I don't like Hagar either. But I won't argue about it.

I like lots of DL too many to mention.

I used to LOVE Def Leppard back in the day---actually saw them
on their first US tour when they were the opening act for The Pat
Travers Band, and again the next year when they were co-headliners
with Blackfoot.

That first album, "On Through The Night" was absolutely iconic for
me---I've listened to it literally hundreds of times. Second one was
just OK for me, it seemed to be a little too influenced by AC/DC.

By the third album, their sound had changed to the point of being
a little too slick for my ears, pretty much stopped listening to them
after that point.

Good to see that they're still around and kicking these days--I remember
the radio ads promoting them as the "...band with the average age of 18!"
back when their first album was released!

I had a Kerrang! article from 1983. A couple of the members of DL was talking of speaking with Ritchie Blackmore. He told them they weren't 'melodic' enough. So they began doing it as he suggested. That is when they hit it big. Blackmore said you won't go anywhere til you do. Blackmore is a wise man imho.
I like Blackmore's Night, don't get me wrong. But I wish he'd come back to rock.

But they were melodic well before 1983:confused: All they did, was just to tighten up the riffs and package the whole thing better for Pyromania.

I don't think Blackmore was that wise either, he broke up the classic Deep Purple Mk.2 line-up before baling out himself. He constantly tampered with the Rainbow line-up and got rid of Dio. He then went through a succession of talented vocalists in Graham Bonnet and Joe Lynn Turner, he never knew when he was onto a good thing.

He would have been much better, just being the guitarist and leaving the direction of the band to other people.

Great, great band until the mid 80s. Pyromania is my favorite album of 1983.

But everything since Hysteria is garbage.

Looks like somebody hasn't given the DL discography a thorough examination. ;)

^^Adrenalize is terif, dammit!

Exactly....what's with this assumption that commercial = bad? It's tired and pretentious.

I agree, this forum is often stricken with opinions that because something is commercial and well known, is just not cool to like it.

You know, OU812 was actually the first album I ever listened to when I was like eight or something. I have no idea how many countless times I listened to that album. I haven't listened to it or any Van Hagar in years, but I imagine my nostalgia would come back like a freight train.