Def Leppard – High 'N' Dry

This is a very nice pressing with rock solid EQ. One of the rare times a reissue blows away my OG! This mix pushes guitars hot but without distortion, yet retains the midrange which gives a nice soundstage. Bass and drums solid.

The second Def Leppard album, 1981's "High 'n' Dry" was a huge leap from their rough 'n' ready 1980 debut "On Through the Night" - they levelled up on the vocals, songwriting and especially production, their sound captured with dynamic crystal clearness by 80s Über-producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange who saw something in these guys and would eventually shepherd them to "Pyromania" and "Hysteria", albums that were certified platinum so many times they might as well have been plutonium.

That would come later, but until then this record had plenty of fist-pumping hooky hard rockers like "Let It Go", "Another Hit and Run", "High 'n' Dry (Saturday Night)", "Lady Strange" and "You Got Me Runnin'", powered by the tough vulnerability of Joe Elliott's voice, and the unimpeachable guitar work of scorchin' axe-slingers Steve Clark and Pete Willis, the latter making his final appearance on a Leppard record - he would be dismissed in '82 due to heavy drinking, though not before co-writing four of the tunes on "Pyromania" including the pop-metal masterpiece "Photograph." Willis was replaced two days later by Phil Collen, who remains with them to this day.

This album also had one huge signpost to their future in the brilliant bittersweet power ballad "Bringin' on the Heartbreak," a song so dramatic and adaptable that Mariah Carey had a hit with it two decades later. Pundits in '81 probably thought to themselves that if the Lepps could just pen a few more tunes like that one, they'd have a damn licence to print money. You could just tell that whatever they did next was gonna be next-level and take everything over the top... and so it proved. Arguably one of the finest hard rock bands of the decade were about to say "Hello America" for reals.

Sent in a dingy yellowed dirty paper inner sleeve. Should be noted when OG inner isn’t provided, then a suitable replacement is in order. IMO at least maybe a mofi inner.

Killer press! Great sound top to bottom. It's pressed pretty hot as well. My copy is mislabeled - both sides have "side 2" labels.

Absolutely amazing sound, one of my favourite albums ever and this is brilliant. Not only the sound is great but the artwork and quality of sleeves is fab too, absolutely worth buying!

I just picked up a minty Canadian Columbia House 1981 press that does not match the matrix above. The deadwax on my copy is closer to the Canadian first press.

SRM1 4021-A2 SNB230 DM-A
SRM1 4021-B SNB230 DM-17

Sounds good. Quiet pressing. Good quality for 22 bucks new. An enjoyable listen.

Don't pass on this pressing since it's a repress! I just played this repress and the 7/21/1981 PRC Richmond Pressing, and I think the sound on this repress is richer, especially on my favorite song on the album Mirror, Mirror.

Does anyone have a copy without a cover? If so, I would love to buy it.

This digital remaster, coming 37 years after its debut, sounds amazing. The clarity, dynamics, and mix are perfect. This can be played very loud since there's no ear daggers or boomy bass to contend with. The soundstage is very wide and has great depth. The vocals and instruments are located with laser precision. The sound can be as smooth as glass or as sharp as a razor, as the music dictates.