MR

UK Def Leppard fans will be able to spend St Paddy's day with drink and song. You'll have to supply the drink but Def Leppard will provide the song in the form of their new studio album, "Songs From The Sparkle Lounge". Sadly, American fans will get their listen while suffering from one of those nasty hangovers that only green beer can create. On another note, the CD will feature a guest appearance from Tim McGraw. So maybe Leppard is going country like Bon Jovi?

Here is the official word from Defleppard.com: With March 27 being the start date of the band's World Tour to support their upcoming album "SONGS FROM THE SPARKLE LOUNGE", many of you have been wondering if the album will actually be released before the kickoff show. We can hereby tell you that as of today, the album is scheduled for release on MARCH 17 in the UK and MARCH 18 in the rest of the world. That's right -- in about two months the band's new album might be in the shops! Please note this is a TENTATIVE date and therefore may change.

Furthermore, the first single off the album will be called "NINE LIVES" and will feature a guest appearance by country star TIM MCGRAW.

who ever would've thought the day would come when rockers would actually need country stars to duet or help plug their new albums or help their careers.i'm not slagging country music but its happening more and more.bon jovi recently did it,now you have def leppard doing it.van halen has done jump a few times with country stars mainly kenny chesney.robert plant is now touring with allison krauss plus they have an album out.

What do rock singers do when they can't reach the high notes anymore? Go Country. lol..

texafana wrote:What do rock singers do when they can't reach the high notes anymore? Go Country. lol..

Or become Journey front men.

I've already lost a lot of respect for Def Leppard but this just cements it even more.

To ALL melodic rock bands still left out there...Get OFF the bandwagon!

Def Leppard has sucked for 20 years. However, this is their low point...love it!!!

mikemarrs wrote:So maybe Leppard is going country like Bon Jovi?

I'm a Lepp fan, but oh my gawd...please say it isn't so?

Lady Luck wrote:

mikemarrs wrote:So maybe Leppard is going country like Bon Jovi?

I'm a Lepp fan, but oh my gawd...please say it isn't so?

That sealed the deal for me when I first heard that about BJ...and now DL. If you have to sell your soul to continue, isn't time to give it up??

Oh...wait...wtf am I saying....we are on a Journey forum, right??

Come on.

Bon Jovi got away with the country thing, landed on their feet w/ Lost Highway, but let's not every hard rock or metal band try and foist this off now.

Red13JoePa wrote::roll:

Come on.

Bon Jovi got away with the country thing, landed on their feet w/ Lost Highway, but let's not every hard rock or metal band try and foist this off now.

Exactly...Bon Jovi has already had the cowboy-thing going for them anyway. They've done various songs with that theme, i.e., "Wanted Dead or Alive", "Ride Cowboy Ride/Stick to Your Guns", etc. It just doesn't seem right for others to follow suit.

heres the thing..LOTS of DL and rock fans from the 80's listen and buy this new country... this album will outsell and out play on the radio thier last 3 studio efforts.. ..........btw.. im not speaking for myself here.... i still live in the past .. like most of you folks..

When Leppard played the Hollywood Bowl Tim McGraw came out and sang with them I think it was on Sugar. And I thought what in the world? I have been a die hard Leppard fan since I was a kid. I didn't get it at all.

Then I read that Rick Allen's brother manages McGraw or something like that - there is some connection there.

I doubt it is because they are going country!

Maybe they are friends. The album will be great.

Saint John wrote:Def Leppard has sucked for 20 years. However, this is their low point...love it!!!

Totally agree. Hysteria was the last descent thing they did that still made them Def Leppard.

I already posted this news on their forum but I did consider putting it here so it would be read.
There's plenty of BJ fans not happy with his switch to country but at least like a poster here said he already had that kind of thing going on. Fuckin (am I allowed to say that) Brits going country? That's not only stupid but inconceivable to me. Don't think DL fans aren't upset about this news. Of course not the ones who will say anything they do is great. Why didn't they just do a colloboration with BJ? They are good friends and at least he's still a little bit cool in the rock world.

Tim McGraw did do an appearance on stage with them and did Sugar. Sounded like shit, no surprise. Yes, Rick Allen's brother is Tim's manager. I did like the song Tim did with Nelly awhile back but only for a short time. Got tired of it after a few listens.

Love it how any Deaf Lippard news is only available in the Journey forum. Lady Luck, Ratgirl, are you still proud Lipper Fans?

Not everything they do is great. Just most everything!

One song with Tim McGraw for a band that has been around for a very long time is not the same as going country.

BUT if they ever did go country it would be the best dang country album there ever was!

The area I live in has a lot of country music fans..especially today's country sound..more hip if you will..just not for me. Anyway, while I haven't paid much attention to Def Leppard's new stuff for years now..and I am not a country music fan..it really is a smart marketing idea. A lot of people around here who are in the age group that were into Def Leppard when they were good are the one's who now follow the new country music. Plus..so many who are a die hard fan of a band or artist will follow/purchase anything they do. While I don't think this will be a 'country' album..I think them knowing that they will be drawing Tim fans..they will try and make more than one song something they can listen to and enjoy. I don't really see many Def Leppard fans being drawn more to this because of Tim..I do see it peaking their interest..but I do see Tim fans being drawn to Def Leppard becasue they will follow anything he does.

Rockindeano wrote:Love it how any Deaf Lippard news is only available in the Journey forum. Lady Luck, Ratgirl, are you still proud Lipper Fans?

I'll always be a DL fan...just won't always agree with everything they do.

You know I was just defending them in the Lep forum saying that the album title isn't that big a deal to me as long as the songs rock. Apparently they won't.

Lep will always be my favorite band, but this is ridiculous. I wish they would come up with one more hard rockin' album before they're done. Instead they try to distance themselves from their hard rock/metal past and that is just a mistake.

Very scary. If they have a connection, that is great, but still scary. It is sad that you can't get "old fashioned" (did I just say that???) melodic rock on the radio without putting country singers with it.

I'm not a fan of country music, but think this is really just a way to cash in and gain a new audience. From what I understand, country in general spans all generations, whereas rock is a lot more segmented into age groups. I'm sure it's more about selling albums and concert tickets than pleasing long-time fans.

Def Lep and Tim McGraw... sheesh. Those two just don't belong together. So go for that audience, and lose some of your old fanbase in the process... I'd rather see Def Lep and Phil McGraw.

Maybe Tim McGraw has a killer hard rock side we don't know about yet and this is him going rock rather than Leppard going country, huh what about that huh?!

Indyjoe wrote:Maybe Tim McGraw has a killer hard rock side we don't know about yet and this is him going rock rather than Leppard going country, huh what about that huh?!

Well, first, it would be a Tim McGraw single feat. Def Lep... But I think if that's true, he picked the wrong band... Even Vivian Campbell has said that many people consider D.L. "poof rock".

conversationpc wrote:

Red13JoePa wrote::roll:

Come on.

Bon Jovi got away with the country thing, landed on their feet w/ Lost Highway, but let's not every hard rock or metal band try and foist this off now.

Exactly...Bon Jovi has already had the cowboy-thing going for them anyway. They've done various songs with that theme, i.e., "Wanted Dead or Alive", "Ride Cowboy Ride/Stick to Your Guns", etc. It just doesn't seem right for others to follow suit.

Hey they haven't totally gone country!

Come on.....shake it up baby now, shake it up baby, Twist and shout..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCjvygnZ0hI

i own these three def leppard...high n dry,pyromania and hysteria.since that day in '87 i have not purchased any new leppard music.someone gave me adrenalize in '92 and i thought lets get rocked was pretty cool but the rest just sounded like son of hysteria but failed to measure up.they might've released some good stuff since then i don't know.

Rip Rokken wrote:

Indyjoe wrote:Maybe Tim McGraw has a killer hard rock side we don't know about yet and this is him going rock rather than Leppard going country, huh what about that huh?!

Haha... I think if that's true, he picked the wrong band... Even Vivian Campbell has said that many people consider D.L. "poof rock".

Yeah, but they can still ROCK! I shouldn't have said "hard" rock - that was a typo.

That's actually what I like about them. I don't want to get all my politics and serious heavy stuff on my albums and at concerts(that's what I come here for ) I just want to rock and have a great time!

Indyjoe wrote: I just want to rock and have a great time!

See 2 posts up from yours then.

Deb wrote:

Indyjoe wrote: I just want to rock and have a great time!

See 2 posts up from yours then.

Exactly!

MichaelB1975 wrote:You know I was just defending them in the Lep forum saying that the album title isn't that big a deal to me as long as the songs rock. Apparently they won't.

The album title...an example of something I don't agree with. It's kind of hard to believe the songs will rock with a title like "Songs from the Sparkle Lounge." For some reason I get an image of Liberace when I think of it.

Indyjoe wrote:That's actually what I like about them. I don't want to get all my politics and serious heavy stuff on my albums and at concerts(that's what I come here for ) I just want to rock and have a great time!

I'm definitely not against listening to them, especially if one is a single guy looking to pick up chicks. Whatever works!