Page 73 - Classic Rock - The Complete Story of Def Leppard 2019

demolished the concept of the big riff, replacing the completed work on The Cars’ Heartbeat City, and was studio at 11, and after the coffee we’d want to get
solid rock face with a complex construction of fine forced to decide that he was too emotionally started. He would come in at half-past-two, then tell
brickwork. The idea was to tear the song wide open exhausted to work on Def Leppard’s album. Phil to play something more ‘oily’. Phil was saying:
and explore the space within, but still wind up Management attempted a coup by putting Jim ‘What the hell do you mean?’ Then when he finished
delivering a whopping punch of sound. In the same Steinman in the producer’s chair. The thinking with us at 11 he went away and started writing for Bat
way that all matter is 99 per cent space (That’s correct – seemed to go like this: Meat Loaf’s Bat Out Of Hell was Out Of Hell II. We were trying to be very focused, and
Science Ed.), thus it was with Animal. At the bottom a classic album, and Hysteria is going to be one too, so he was sleeping in because he was thinking about
end was a no-nonsense rhythm provided by bassist surely Steinman can do what’s needed? But as Elliott Meat Loaf’s next album. We were paying him not to
Rick Savage and drummer Allen; and at the top, pointed out at the time, Steinman was more of a turn up. Then when he tried to have the carpet
Elliott’s trademark croak-scream vocals. There’s a writer than a producer. changed because he didn’t like the colour, that was the
clutch of cunningly constructed riffs, a crowd- The partnership never really took off. The band end of it. It was always going to happen.”
pleasing singalong bit (complete with ‘wo-oah’s), and were poles apart from Steinman, who was more With eight tracks in various stages of construction,
some controlled tension. interested in catching the mood and feel of a take than the band’s management were forced to conclude that
As soon as the management and label heard in carefully building the perfect mix. Collen recalled a things hadn’t worked out. At great expense they
Animal, they knew everything was going to be okay. moment when Steinman said: “It’s a take,” and all bought Steinman out of his contract, and the work
How wrong they were. they’d been doing was checking their tuning. done was scrapped.
With a stack of songs in their pocket, the band “I’d warned them Jim Steinman was a writer,” Lange suggested they bring in Nigel Green, who
moved to Hilversum, Holland, in August to begin the Elliott says. “Bat Out Of Hell was produced by Todd had engineered Leppard’s previous two albums, So,
recording. Which is where the first kick in the nuts Rundgren, so why would we want Jim Steinman? working alongside Green the band started down the
took the wind out of them: Mutt Lange had just “His work ethic was all wrong. We’d turn up at the ‘self-produced’ trail.

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