Anyone who knows me understands I am very much NOT a "Greatest Hits" type fan. Yes, I understand the hits are The Hits for a reason. But I also believe focusing too much on the familiar leaves one susceptible to missing out a lot of other, better songs. My dad introduced me to Def Lep in '80 as a wee 7-year-old. "Rock Brigade", "Wasted", "Hello America", these were all raw, heavy introductions to English rock, continuing on from Zep, Priest, and the like.
It wasn't until their second offering, High 'N' Dry, that I really understood just how good this band could be. Sure, I was only 8 at the time, but for a kid that got KISS: Destroyer at age 4, I was a music expert, right? Well, I could go on all day with the history lesson... OR, I could just throw out my top 10 and wait for the rebuttals. So let's strap on the stirrups and take a Ride Into The Sun:
10. Love and Affection - Could've been yet another hit off this monster. I've always been drawn to the lyrics: "Don't give me love and affection... or what you think it should be". Great melody, great solo.
9. Ride Into The Sun - Gotta love the doo-wop piano intro, kicking into the full chord opening riff. I think part of the intrigue is the guitar tone: bright, yet crunchy.
8. Lady Strange - High 'N' Dry, still their best album, front to back. Just listen to that staccato opening, leading into the melodic second. I can see why they fell into the NWOBHM early on. The solo also sheds some light on where Tesla's influence came from on songs such as "Freedom Slaves".
7. Torn To Shreds - Newer song, yet lost in today's landscape. This chorus is HUGE! What a melodic bridge, leading into a quite memorable chorus. This comes off the X album and I highly suggest it.
6. When Love & Hate Collide - I attached the lyric vid as this song is all about the lyrics and vocals. I think what really grabbed me about this song is near the end, The lyric changes from "...do you have a heart of stone" to "...if you have a heart at all"... I think we can all apply this song to our lives at some point.
5. Long, Long Way To Go - Also off the X disc, is so soft, yet bombastic vocally. "We always were the better part of me"... what a lyric, delivered so well. The pre-solo bridge has some of the most universal heartbreak lyrics I can remember. This is arguably one of their best "lost" songs, ignored by radio. One listen just isn't enough.
4. Let It Go - That opening riff is savage, with a hint of AC/DC attitude. Joe's vox are so silky, yet raw throughout. As Gene Simmons once said "It has more balls than the World Series". The guitar is so crunchy and melds with the vocals so well. The middle breakdown is classic English metal.
3. Stagefright - I SAID WELCOME TO MY SHOW!!!! Listen to that chugging riff to open this Pyromania classic... hard, heavy, and inviting. I just love this chorus, with the melody and gang vox. One of the first solos done by Phil Collen upon joining the band.
2. Mirror, Mirror (Look Into My Eyes) - Such a heavy riff to open, leading into a very sparse verse section, building tension... Then the gang vocals again "Take a look into my eyes...". A very well arranged song by Mutt Lange. A veiled ode to cocaine use, yet one could read a love lost into it also.
1. Photograph - One of the first licks I learned to play on guitar; simple, yet memorable. Slightly based on an unhealthy obsession with Marilyn Monroe, there's more hooks here than on a deep see fishing expedition. Hints of Duran Duran in the chorus guitar, pop influence galore, they were masters of blending genres into rock.
So there it is... feel free to disagree, or not. In any case, thanx for listening for awhile.
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