Def Leppard Mirrorball : Live And More

Def Leppard: Mirrorball, (Live and More)
Bludgeon Riffola


At long last I hear you say we have a live album from Def Leppard. Of course there are those who would say that the band could have released a double live album of immense quality some twenty years ago. That would have been the easy and perhaps obvious course to take but fair play to Leppard they stuck it out and competed by releasing studio albums that in the main did extremely well for the band.

So how does this live offering shape up. Well in true rock style it is a double live album although like most modern live albums there are three studio cuts bolstering the contents. The three tracks here are Undefeated, It’s All About Believin' and Kings Of The World. Of the three,my favourite is Undefeated and it is a superb track and obvious singles material but in fairness It’s All About Believin’ is also as good as anything the band have produced in the last thirty years. Kings of The World is a touching tribute to Queen (a band high up in the likes list of the guys in Leppard) and one which I am sure is heartfelt. Personally I think the track is ok not the monster track it could have been but certainly not mawkish or anything to be embarrassed about

Now to the live tracks well you get exactly what you would imagine here a large dose of British rock delivered with a huge amount of style not to mention substance from the band. I can remember the days when Leppard were dismissed for having the cheek to aim for the American market. Oh how those critics must be pulling their hair out now. Def Leppard are quite rightly a British tradition and a fine addition to all those other great British rock bands that have gone before them and conquered America and listening to this you can see why. They have great songs by the box full. Check out this list Rock Rock (Till You Drop), Rocket, Animal, Love Bites, Hysteria, Armageddon It, Photograph, Pour Some Sugar On Me, Let’s Get Rocked you can see where I am coming from here can’t you?

Add a few newer numbers like C’mon C’Mon and Nine Lives and you can see that there is a lot to offer from this band and they cover all the bases as one should in a live performance. Part audience pleasing but also part band pleasing in that they are not an oldies band and still want to prove they have it.....Leppard certainly tick the box on that score

The triple package also includes a DVD featuring backstage footage from the bands Sparkle Lounge tour of 2008-2009 plus live performances of Rock Rock (Till You Drop),Armageddon It, Pour Some Sugar On Me and Hysteria and if that wasn’t enough the two videos for Nine Lives and C’Mon C’Mon

Truly a Def Leppard fans delight and of course anyone who is into well written and performed rock music. Def Leppard long ago earned their right to be seated at the top table; this album is merely a reminder of how they did it.

Highly recommended

Saxon Call To Arms

Saxon: Call To Arms
Militia Guard

For more years than I care to remember Saxon has been delivering excellent rock albums to a rather large fan base. Of course the critics do like to take the Mickey out of Saxon presenting them sometimes as some sort of cartoon band. Wholly incorrect and while it must irk Biff and the boys that at least in certain parts of the press they get no respect the band has a massive worldwide following who not only buy the albums but turn up at the concerts too. Long may this continue and while the band continue to release albums of a high standard then I can’t see why that shouldn’t be the case.


Call To Arms is the latest album to come from Biff Byford and the men of Saxon on their own Militia Guard label and a rather fine album it is too. No messing about for Saxon they just get right on with the job in hand and the album opener starts things off the way they mean to continue with Hammer of The Gods possibly an obvious title for a Saxon song but hey if it ain’t broke then don’t fix it.

Saxon do what they do extremely well and are probably the embodiment of British heavy metal these days and call To Arms is an album packed to bursting point with extremely good examples of the genre. Other highlights include Back in ’79, Surviving The Odds and The Working Man all of which are applicable to Saxon. There is even a reprise of the title track in orchestrated form at the end of the album making for a majestic end to what I think is the bands 19th album.

That the band have continued under the leadership of Biff Byford and maintained a true course is admirable and this album really should fit the bill for the still massive Saxon fan base. So many of the songs here will also sound great in a live setting and I for one see these songs fitting in so well alongside other Saxon classics

Respect where it is due you know you are going to get an album that the band believe in when Saxon deliver a new release and Call To Arms is certainly another great album from the band and one that will almost definitely do good business both across the counter or however you decide to purchase the album; just buy it you won’t be disappointed!