Comments on: Hanging With Leppard

By: Scottboy79

Scottboy79 — Thu, 16 Feb 2006 09:13:44 +0000

Too bad the McDonald era Doobies blew! Tommy Johnston sang some of the finest music EVER as lead vocalist for the ‘Bro’s’.

Please do me a favor. Don’t EVER, EVER EVER EVER, put Michael McDonald’s name in the same sentence with Def Leppard. Not to mention Steely Dan, The REAL Doobie Brothers or Toto. What a slant against bands that WERE actually bands. Mr. McDonald was nothing more than a coat-tail riding douche-bag, who to this day (as of Feb. 16th 2006) squeezes financial milk out of others’ hard work and genious. (Hello Motown?? It’s Michael McDonald. Can I borrow some more classics to wipe my feet on??)

Thank you and good day…….

By: Bob Welch

Bob Welch — Fri, 27 May 2005 15:11:52 +0000

Bob…Right..! But let’s not go too far in dissing the "Pro Tools" era. Even in 1977 , you had to lip-sync if you did "Solid Gold" , or "American Bandstand" because they were "pop" shows. We always snickered about the promotional necessity of doing those shows as opposed to "Rock Concert" or "Midnight Special" where they taped live. But management always insisted ; great exposure ! But there’s ALWAYS been a "pop" "manufactured" side to the biz. I mean the "1910 Fruitgum Co." was on the charts at the same time as Jethro Tull and Fleetwood Mac and Frank Zappa had current releases. We all looked down our noses at "…..Fruitgum’ or "The Archies" etc…..but we all also wished to hell we were making the $ that we imagined these records made……for the execs , of course Also ; there was always a difference between records and "live". The Frank Sinatra generation dissed us rockers because we did overdubs rather than recording live, reading from charts. They said our records were therefore phony , and "manufactured" by no-talents who couldn’t really sing or play. And of course , by Frank Sinatra standards , Bob Dylan , for instance, CAN’T sing….but he set a new standard where technical chops didn’t matter. So….it’s not "Pro-Tools" that’s the problem , although I’m sure David Foster had a ball showing off on TV , but the choices PEOPLE are making. Notice too, that all of the American Idol winners are "chops monsters" , albeit rather faceless and devoid of originality . Last note ; David Foster turned down doing the strings on my "French Kiss" album because , to his mind, the music wasn’t hip enough. He had 1st shot. Gene Page , Motown’s arranger wound up doing them instead… So…..there are a lot of things that are not hip enough for David Foster, apparently. Having said that….Foster , Lukather , Nathan East, Michael McDonald et. al….my idols !! Always will be . But there’s snobbery even among our "believing" generation. I doubt if Lukather would rank Def Lepard alongside the McDonald era Doobie Bros. for example……. Or Steely Dan , the ultimate musicians band , over and above Toto , even I could go on , but for now……………..

By: Steve Lukather

Steve Lukather — Thu, 26 May 2005 03:14:09 +0000

Hey Bob
Rick Allen was my next door neighbor for many years! Great old pal. I love
all the guys and I am a fan as well. Glad to see that you can still dig a band
that can play and write great tunes but maybe isnt "hip" by Rolling Stone magaz
ine and the like. Rock isnt dead..its the fucks that WRITE about what they can
nor will never do. That is the vibe that is dead. My son is 18, on the road
playin his ass off and all he listens to is Def, VH, my old shit, Floyd, etc…
Somethin is goin on. I think kids are tired of all the fake shit as well.
People are NOT stupid. maybe a bit lazy sometimes but not stupid. My old Pal
David Foster was on a TV show, the View..and he brought a pro tools rig in and had
Star Jones , who cant sing a lick, sing something into it badly and Foster
made it sound like she could sing. Finally the truth shown to the masses. My
mother in law saw it and said " NOW I know why Steve gets so pissed off at the
fake pop music of today". hahaha Had to laugh.
Rock is not dead. Pop is.
Luke

By: Scott Struber

Scott Struber — Thu, 26 May 2005 03:13:47 +0000

I was in the car with a buddy in NYC this weekend. I’ve got a 2001 BMW with
no iPod connector (they didn’t put that in ’til 2002…D’OH!) and have yet to
find an FM modulator unit that doesn’t sound like AM. So, I dug out one of the
mix CD’s that my fiance had made for the car. As we’re driving out to Long
Island, ‘Hysteria’ comes on. My initial reaction (despite LOVING that song)
was to change it, thinking maybe it was "not cool." My friend (we’re both
33…and very adventurous with our musical tastes) was like "what are you doing!?!
I love that fucking song!!!"

By: Darren Eggleston

Darren Eggleston — Thu, 26 May 2005 03:13:08 +0000

I don’t even like Def Leppard and I got goose bumps reading this.
It is , was and always will be about the live experience and how it moves you.
When it does, you are a fan for life.

You nailed it.