864. Def Leppard / Mirror Ball: Live & More. 2011. 4/5

It is perhaps a little unusual that it took this long for Def Leppard to release a live album. Most of us purchased the live VHS video of In the Round, in Your Face on its release back in 1989 which is still one of the standard bearers of live videos, with a cracking set list and the band at the top of its game, and featuring the sadly passed Steve Clark. It was not for another two decades that we had a repeat to be placed on CD for us all.

Mirror Ball: Live & More covers the majority of eras of the band, harping on the golden albums for the majority of the tracks, and for the most part delivering in all respects. From the top you can be assured that the band still sounds fantastic. Rick Savage's bass could probably be more prominent in the mix, but you get that sometimes. Both guitars of Phil Collen and Viv Campbell are brilliant, as are all of the back up vocalists, they really do a sterling job in the live environment in keeping the song balanced. Joe Elliott's vocals are remarkably good, and hold up exceptionally well especially on the older material. Where he really screamed it out in his youth, he now sings with composure. Best of all for me is the drumming of Rick Allen. I love how he has moved back to a semi-acoustic kit to get that real drum sound rather than a completely electric kit, and you can still marvel at the way he plays some of those rolls alternating between his arm and his feet. His kit sounds brilliant on this album.
You will always get an argument with me about the best set list, because it will always contain material from the years after 1992, from which point I find it hard to give an unbiased opinion of their music. And even some of the songs before that are too flowery or sugary for me to enjoy fully, such as "Love Bites", "Hysteria" and "Pour Some Sugar On Me" (which doesn't stop me singing all the words). So songs such as "C'mon C'mon", "Make Love Like a Man", "Two Steps Behind" and "Nine Lives" are ones that just slow the whole listening process down. I understand that there are plenty of people out there who love this songs, but I can't be numbered amongst them.
But check out the great stuff, starting off on the front foot with "Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)", "Rocket" and "Animal", before later serving up "Too Late for Love", "Foolin'", "Rock of Ages" and "Let's Get Rocked". there is also the wonderful acoustically started and electrically finished "Bringin' On the Heartbreak", before my favourite part of the album when they continue on, as is done on High 'n' Dry, straight into "Switch 625". Awesome. Brilliant. I must also mention the great version of "Bad Actress" from the Songs From the Sparkle Lounge album, which is my favourite track from that album and comes up great here.
There are also the two cover songs that came from the Yeah! album, those being David Essex's "Rock On' and Sweet's "Action", neither of which fill me with any ecstasy. Also as a part of the 2 CD package there are three new songs, those being "Undefeated", "Kings of the World" and "It's All About Believin'", which are no better or worse than anything recently released by the band. Except "Kings of the World". It is pretty awful.

So there are no real arguments here. As a live album performance wise it is terrific. It showcases the band in its most favourable light and gives the fans something to listen to in that environment. As a collection of songs it has its moments and its lacklustre ones as well.

Rating:  And I want, and I need, and I lust.  4/5