Def Leppard Month: Definitely Reviewed

Definitely: The Official Story Of Def Leppard (Genesis Publications)

When Def Leppard launched their virtual Vault at the height of the pandemic, fans were suddenly granted exclusive access to a lifetime of memories, memorabilia and more.

All five members of the band dug deep into their career-spanning collections to unearth a treasure trove of unexpected treats.

Many items had never been seen before and most had been packed away for decades.

It was the ultimate online museum experience for Lepps devotees craving a closer look at Sheffield’s stadium rock success story.

But nothing beats the real thing.

Or, at least, the next best thing to the real thing.

And Definitely: The Official Story Of Def Leppard is exactly that — the eagerly anticipated hard copy companion to the wildly successful Vault.

An upgrade on 2011’s Ross Halfin-curated Def Leppard: The Definitive Visual History, this words and pictures trip down memory lane is an absolute must for the completist.

In fact, if you’ve invested in one or all of the The Vinyl Collection reissues then think of Definitely… as a deep dive extension of the hard back books included with each vinyl box set.

Just shy of 300 pages, it wraps up a remarkable story, spread across five decades, of five Steel City dreamers who went on to conquer the world.

If the words are compelling — band members slip in and out of the narrative to add first hand detail and a good deal of humour — then the images are staggering.

Archive photography of the early days is every bit as captivating as the glossy tour shots taken at the height of the band’s fame as MTV stars.

Glimpses of decrepit studio spaces, cramped club shows and seriously questionable fashion choices are utterly at odds with Leppard’s slick latter-day image as millionaire magazine cover stars.

But it’s impossible to begrudge Joe Elliott and his working class heroes their fame, fortune and incredible longevity given their starting point was a stripped back former cutlery factory and a debut gig in front of a bunch of indifferent schoolkids.

Press plays huge part in Leppard story

Then there are the press cuttings.

Before websites, vlogs, TikTok and Twitter, nothing told a story quite like the local paper.

And like almost every band coming out of the UK pre-internet and social media, Leppard relied heavily on print.

The Sheffield Star features prominently here — as do cuttings from Sounds Magazine and more.

Ian Ravendale’s savage Sounds assessment of a fledgling Leppard performing at Newcastle’s Mayfair looks all the more brutal in slightly faded black and white.

The juxtaposition between the traditional media of the 70s and 80s and 2021’s Vault won’t be lost on long-time fans of the band.

It simply serves to underline the staying power of a truly important player in the history of British rock.

No stone is left unturned as Definitely… perfectly paces the ultimate underdog story with a judicious attention to detail.

And with more than 1,300 items of memorabilia and photography it’s a coffee table classic that demands regular revision.

Right down to the embossed reimagination of a AAA pass on the back cover, Leppard and their publishers have gone the extra mile to create something truly special for the band’s legions of fans.

And if Elliott inevitably dominates the narrative — and, let’s face it, he’s always been a good talker — the less is more approach from his band mates (including the late, great Steve Clark) guarantees eye-opening quality over page-filling quantity.

Definitely: The Official Story Of Def Leppard more than does justice to NWOBHM’s glam-infused trailblazers turned reluctant hair metal heroes.

And those looking to cram in their revision prior to May’s Sheffield double-header need look no further than the definitive guide to South Yorkshire’s finest.

Definitely: The Official Story Of Def Leppard is out now via Genesis Publications priced at £35.