Top 10 Best Songs on Def Leppard's Slang

Slang is the sixth studio album by Def Leppard. This album was recorded between 1994 and 1995 in Marbella, Spain, and in January and February 1996 at Bow Lane Studios in Dublin, Ireland. It was released on May 14, 1996.

This album marked a departure from the band's signature sound, moving toward an alternative rock and grunge style rather than the hard rock and pop rock of their previous albums. Unlike their earlier work, Slang was not produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange but was instead produced by Pete Woodroffe and Def Leppard themselves.

Slang is the first Def Leppard album with new material to feature guitarist Vivian Campbell. Campbell had previously played on the B-side collection Retro Active in 1993 and on the new track included in Vault a year earlier. It is also the only Def Leppard album not to feature their recognizable logo.

Vivian Campbell reflected on the album's stylistic shift, saying, "We knew we couldn't make a typical Def Leppard album in the mid-1990s. Grunge was very much happening, and our stuff was anathema at the time. Personally, I think we could have bolstered the songs with a little more of that Def Lep fairy dust, but instead we went, 'No, let's keep it raw: no backing vocals. Let's not do that part because it's too melodic. Let's be more monotone.' At least it gave us the chance to grow up a little. We live in a state of arrested development in this band, singing songs like 'Let's Get Rocked.' So we did get to write some grown-up lyrics. And we were going through a lot of s*** at that time. Sav's dad died on the eve of the first recording day. Both Joe and Phil were going through divorces. So it gave us an opportunity to write lyrics that reflected the reality of our lives."

Genres: Alternative Rock, Grunge

Personnel:

Band Members:
- Rick Allen - drums, percussion
- Vivian Campbell - electric guitars, acoustic guitars, dulcimer, vocals
- Phil Collen - electric guitars, acoustic guitars, mandolin, vocals
- Joe Elliott - lead vocals, additional guitar and bass on "Pearl of Euphoria"
- Rick Savage - bass, acoustic guitars, synth bass, vocals

Additional Musicians:
- Gloria Flores - Spanish voice on "Slang"
- Ram Narayan - intro sarangi sample on "Turn to Dust"
- Craig Pruess - string and percussion arranging and conducting on "Turn to Dust"
- Av Singh - dohl on "Turn to Dust"
- Shyam Vatish - outro sarangi sample on "Turn to Dust"
- Pete Woodroffe - piano on "Blood Runs Cold," keyboard strings on "Where Does Love Go When It Dies"
- Gavyn Wright - string leader on "Turn to Dust"

Production:
- Pete Woodroffe - producer, engineer, mixing
- Def Leppard - producer
- Ger McDonnell - engineer, programming on "Truth?"
- Matt Pakucko - mixing assistant
- Bob Ludwig - mastering
- Brad Buxer, Bobby Brooks - programming on "Slang" and "Breathe a Sigh"
- Hugh Drumm - programming on "Truth?"
- Jeff Murray - art direction
- Jager di Paola - design
- Cynthia Levine, Jeff Rooney - photography

The Top Ten

  1. All I Want Is Everything

  2. Pearl of Euphoria

  3. Breathe a Sigh

  4. Blood Runs Cold

  5. Can't Keep Away from the Flame

  6. Where Does Love Go When It Dies

  7. Deliver Me

  8. Work It Out

  9. Turn To Dust

  10. Slang

    11. The Newcomers
  11. ?

    Worlds Collide

  12. ?

    Burn Out

    13. The Contenders

  13. Move with Me Slowly

  14. Truth?

  15. Gift of Flesh

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