![]() Guitar parts were now focused more on emphasising melody than hard rock's more basic and clichéd riffs. The multiple vocal harmonies were enhanced by Lange's techniques, even pitching background vocals on all tracks. As with Pyromania, every song was recorded by every member in the studio separately instead of the whole band. While Pyromania contained traces of Def Leppard's original traditional heavy metal sound found on their first two albums, Hysteria removed them in favour of the latest sonic technology available at the time (best displayed on "Rocket", "Love Bites", "Excitable", and "Gods of War"). One song, "Love Bites", was already mostly written in the vein of a country ballad by Mutt Lange when he brought it to the band's attention. Songs were therefore written with this concept in mind, disappointing heavy metal fans who clamoured for a straight sequel to Pyromania. The album's goal, set out by Lange, was to be a hard rock version of Michael Jackson's Thriller, in that every track was a potential hit single. ![]() The album was finally released worldwide on 3 August 1987, with " Animal" as the lead single in most countries except for the US and Canada where " Women" was the first single. The final recording sessions took place in January 1987 for the song " Armageddon It" and a last-minute composition " Pour Some Sugar on Me", though Lange spent another three months mixing the tracks. However, the sessions were further delayed by Lange's own auto accident (sustaining leg injuries from which he quickly recovered) and a bout of the mumps suffered by singer Joe Elliott in 1986. The band slowly continued production until Lange unexpectedly returned a year later, and Allen mastered his customised drum kit. Following the accident, the band stood by Allen's decision to return to the drum kit despite his disability, using a combination electronic/acoustic kit with a set of electronic pedals that triggered (via MIDI) the sounds that he would have played with his left arm. On 31 December 1984, Rick Allen lost his left arm when his Corvette flipped off a country road. Īfter parting ways with Steinman, the band tried to produce the album themselves with Lange's engineer Nigel Green with no success, and initial recording sessions were entirely scrapped. Dorfsman would go on to mention they “barely drums and bass on seven songs” - he'd fly straight from Holland to Montserrat to produce Dire Straits' Brothers in Arms album. By mid-October 1984, Steinman was ousted from the project, along with Dorfsman. However, the social divide and conflict in visions of the album between both the band and Steinman became problematic during the sessions, the latter being more into theatrical ideas which did not sit well with the group. Sessions with Steinman began at Wisseloord Studios on 11 August 1984, with Neil Dorfsman as engineer. Joe Elliott later stated in an interview: " Todd Rundgren produced (Meat Loaf's) Bat Out of Hell. ![]() Meat Loaf songwriter Jim Steinman was brought in, but Steinman's intention to make a raw-sounding record that captured the moment conflicted with the band's interest in creating a bigger, more pristine pop production. Initially, Hysteria was to be named Animal Instinct and produced by Lange, but he dropped out after pre-production sessions, citing exhaustion from a gruelling schedule from the past few years. Lasting 62 minutes and 32 seconds, the album is the band's longest to date. Subsequent to the album's release, Def Leppard published a book titled Animal Instinct: The Def Leppard Story, written by Rolling Stone magazine senior editor David Fricke, on the three-year recording process of Hysteria and the tough times the band endured through the mid-1980s. Hysteria 's creation took over three years and was plagued by delays, including the aftermath of drummer Rick Allen's accident that cost him his left arm on 31 December 1984. The album is the follow-up to the band's 1983 breakthrough Pyromania. It is the last album to feature guitarist Steve Clark before his death, although songs co-written by him would appear on the band's next album, Adrenalize. The title of the album was thought up by drummer Rick Allen, referring to his 1984 car accident, the amputation of his arm, and the ensuing worldwide media coverage surrounding it. Hysteria was produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange. ![]() The album charted at number one on both the Billboard 200 and the UK Albums Chart. It is Def Leppard's best-selling album to date, selling over 20 million copies worldwide, including 12 million in the US, and spawning seven hit singles. Hysteria is the fourth studio album by English rock band Def Leppard, released on 3 August 1987 through Mercury Records.
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