DEF LEPPARD – The Early Years [Japan SHM-CD Box Set Remastered & Unreleased] (2020)

‘The Early Years 79-81’ 5-disc boxset represents DEF LEPPARD’s first two albums, ‘On Through The Night’ (1980) and ‘High ‘N’ Dry’ (1981), and with 3 extra discs including previously unreleased material, it’s the definitive collection of the band’s early music.

The release has been prepared in conjunction with singer Joe Elliott, while the remastering has been done by the band’s long serving sound engineer Ronan McHugh.
This Japanese box with all 5 discs pressed on SHM-CD sounds fabulous.

‘The Early Years 79-81’ deluxe set comes with 5 discs consisting of the original Def Leppard 2 albums newly remastered, B-sides, rarities and remix versions, Radio One sessions, Live from Reading Festival, and the first ever appearance of an unreleased and newly mixed show from Oxford in 1980.
These remasters have been highly anticipated, and much requested, by Def Leppard fans globally.

And let me tell you well worth the wait; ‘The Early Years 79-81’ set is real gem, perhaps the best Def Lepp box-set appeared to date, simply because this time we have real, unreleased stuff from the vaults.
And the best part of it is that despite these are very old recordings – from a band at the time with not a big budget behind – the recordings / sound quality is outstanding.

The 1980 Oxford gig presented on Disc 3 is terrific. Also the Friday Rock Show Session was captured with a clean, vibrant sound, and the Reading Festival takes, while really ‘lively’, are perfectly mixed.
All these really takes you back to the early 80s…

The box also features the much sought-after Nick Tauber produced version of ‘Rock Brigade’, which was originally pencilled as a single for the UK but was never released at the time.
Today, 40 years on, the track (as well as Tauber’s produced version of ‘Glad I’m Alive’) receives its first release.
Love the mastering, love the rare material. Kudos to the engineers and curators.
And kudos to Def Leppard, one of the greatest Rock bands in contemporary popular music.

CD ONE: ON THROUGH THE NIGHT – REMASTERED SHM-CD
Rock Brigade
Hello America
Sorrow Is A Woman
It Could Be You
Satellite
When the Walls Came Tumbling Down
Wasted
Rocks Off
It Don’t Matter
Answer to The Master
Overture

CD TWO: HIGH ‘N’ DRY – REMASTERED SHM-CD
Let It Go
Another Hit and Run
High N Dry (Saturday Night)
Bringin’ On the Heartache
Switch 625
You Got Me Runnin’
Lady Strange
On Through the Night
Mirror Mirror (Look into My Eyes)
No No No

CD THREE: – LIVE IN OXFORD 26/04/1980 SHM-CD
When the Walls Came Tumbling Down
It Could Be You
Rock Brigade
Satellite
Medicine Man
Answer to the Master
When the Rain Falls
Sorrow Is a Woman
Good Morning Freedom
Don’t Matter to Me
Overture
Lady Strange
GetchaRocks Off
Hello America
Wasted
Ride into The Sun

CD FOUR: TOO MANY JITTERBUGS
B-SIDES AND RARITIES SHM-CD
Ride into The Sun – The Def Leppard EP
Getcha Rocks Off – The Def Leppard EP
The Overture – The Def Leppard EP
Wasted – Single
Hello America – Single
Rock Brigade – Unreleased Nick Tauber produced version
Glad I’m Alive – Unreleased Nick Tauber produced version
Good Morning Freedom – Single
Let It Go – Single Edit
Switch 625 – Single Edit
Bringin’ On the Heartbreak – Single Edit
Me and My Wine – Original Version
Bringin’ On the Heartbreak – Remix
Me and My Wine – Remix

CD FIVE: RAW – EARLY BBC RECORDINGS SHM-CD
Glad I’m Alive (Andy Peebles Session – 07/06/1979)
Sorrow Is A Woman (Andy Peebles Session – 07/06/1979)
Wasted (Andy Peebles Session – 07/06/1979)
Answer to The Master (Andy Peebles Session – 07/06/1979)
Satellite (Friday Rock Show Session – 03/10/1979)
Rock Brigade (Friday Rock Show Session – 03/10/1979)
Wasted (Friday Rock Show Session – 03/10/1979)
Good Morning Freedom (Friday Rock Show Session – 03/10/1979)
Satellite / When the Walls… (Live at Reading Festival – 24/08/1980)
Medicine Man (Live at Reading Festival – 24/08/1980)
The Overture (Live at Reading Festival – 24/08/1980)
Lady Strange (Live at Reading Festival – 24/08/1980)
Getcha Rocks Off (Live at Reading Festival – 24/08/1980)

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