Adrenalize

Adrenalize
Studio album by Def Leppard
Released	31 March 1992 (1992-03-31)
Recorded	October 1988-1991 in the Netherlands and Ireland
Genre	Glam metal, hard rock, heavy metal
Length	45:24
Label	Mercury/Bludgeon Riffola
Producer	Mike Shipley and Def Leppard
Def Leppard chronology
Hysteria (1987) Adrenalize (1992) Retro Active (1993)
Singles from Adrenalize
"Let's Get Rocked" Released: March 1992 "Make Love Like a Man" Released: June 1992 "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad" Released: September 1992 "Stand Up (Kick Love into Motion)" Released: December 1992 (US) "Heaven Is" Released: January 1993 (UK) "Tonight" Released: March 1993

Adrenalize is the fifth studio album by British rock band Def Leppard, released in 1992. The album was the first by the band following the 1991 death of guitarist Steve Clark. It was produced by Mike Shipley and Def Leppard, with Robert John "Mutt" Lange as executive producer. The album charted at #1 on The Billboard 200 and #1 on the UK Albums Chart.

History

At the end of the Hysteria World Tour in October 1988, Def Leppard vowed to the press that their next album would not take another four years to be released, and quickly reconvened weeks later to start work. However, Steve Clark's alcoholism was taking a turn for the worse. Whereas touring had kept him sober onstage, offstage his condition was beginning to affect his work in the studio. In addition, Mutt Lange was unavailable to return as producer as he was working with Canadian rocker Bryan Adams on Waking Up the Neighbours.

The band chose to produce the album themselves. Steve's problems did not help to advance progress and in fact, was starting to set them back.^{[citation needed]} In late 1989, Clark was found unconscious in a gutter in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was immediately sent to rehab, and band members (along with Lange) started attending confrontational therapy to attempt to shame him into defeating his addictions. In a desperate move to help their friend, guitar tech Malvin Mortimer was assigned to keep a 24-hour watch on Clark; according to Joe Elliott, it was a difficult task.

None of this proved to be fruitful, and in August 1990 the band granted Clark a six-month leave of absence. While it was hoped that this break would free him of any stresses, the band seemed resigned to the fact that they could no longer do anything for Clark.

On 8 January 1991, Steve Clark was found dead in his London home by his girlfriend Janie Dean. The coroner's report revealed that Clark had died of an accidental mix of alcohol with painkillers and anti-depressants that led to compression of the brain stem.

After a short period of uncertainty about the band's future, the remaining members decided to resume work on the album. Former Lange engineer Mike Shipley was hired as co-producer, while Lange maintained a minor role via phone calls and demos sent to him.

A search for Clark's replacement was held off until after the completion of the album, and recording sessions progressed quickly in the year that followed. On 31 March 1992, Adrenalize was released worldwide. While some reviews were favorable (Rolling Stone magazine awarded it 4 out of 5 stars), many critics attacked the album for being formulaic and too similar to Hysteria. Although Clark had died prior to the release of the album and did not participate in the recording process, nearly every song on the album was at least co-written by him.

Further complicating matters, Adrenalize was released during the time when grunge and alternative rock bands were killing off "glam/pop metal" bands. Nonetheless, Adrenalize debuted at the number one position in both the UK and the US (quickly going triple platinum there). The album has sold over 7 million copies worldwide. The album was dedicated to the memory of Steve Clark.

Former Dio and Whitesnake guitarist Vivian Campbell, a longtime friend of the band, was brought in as the newest member in April 1992. He appears in all promotional videos for the album's singles (except "Let's Get Rocked"), despite not playing on the album.

A Deluxe Edition of Adrenalize, which was released in 2009, includes a digitally remastered version of the album, plus a Bonus CD containing b-sides from the album's singles.

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Let's Get Rocked"	Phil Collen, Joe Elliott, Mutt Lange, Rick Savage	4:56
2.	"Heaven Is"	Steve Clark, Collen, Elliott, Lange, Savage	3:37
3.	"Make Love Like a Man"	Clark, Collen, Elliott, Lange	4:13
4.	"Tonight"	Clark, Collen, Elliott, Lange, Savage	4:03
5.	"White Lightning"	Collen, Elliott, Lange, Savage, Clark	7:03
6.	"Stand Up (Kick Love Into Motion)"	Clark, Collen, Elliott, Lange	4:31
7.	"Personal Property"	Collen, Elliott, Lange, Savage	4:20
8.	"Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad"	Collen, Elliott, Lange	5:25
9.	"I Wanna Touch U"	Rick Allen, Clark, Collen, Elliott, Lange	3:38
10.	"Tear It Down"	Clark, Collen, Elliott, Savage	3:38

Japanese bonus tracks
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
11.	"Miss You in a Heartbeat"	Collen	5:55
12.	"She's Too Tough"	Elliott	3:39

Deluxe edition (Bonus CD)

In the Clubs, In Your Face – Bonn, Germany 29/05/92
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Hysteria" (live)	Clark, Collen, Elliott, Lange, Savage	7:17
2.	"Photograph" (live)	Clark, Elliott, Lange, Savage, Pete Willis	4:44
3.	"Pour Some Sugar on Me" (live)	Clark, Collen, Elliott, Lange, Savage	5:09
4.	"Let's Get Rocked" (live)	Collen, Elliott, Lange, Savage	5:46

Adrenalize B-sides
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
5.	"You Can't Always Get What You Want" (with Hothouse Flowers)	Mick Jagger, Keith Richards	7:43
6.	"Little Wing" (with Hothouse Flowers)	Jimi Hendrix	3:40
7.	"Tonight" (version 2 – demo version)	Clark, Collen, Elliott, Lange, Savage	4:24
8.	"Now I'm Here" (live at Wembley Stadium – featuring Brian May)	Brian May	6:03
9.	"Two Steps Behind" (acoustic)	Elliott	4:11
10.	"Tonight" (acoustic – Sun Studios 1993)	Clark, Collen, Elliott, Lange, Savage	4:16
11.	"Too Late for Love" (live at Denver 1988)	Clark, Elliott, Lange, Savage, Willis	6:04
12.	"Women" (live at Denver 1988)	Clark, Collen, Elliott, Lange, Savage	6:34

• Tracks 1-4 are taken from the band's Live: In the Clubs, in Your Face EP, recorded at Bonn, Germany, on 29 May 1992
• Tracks 5 & 6 taken from "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad" single.
• Tracks 7 & 8 taken from "Tonight" single.
• Track 9 taken from "Make Love Like a Man" U.K. single and "Two Steps Behind" U.S. single.
• Track 10 taken from "Two Steps Behind" single.
• Tracks 11 & 12 taken from "Let's Get Rocked" single.

Personnel

• Joe Elliott – the voice
• Phil Collen – all guitars except acoustic guitar on "Tonight", Cockney rhyming rap on "Make Love Like a Man"
• Rick Savage – Hamer 5-string (bass guitar), acoustic guitar on "Tonight"
• Rick Allen – skins (drums)

Additional personnel

• The Sideways Mob – backing vocals
• Robert John "Mutt" Lange, John Sykes - backing vocals
• Phil "Crash" Nicholas – keyboards on "Stand Up (Kick Love into Motion)"

Production

• Mike "Bat Ears" Shipley – producer, engineer, mixing
• Def Leppard – producer
• Pete Woodroffe – engineer, programming, sequencing
• Robert John "Mutt" Lange – executive producer
• Robert Scovill – assistant engineer
• Bob Ludwig – mastering
• Andie Airfix – art direction
• Pamela Springsteen – photography

Chart positions

Album

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	link
Robert Christgau
Rolling Stone
Sputnik Music

Chart (1992)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard 200	1
UK Albums Chart	1
Australia ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart	1

Certifications

Country	Provider	Certification (sales thresholds)
United States	RIAA	3× Platinum
Canada	CRIA	4× Platinum
United Kingdom	BPI	Gold

References

• Adrenalize (CD booklet). London, England: Mercury. 1992. 314 512 185-2.

Preceded by Wayne's World (soundtrack) by Various Artists	Billboard 200 number-one album 18 April – 22 May 1992	Succeeded by Totally Krossed Out by Kris Kross
Preceded by Human Touch by Bruce Springsteen	UK number one album 11–17 April 1992	Succeeded by Diva by Annie Lennox
Preceded by Hepfidelity by Diesel	Australian ARIA Albums Chart number-one album 12–25 April 1992	Succeeded by Blood Sugar Sex Magik by Red Hot Chili Peppers