Def Leppard's Vivian Campbell

I learned early. Radio isn't about the Rock Jock. Radio is about the listener making a connection to the Rock song. Coming through the 1980's in the center of an electronic infested British invasion. My career changed the moment the KOOK studio needle dropped on the front of this new band called Def Leppard. The phones lit up. Joe Elliot and company had become the only thing that kept AM radio alive in America. FM was hot and there was this new thing called MTV. My final moments at the legendary KOOK weren't because I was a great Jock. It's because Rock gave us Def Leppard. In 1996. In the center of Radio trying to reinvent itself with listeners demanding something other than Rod Stewart and Steve Winwood. Def Leppard took on the Alternative movement and the single most important connection fell instantly to the cutting room floor. Radio. The industry that needed Def Leppard to keep their waves flying successfully in the ratings. Had turned its back. Their first studio release since Mutt's direction was creatively a step outward away from the sound that earned them such high level acceptance. Tours that blazed beyond normal nightly hangouts. I've always believed it was Radio's fault for no supporting what made the industry stop in its tracks the night words scraped across the teletype in the newsroom, "Rick Allen had been tragically injured." That was the first time and only time since Curt Cobain that the station I've performed with physically gave into the listener. Before the internet. Top of the hour news was the only true way to keep listeners informed. But we learned something that night. We drew legions of listeners closer to us by stopping the performance to keep them abreast to the shocking stories being written about the band that had turned the industry back into a passion driven metal fan. Def Leppard, one of the greatest arena rock bands, are pleased to announce the release of a Deluxe Edition of their 1996 classic album Slang across multiple formats through their own Bludgeon Riffola on February 11th, 2014. The Slang reissue will be available in 3 formats: a CD Deluxe Edition and Digital Edition containing the original 11 album tracks re-mastered and original rare bonus tracks made up of demos, alternate versions and mixes with a series of new songs recorded during the time the band was creating Slang. Most of these additional bonus tracks have never been released. A special iTunes Digital Edition will have everything from the Digital Edition, plus a further set of additional bonus tracks. A Double Vinyl Deluxe Edition will also be available and will feature the original album, and its own set of exclusive songs. The band will release a special Slang Video Collection the same day (February 11th) exclusively on iTunes that will feature videos from singles “Slang,” “Work It Out,” and “All I’ve Ever Wanted.” Slang was first released in May 1996 and is considered the band’s most underrated album. At the time of its release, the music industry was at the height of the 90s grunge scene and Def Leppard with bands like Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots and Pearl Jam were dominating the airwaves. Despite this musical shift, Slang charted on the Top Five UK Official Chart and the Top 15 in the US on Billboard’s Top 200 Chart, plus the UK rock magazine Q named the project as one of the Top 10 Albums of the Year. As a testament to their music transcending through time, Slang was recognized for its musical departure from the band’s signature sound. The collection incorporated new sonic elements that gave the album a slightly darker introspective mood than their previous releases. As Phil Collen stated in an interview with Metal Hammer UK, “We’ve all got personal things that have happened during the recording of Slang, and we’ve just ploughed on and some of it has come out on the record.” With more than 65 million albums sold worldwide and two prestigious Diamond Awards in the USA, Def Leppard - Joe Elliott (vocals), Phil Collen (guitar), Rick “Sav” Savage (bass), Vivian Campbell (guitar) and Rick Allen (drums) — continue to be one of the most important forces in rock music. Over the course of their career the band has produced a series of classic groundbreaking albums that set the bar for generations of music fans and artists alike. The group’s spectacular live shows and arsenal of hits have become synonymous with their name, leading Def Leppard to be heralded as an institution in both the music and touring industry.