Okay, what can one person say about a band that has existed for nearly twenty years and has sold millions of albums? Well, get ready for a ride .... ah, fuck it. Yeah, I could go on a complete psycho blurb of their humble beginnings in a back room of some spoon factory and I could drone on and on about those triumphs and tragedies that pathed their way in this life called rock 'n' roll. But if you have no clue about any of these things, where the hell have you been?! In a cave? Nah, this was gonna be my little contribution to the telling of the Def Leppard story. But hell, you try compacting nearly twenty plus years of Def Leppard history into one little essay.
Yeah, I could giggle about how no one actually told Phil that he was an official member of the band. I could remind you how Rick lost his arm in the winter of 1984. I could verbally mourn the passing of a great guitarist by the name of Steve Clark. I could also sit here and type a lengthy report on Bell's Palsy. I could recite all of the doubts and pain and funny little occurrences that have been written and rewritten throughout the years and make you want to hunt me down and sacrifice me to your guitar god. But hey, don't worry about me doing that ... it's not in my job description.
I will do this however. I will tell you what makes this band so great. First off, twenty years of existence is one hell of a run. Their music has made an impact on the way people listen to other bands, be it sound-wise or lyric-wise. Also, their belief in their rock 'n' roll dream. They're a reminder that dreams, however big they may be, have a chance of coming true. In addition, Def Leppard is a lesson that teaches us that no matter what happens, no matter the sacrifices and trouble that must be dealt with, there is always a way to conquer it all. They showed us even in the moment of absolute hell, they pulled together. Who gave a toss if one of them was a band member ... they are friends first and foremost. They came together like a family and put their energies forth in a good way. Be it in family, friendship, or music. And even after nearly twenty years in the business, and their interesting rocket to the top, the members of Def Leppard remind us that it's all right to be human, to be a normal person, and to have a sense of humour!
They may believe that they're not this special. But for this Lep fan, they are extremely special. Instead of dwelling on soul killing events, they keep going. It takes a lot to gain this kind of respect, especially from someone like me, but damn it, as far as I'm concerned .... they deserve it!