presents the ten-track Pyromania in a whole new light and offers an intriguing glimpse of how the album could have sounded, if it were recorded on a tighter time frame, yet Mutt’s magic took things to a whole new level…and we all know how well that ended.

CD Three: Live Westfalen Halle, Dortmund, Germany – 18th December 1983

1983 proved to be a pivotal year for Def Leppard; it started on 20th January with the release of Pyromania and ended in a triumphant manner with the second of a two-night stint at Germany’s Rock and Pop festival at Dortmund’s Westfalen Halle. In between the band played an impressive 182 gigs (their highest tally in any one year) which left them a finely honed beast and if you require proof, then just pop this disc in the player. Actually, what is most impressive is not their cohesion or the sheer joy that radiates from the stage, but their musical chops. Considering the meticulous building and layering of Pyromania, Def Leppard transfer cuts from that album to the stage with apparent ease. An impressive set, and one which enhances this collection no end.

CD Four: Live – L.A. Forum 1983 – 11th September 1983

The 11th September 1983 was a special date. Not only was it the evening on which this second disc was captured, but it immortalises that moment in time when Def Leppard were transitioning from support band to bona fide headline act, and on the evidence of this recording it’s a step they took with apparent ease. Having recently supported Billy Squier, the band were no strangers to the biggest stages, but this disc has a sense of homecoming, as if the band were reclaiming their rightful place. They radiate a confidence which only comes from a band who know they’re onto a good thing, and the fact that they have an opener up their sleeve live ‘Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)’ up their sleeve doesn’t hurt, and when combined with the NWOBHM-punch of ‘Rock Brigade’, well, life doesn’t get better. 15 tracks that find Leppard at their blistering best culminates in a cover of ‘Travellin’ Band’ and a guest spot from Queen’s Brian May (no stranger to NWOBHM, having produced Heavy Pettin’s debut). Live – L.A. Forum proved, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the boys from Sheffield were going to be around for a while.

Blu-Ray: Atmos / 5.1 / New Stereo / Instrumental

The blu-ray disc presents a new mix of the album, and while you won’t find the music acting in strange new ways, it does work well with the blu-ray format and the sound quality that offers. It’s a nice, crisp mix that makes the most of the 5.1 stereo, and if you’re lucky enough to have a home cinema system, then this’ll definitely be to your liking. While the promotional videos are available online, it’s nice to have them all in one place, and while they won’t win any prizes for cinematography, as historical documents they’re priceless and are sure to bring back fond memories.

Released on several different formats and in different configurations (a 4CD/Blu-Ray, double vinyl, half-speed master et al), purchasing options might require a little thought, but whichever one you choose, there’s never been a better time to revisit a classic album.

• Pyromania (Expanded Deluxe Edition) is released on 26th April 2024 and is available here.
• Official Website | Facebook | X (Twitter) | Instagram | YouTube Channel

CD One: Pyromania Re-Mastered

1. Rock Rock (Til You Drop)
2. Photograph
3. Stagefright
4. Too Late for Love
5. Die Hard the Hunter
6. Foolin’
7. Rock Of Ages
8. Comin’ Under Fire
9. Action! Not Words
10. Billy’s Got a Gun

CD Two: Rarities

1. No You Can’t Do That – Out-Take
2. Untitled 1 – Demo
3. Untitled 2 – Demo
4. Untitled 3 – Demo
5. Untitled 4 – Demo
6. Untitled 5 – Demo
7. Untitled 6 – Demo
8. Rock Rock Till You Drop – Demo
9. Too Late for Love – Demo
10. Comin’ Under Fire – Demo
11. Billy’s Got a Gun – Demo
12. No You Can’t Do That – Demo
13. Rock Rock (Til You Drop) – Rough Mix Version
14. Photograph – Rough Mix Version (Unfinished Vocal)
15. Stagefright – Rough Mix Version
16. Too Late for Love – Rough Mix Version
17. Die Hard the Hunter – Rough Mix Version
18. Foolin’ – Rough Mix Version
19. Rock Of Ages – Rough Mix Version
20. Comin’ Under Fire – Rough Mix Version
21. Action! Not Words – Rough Mix Version (Chorus Only)
22. Billy’s Got a Gun – Rough Mix Version

CD Three: Live Westfalen Halle, Dortmund, Germany – 18th December 1983

1. Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)
2. Billy’s Got a Gun
3. Foolin’
4. Rock of Ages
5. Let It Go
6. Wasted

CD Four: Live at the LA Forum – 11th September 1983

1. Rock! Rock!! (Til You Drop)
2. Rock Brigade
3. High And Dry (Saturday Night)
4. Another Hit and Run
5. Billy’s Got a Gun
6. Mirror Mirror (Look into My Eyes)
7. Foolin’
8. Photograph
9. Rock Of Ages
10. Bringing Back the Heartache
11. Switch 625
12. Let It Go
13. Wasted
14. Stage Fright
15. Travellin’ Band

Blu Ray: Atmos / 5.1 / New Stereo / Instrumental

1. Rock Rock (Til You Drop)
2. Photograph
3. Stagefright
4. Too Late for Love
5. Die Hard the Hunter
6. Foolin’
7. Rock Of Ages
8. Comin’ Under Fire
9. Action! Not Words
10. Billy’s Got a Gun

Videos:

1. Photograph – Official Video
2. Rock Of Ages – Official Video
3. Foolin’ – Official Video
4. Too Late for Love – Official Video / Supersonic (Historia)
5. Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop) – Official Video / Japanese Show (Historia)