Yeah!

　　威豹合唱团 / 摇滚经典自选辑  　　坐拥两张钻石唱片、全球6500万张专辑销售肯定 英国摇滚天团首张翻唱大碟  　　英雄惜英雄 精彩诠释the Kinks、Badfinger、T. Rex、David Bowie、Faces、Thin Lizzy…等摇滚先进招牌经典  　　“继‘Hysteria’后最棒的作品！”专业音乐网站All Music Guide四颗半星超优评鉴  　　 以剽悍的重摇滚乐风主宰大西洋两岸排行、成功征服全球乐迷的英国摇滚天团Def Leppard/威豹合唱团成军至今已近30年，全球专辑累积销量堂堂突破6500万张！两张经典大作‘Hysteria’、‘Pyromania’荣获RIAA钻石唱片认证，在摇滚音乐史上只有Pink Floyd、The Eagles、Van Halen、Led Zeppelin和Def Leppard等五支乐团达成如此辉煌的商业成就。  　　80年Def Leppard首张专辑‘On Through The Night’问世，’81年发行‘High ’N’ Dry’、首度以"Bringin’ On The Heartbreak"攻克美国排行；’83年推出‘Pyromania’、劲曲"Photograph"掀起摇滚电台播放狂潮；第四张作品‘Hysteria’于’87年夏天出击，连续祭出7首强打单曲、成为史上最畅销的摇滚专辑之一；’92年‘Adrenalize’空降全美冠军并蝉联5周冠军。’95年Def Leppard为了宣传首张精选‘Vault’，创下同一天现身非洲、欧洲和美洲演唱的金氏世界纪录。2001年7月，VH1音乐频道制播以Def Leppard为主角的电视电影、创下该台最高收视纪录。2005年，‘Vault’发行10年之后依然驻留在Billboard流行专辑榜百大排行，每年稳定热卖近50万张，为Def Leppard写下另一项销售奇迹。  　　尽管一路历经团员骤逝、车祸断臂意外等乖舛命运，Def Leppard仍坚守摇滚岗位，不断以精采作品满足全球乐迷。第12张大碟【Yeah!】是Def Leppard向他们的音乐偶像：the Kinks、Badfinger、T. Rex、David Bowie、Sweet、Roxy Music、Mott the Hoople、Free、Faces、Thin Lizzy…等前辈致敬的专辑，翻唱了14首60至70年代对团员深具影响和启发的摇滚经典。舍弃了当代先进的录音手法，Def Leppard返璞归真的选择贴近原曲精神和味道的方式来呈现歌曲面貌，同时又保有自我特色；吉他手Phil Collen还破例在"Stay With Me"一曲首开献声担任主音。权威音乐网站All Music Guide给予【Yeah!】四颗半星的超优评价，盛赞本辑是Def Leppard继全球狂卖1800万张的‘Hysteria’之后最棒的作品！准备好和Def Leppard一起摇滚了吗？  　　by Stephen Thomas Erlewine 　　Def Leppard always had a streak of glam running beneath their heavy rock -- listen to "Armageddon It" or "Photograph" for proof -- so it's no surprise that when the quintet decided to record a covers album in 2006, they devoted it to the '70s glam and hard rock that inspired them to pick up their guitars and play. What does come as a surprise is that the resulting Yeah! is a sheer delight, a roaring rock & roll record that's their best album since Hysteria. Often, cover albums get bogged down in reverence or ambition, as artists either offer interpretations that are straight copies or fussy reinterpretations as they busily try to make a favorite song their own. That's not the case here. Def Leppard alternate between fairly faithful renditions of familiar classics like T. Rex's "20th Century Boy," Badfinger's "No Matter What," or David Essex's "Rock On," to subtle reinterpretations where they make seemingly difficult covers seem easy and unmistakably Def Leppard. It's true on their streamlined, muscular take on Electric Light Orchestra's swirling, psychedelic "10538 Overture," but it's most notable on their remarkable reworking of the Kinks' "Waterloo Sunset," which now sounds like a power ballad from Hysteria without ever once sounding like it's an affront to the immortal original. This take on "Waterloo Sunset" works because it's informed by a palpable love of the original, and that love is apparent throughout this terrific record. But there are plenty of good covers albums that are fun merely because the band is having a good time. What makes Yeah! exceptional is that Def Leppard is reconnecting with the reason why they're even in a band by playing the rock & roll that inspired them in the first place. They're reinvigorated by this material, and by playing these songs, it's easier to appreciate what makes Def Leppard a great rock & roll band. Compare their versions of Free's "A Little Bit of Love" or Thin Lizzy's "Don't Believe a Word" to the originals -- they're not as big and bluesy as Free, but the huge riff that drives the song is a direct forefather of Leppard's powerful signature sound, and "Don't Believe a Word" hammers home that few bands built on Lizzy's twin guitar harmonies as well as this group did. But it's not just that these covers put Leppard's music in context; it's that they sound more like a genuine rock & roll gang than they ever have: listen to the truly raw take on the Faces' "Stay with Me," which may not be quite as sloppy as the original (how could it be?), but it's equally greasy and riveting -- plus, it's sung with raw gusto by guitarist Phil Collen, whose turn on the mic emphasizes that this is a sound of a true group. They still sound like Def Leppard -- there are still cavernous drums, huge guitars, and driving harmonies -- but they no longer sound as slick and calculated as they did on their albums after Hysteria; they sound alive and vigorous, making a convincing case that they're now their own best producers. If they could carry this sound and feel onto an album of originals, they would have a killer record, but saying that diminishes the accomplishment of Yeah!. It's a killer record in its own right, and more pure fun than anything yet released in 2006. Few bands could achieve an artistic comeback via a covers album, but as this glorious record proves, there are few bands like Def Leppard.