High 'n' Dry

High 'n' Dry is the second studio album by the English rock band Def Leppard, released on 11 July 1981.[7] High 'n' Dry was Pete Willis' last full-time album with Def Leppard. It charted at No. 38 on the Billboard 200[8] and No. 26 on the UK Albums Chart.[9] "High 'n' Dry (Saturday Night)", ranked No. 33 on VH1's 40 Greatest Metal Songs.[10] Following the success of Pyromania, the album re-entered in the US chart and reached No. 72 in 1983.[8]

This article is about the Def Leppard album. For the song, see High 'n' Dry (Saturday Night). For other uses, see High and Dry (disambiguation).

High 'n' Dry
Cover art by Hipgnosis
Studio album by
Def Leppard
Released11 July 1981[1]
RecordedMarch–June 1981[2]
StudioBattery Studios (London)
Genre
Length42:15
LabelVertigo
ProducerRobert John "Mutt" Lange
Def Leppard chronology
On Through the Night
(1980)		 High 'n' Dry
(1981)		 Pyromania
(1983)
Singles from High 'n' Dry
  1. "Let It Go"
    Released: 14 August 1981 (UK)[3]
  2. "Bringin' On the Heartbreak"
    Released: 13 November 1981 (US)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal9/10[5]
Sputnikmusic[6]

Music

The album's music has been described as heavy metal[11] and hard rock.[12]

Reissue

High 'n' Dry was reissued on 31 May 1984 with two bonus tracks:

  1. "Bringin' On the Heartbreak" (Remix), a similar recording to the 1981 original but with synthesiser and piano overdubs added by Mutt Lange in February 1984. This remix was released as a single in June 1984,[13] peaking at No. 61 in the US charts.[14]
  2. "Me & My Wine" (Remix), a remixed version of a 1981 B-side, with the remixed version included as the B-side to the remix of Bringin' on the Heartbreak.

The intention of these remixes was to make the two songs sound more in the style of Def Leppard's 1983 album Pyromania.[15]

Videos for both of the remixed songs were made, featuring Phil Collen (who was not in the band at the time of the album's recording). Both bonus tracks were omitted from the US mid-1990s re-releases of the album, although other countries' releases did include them, but returned when Def Leppard and Mercury came to terms in 2018 and the album was put on digital streaming and downloading platforms.

Reception

Steve Huey of AllMusic notes how Def Leppard "continues in the vein of the anthemic, working-class hard rock of their debut. While still opting for a controlled musical attack and melodies as big-sounding and stadium-ready as possible, the band opens up its arrangements a bit more on High 'n' Dry, letting the songs breathe and groove while the rhythm section and guitar riffs play off one another."[16]

In a 3.5 out of 5 review, Sputnikmusic writes that "while High 'n' Dry cannot claim to be a resounding success as an individual album, it is indeed one from a progression standpoint. Def Leppard is clearly a more confident outfit here and with help from new producer 'Mutt' Lange, they allow their compositions to include greater scope in order for the band to find their sound. While this does result in some misses, they are never too far off target and are more than made up for by the album’s highlights which have aged extremely well."[17]

Track listing
Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)SolosLength
1."Let It Go"
  • 1st, 2nd & 3rd - Clark
  • ride out licks - Willis
4:43
2."Another Hit and Run"
  • 1st - Clark
  • 2nd - Willis
4:59
3."High 'n' Dry (Saturday Night)"
  • Clark
  • Savage
  • Elliott
Willis3:27
4."Bringin' On the Heartbreak"
  • Clark
  • Willis
  • Elliott
Clark4:34
5."Switch 625" (instrumental)ClarkClark3:03
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)SolosLength
6."You Got Me Runnin'"
  • Willis
  • Clark
  • Elliott
Willis4:23
7."Lady Strange"
Clark4:39
8."On Through the Night"
  • Clark
  • Savage
  • Elliott
Clark5:06
9."Mirror, Mirror (Look into My Eyes)"
  • Clark
  • Elliott
Clark4:08
10."No No No"
  • Savage
  • Willis
  • Elliott
Willis3:13
1984 & 2018 reissue bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)SolosLength
11."Bringin' On the Heartbreak" (remix)
  • Clark
  • Willis
  • Elliott
Clark4:33[18]
12."Me & My Wine" (remix)
  • Savage
  • Clark
  • Elliott
Clark3:40
  • On vinyl and cassette releases, "Me & My Wine" (Remix) is added to the end of side one, while "Bringin' On the Heartbreak" (Remix) leads off side two. On CD releases, "Bringin' On the Heartbreak" (Remix) and "Me & My Wine" (Remix) follow "No No No".
  • The last lyric, 'no', in "No No No" repeats infinitely on the original vinyl album release. The original cassette features "no" being screamed 46 times and then ending abruptly when the cassette finished. On later releases the "no"s simply fade out.

Personnel

Def Leppard

Production

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[24] Platinum 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[25] 2× Platinum 2,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

References
  1. "High 'n' Dry". Def Leppard Official Website. Archived from the original on 9 April 2001. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
  2. "Def Leppard Biography". Def Leppard Official Website. Archived from the original on 9 April 2001. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
  3. "Def Leppard singles".
  4. Huey, Steve. High 'n' Dry at AllMusic. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
  5. Popoff, Martin (1 November 2005). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 92. ISBN 978-1894959315.
  6. Davey Boy (3 January 2009). "Def Leppard – High 'n' Dry (staff review)". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
  7. Peacock, Tim (11 July 2023). "'High'n'Dry': How Def Leppard Left The Competition Stranded". uDiscover Music. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  8. "Hig 'N' Dry Billboard Albums". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
  9. "Def Leppard Official Charts". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
  10. High 'n' Dry DefLeppard.com. Retrieved 17 November 2011
  11. V. Bogdanov, C. Woodstra and S. T. Erlewine, All Music Guide to Rock: the Definitive Guide to Rock, Pop, and Soul (Milwaukee, WI: Backbeat Books, 3rd edn., 2002), ISBN 0-87930-653-Xand pp. 293–4.
  12. Kielty, Martin (13 January 2019). "The Best Song From Every Def Leppard Album". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  13. Strong, Martin Charles (1995). Great Rock discography. Canongate Press. p. 212. ISBN 9780862415419.
  14. "Hig 'N' Dry Billboard Singles". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
  15. "Def Leppard High 'n' Dry Reissue Album 1984". www.deflepparduk.com.
  16. "Def Leppard High 'n' Dry Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  17. "Def Leppard - High 'n' Dry (Album review ) | Sputnikmusic".
  18. "Def Leppard Tour History – Bringin' on the Heartbreak". www.deflepparduk.com.
  19. "Swedishcharts.com – Def Leppard – High 'n' Dry". Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  20. "Def Leppard | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  21. "Def Leppard Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  22. "Def Leppard Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  23. "Def Leppard Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  24. "Canadian album certifications – Def Leppard – High 'n' Dry". Music Canada.
  25. "American album certifications – Def Leppard – High 'n' Dry". Recording Industry Association of America.
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