The first is of Sweet’s classic ‘Action’. At the very least, their personal taste for the scene is confirmed here with two covers both falling under that category. Thankfully, any doubts as to the appeal of ‘Retro Active’ are soon put to rest as the album literally explodes into (pardon the pun) action.įor a portion of their career, it seemed that Def Leppard were attempting to distance themselves from the glam scene, which their sound had occasionally hinted at. The following ‘Fractured Love’ then begins atypically sparse with only marching-band like drums, faint hints of guitar and Joe Elliott’s whispered vocals for two minutes, before morphing into a solid, if disappointingly unimaginative, cut. Initial signs are unimpressive with the opening ‘Desert Song’ being an unsuccessful attempt at an atmospheric five minute epic that is only distinguished by a half-decent solo. How pleasantly surprising it is then, to discover that ‘Retro Active’ is actually a very good LP that stands well on its own.
Def Leppard are not that kind of band and since it took them nine years to make their previous two albums, such a release was merely seen as a way to technically avoid making their devoted fanbase wait so long for another album. The format typically favors certain performers over others, with those bands prone to experimentation usually having some hidden gems just waiting to be discovered.
Review Summary: A pleasant surprise, this collection of B-Sides and tidbits uses relatively organic production and a wise balance of song types to its advantage.Ĭompilations containing B-Sides and other tidbits are often – practically by definition – such a mixed bag that they fail to flow cohesively… No matter how great the artist is.
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