Adrenalize
Studio album by
Def Leppard
Released31 March 1992 (1992-03-31)
Recorded1991–1992
StudioWisseloord Studios, Hilversum
Dublin[1]
Genre
Length45:22
Label
Producer
Def Leppard chronology
Hysteria
(1987)		 Adrenalize
(1992)		 Retro Active
(1993)
Singles from Adrenalize
  1. "Let's Get Rocked"
    Released: March 1992
  2. "Make Love Like a Man"
    Released: June 1992
  3. "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad"
    Released: August 1992[4]
  4. "Stand Up (Kick Love into Motion)"
    Released: December 1992
  5. "Heaven Is"
    Released: January 1993
  6. "Tonight"
    Released: March 1993
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic link
Robert Christgau(dud)[5]
Rolling Stone[6]
Sputnik Music

Adrenalize is the fifth studio album by English rock band Def Leppard, released on 31 March 1992 through Mercury Records. It is the first album by the band recorded without guitarist Steve Clark, who died in 1991, although most songs were written and partially demoed before his death, they were re-recorded solo by Phil Collen in 1991-1992. It is the only album recorded by Def Leppard as a four-member band. Spawning seven singles, four of them – "Let's Get Rocked", "Make Love Like a Man", "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad", and "Stand Up (Kick Love into Motion)" – were major hits.

"Tear It Down" is a re-recording of a song written during a recording session following the completion of the Hysteria album, and released as B-side for that album's single "Women" in 1987. The song received radio airplay and was performed by the band live at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards.

"White Lightning" is dedicated to the memory of Clark,[7] who has writing credits on six of the album's ten tracks.

Background

Def Leppard had faced long delays, and the challenge of drummer Rick Allen losing his arm while making their previous album, Hysteria, and while trying to follow up the success, they also faced the prospect of doing so with a different producer, as Robert John "Mutt" Lange was already working with Bryan Adams. At the same time guitarist Steve Clark had been suffering from alcohol addiction since 1989, spending six sessions in rehab. Clark was involved in writing six of the songs on the album,[8] but was given an ultimatum over his alcoholism in September 1990, and put on a six-month leave of absence. Clark died four months later, in January 1991.

The band tried to continue the recording process, going back into the studio the day after Clark's death to cope with the loss, but it took several months before they were able to work to what they felt was a satisfactory standard.[9]

Recording

Instead of replacing Clark with a new member, the band recorded the album as a four-piece. "We had recorded demos on multitrack," recalled fellow guitarist Phil Collen. "I was sitting there with him when he played the original parts. I could relay that. But it was like playing along to a ghost."[10]

This was also the band's first album since 1980's On Through the Night not to be produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange. Instead, the band took matters in their own hands and produced the album themselves along with longtime engineer Mike Shipley;[7] with Lange credited as executive producer.[11]

"We coped without Mutt quite well…" recalled Joe Elliott. "Mutt was in his studio in Guildford with Bryan Adams and we'd be in Dublin, talking every day… But it wasn't as adventurous as Hysteria. It was more of a rock album, less experimental. It's like with Pink Floyd: to me, Adrenalize was our Wish You Were Here and Hysteria was our Dark Side of the Moon."[12]

Commercial performance and reception

Adrenalize debuted at No. 1 on both the UK Albums Chart[13] and, in the following week, on the U.S. Billboard 200.[14] It stayed at No. 1 of the Billboard chart for five weeks keeping Bruce Springsteen's Human Touch off the top spot, and spent 65 weeks on the charts in total.

The album received mixed reviews: some critics praised its production values and instantly catchy and radio-friendly material, while others called it tired and formulaic.[15] In a four-star review for Rolling Stone, J.D. Considine wrote: "Adrenalize is so relentlessly catchy that it almost seems as if the band is about to abandon its heavy-metal roots for the greener fields of hard pop."[16] Other reviewers also noted the album's less metal sound and pointed out its lack of cohesion. A staff writer for Sputnikmusic said that, despite the slick production, the album doesn't match the standard set by the band's previous two records, which they referred to as masterpieces."[17]

Writing in 2009, after Pyromania and Adrenalize have been reissued, Toby Cook of The Quietus said that, despite Adrenalize's many flaws, "the record buying public of '92 cared not."[18] Indeed, the album would go on to sell more than seven million copies worldwide, remaining Def Leppard's last studio album to achieve major mainstream success.[7]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Let's Get Rocked"
4:56
2."Heaven Is"
3:33
3."Make Love Like a Man"
  • Clark
  • Collen
  • Elliott
  • Lange
4:15
4."Tonight"
  • Clark
  • Collen
  • Elliott
  • Lange
  • Savage
4:03
5."White Lightning"
  • Collen
  • Elliott
  • Lange
  • Savage
7:03
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."Stand Up (Kick Love into Motion)"
  • Clark
  • Collen
  • Elliott
  • Lange
4:32
7."Personal Property"
  • Collen
  • Elliott
  • Lange
  • Savage
4:21
8."Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad"
  • Collen
  • Elliott
  • Lange
5:24
9."I Wanna Touch U"
3:37
10."Tear It Down"
  • Clark
  • Collen
  • Elliott
  • Savage
3:38
Total length:45:22
Japanese bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."Miss You in a Heartbeat" (electric version)Collen5:06
12."She's Too Tough"Elliott3:39

Deluxe edition (Bonus CD)

In the Clubs... In Your Face – Bonn, Germany 29/05/92
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Hysteria" (live)
  • Clark
  • Collen
  • Elliott
  • Lange
  • Savage
7:17
2."Photograph" (live)
4:44
3."Pour Some Sugar on Me" (live)
  • Clark
  • Collen
  • Elliott
  • Lange
  • Savage
5:09
4."Let's Get Rocked" (live)
  • Collen
  • Elliott
  • Lange
  • Savage
5:46
Adrenalize B-sides
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
5."You Can't Always Get What You Want" (with Hothouse Flowers)
7:43
6."Little Wing" (with Hothouse Flowers)Jimi Hendrix3:40
7."Tonight" (version 2 – demo version featuring Steve Clark)
  • Clark
  • Collen
  • Elliott
  • Lange
  • Savage
4:24
8."Now I'm Here" (live – featuring Brian May)Brian May6:03
9."Two Steps Behind" (acoustic version)Elliott4:11
10."Tonight" (acoustic version, live at Sun Studio, Memphis, Tennessee, February 1993)
  • Clark
  • Collen
  • Elliott
  • Lange
  • Savage
4:16
11."Too Late for Love" (live in Denver, Colorado, February 1988)
  • Clark
  • Elliott
  • Lange
  • Savage
  • Willis
6:02
12."Women" (live in Denver, Colorado, February 1988)
  • Clark
  • Collen
  • Elliott
  • Lange
  • Savage
6:34

Personnel

Additional personnel

Production

  • Mike "Bat Ears" Shipley – producer, engineer, mixing
  • Def Leppard – producer
  • Pete Woodroffe – engineer, programming, sequencing
  • Robert John "Mutt" Lange – executive producer
  • Robert Scovill – assistant engineer
  • Bob Ludwig – mastering
  • Andie Airfix – art direction
  • Pamela Springsteen – photography

Charts

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[40] 2× Platinum 140,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[41] 4× Platinum 400,000^
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[40] Gold 50,000^
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[42] Gold 25,000[42]
France (SNEP)[43] Gold 100,000*
Indonesia[40] Gold 25,000[44]
Ireland (IRMA)[40] Gold 7,500^
Japan (RIAJ)[45] Gold 100,000^
Malaysia[40] Gold 15,000[44]
Mexico (AMPROFON)[46] Gold 100,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[40] Platinum 15,000^
Norway (IFPI Norway)[40] Gold 25,000*
Portugal (AFP)[40] Silver 10,000^
South Africa (RISA)[40] Gold 25,000*
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[40] Gold 50,000^
Sweden (GLF)[47] Platinum 100,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[48] Platinum 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[40] Platinum 300,000^
United States (RIAA)[49] 3× Platinum 3,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Notes

  1. ↑ "D E F L E P P A R D . C O M". 21 December 2001. Archived from the original on 21 December 2001. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
  2. ↑ Elliott, Paul (6 March 2018). "Def Leppard look back on how they made 90s rock classic Adrenalize". Classic Rock. Future plc. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  3. ↑ Basner, Dave (31 March 2017). . iHeartRadio. iHeartMedia. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  4. ↑ Strong, Martin Charles (1995). The Great Rock Discography. p. 213. ISBN 9780862415419.
  5. ↑ Christgau, Robert. "Def Leppard". Robert Christgau.
  6. ↑ J.D. Considine (16 April 1992). "Adrenalize | Album Reviews". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
  7. 1 2 3 Kielty, Martin (31 March 2017). "When Def Leppard Beat the Grunge Clock With 'Adrenalize'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  8. ↑ Elliott, Paul (6 March 2018). "Def Leppard look back on how they made 90s rock classic Adrenalize". loudersound.
  9. ↑ "Def Leppard Interview (March 1992 Adrenalize/Steve Clark Death)". Def Leppard Tour History.
  10. ↑ Barton, Geoff: "Steve was an artist…"; Classic Rock No. 219, February 2016, p184
  11. ↑ "Def Leppard News – The Story of Def Leppard's ADRENALIZE Album (Released 25 Years Ago)". Def Leppard Tour History. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  12. ↑ Wall, Mick (May 2018). "A wild ride over stony ground". Classic Rock. No. 248. p. 38.
  13. ↑ "adrenalize | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  14. ↑ "Top Current Album Sales Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  15. ↑ "Def Leppard Adrenalize – AllMusic Review by Steve Huey". AllMusic.
  16. ↑ Considine, J.D. (16 April 1992). "Adrenalize". Rolling Stone.
  17. ↑ "Def Leppard – Adrenalize (album review ) | Sputnikmusic". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  18. ↑ Cook, Toby (11 June 2009). "Reviews | Def Leppard – Pyromania & Adrenalize Reissues". The Quietus. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  19. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Def Leppard – Adrenalize". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  20. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Def Leppard – Adrenalize" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  21. ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 2102". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  22. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Def Leppard – Adrenalize" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  23. ↑ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  24. ↑ "Le Détail des Albums de chaque Artiste – D". Infodisc.fr (in French). Archived from the original on 22 October 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2012. Select Def Leppard from the menu, then press OK.
  25. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Def Leppard – Adrenalize" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  26. ↑ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 1992. 28. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  27. ↑ "Classifiche". Musica e Dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 27 May 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Album". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Def Leppard".
  28. ↑ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
  29. ↑ "Charts.nz – Def Leppard – Adrenalize". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  30. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Def Leppard – Adrenalize". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  31. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Def Leppard – Adrenalize". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  32. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Def Leppard – Adrenalize". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  33. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  34. ↑ "Def Leppard Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  35. ↑ "ARIA Top 100 Albums for 1992". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  36. ↑ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  37. ↑ "Top Selling Albums of 1992". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  38. ↑ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1992". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  39. ↑ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1992". Billboard. Archived from the original on 30 April 2021. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  40. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "A Custom Sales Award for the album 'Adrenalize' by Def Leppard". 20 December 2020.
  41. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Def Leppard – Adrenalize". Music Canada. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
  42. 1 2 "Def Leppard" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
  43. ↑ "French album certifications – Def Leppard – Adrenalize" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved 24 April 2019. Select DEF LEPPARD and click OK. 
  44. 1 2 "Certification Award Levels" (PDF). IFPI. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 January 2007. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  45. ↑ "Japanese album certifications – Def Leppard – Adrenalize" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved 24 April 2019. Select 1992年5月 on the drop-down menu
  46. ↑ "Certificaciones" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Retrieved 24 April 2019. Type Def Leppard in the box under the ARTISTA column heading and Adrenalize in the box under the TÍTULO column heading.
  47. ↑ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2011. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  48. ↑ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Adrenalize')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
  49. ↑ "American album certifications – Def Leppard – Adrenalize". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 24 April 2019.

References

  • Adrenalize (CD booklet). Def Leppard. London, England: Mercury. 1992. 314 512 185-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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