Euphoria

1	Demolition Man 3:24
2	Promises 3:59
3	Back in Your Face 3:20
4	Goodbye 3:36
5	All Night 3:38
6	Paper Sun 5:27
7	It's Only Love 4:06
8	21st Century Sha la la la Girl 4:06
9	To Be Alive 3:53
10	Disintegrate 2:51
11	Guilty 3:47
12	Day After Day 4:36
13	Kings of Obivion 4:18

Barnes & Noble

A decade ago, Def Leppard wooed metalheads and teenyboppers alike with hair-metal pop that was both sweeter and tastier than the boys-only crotch-rock of acts like Mötley Crüe. Now, after a few unsuccessful years trying to navigate the ever-changing alt-rock landscape (see 1996's Slang), they're back doing what they do best -- rocking out like the biggest, blondest band on the planet. It's all here: Joe Elliott's skyscraping screams, sugar-high guitar hooks, and the requisite heart-wrenching power ballad ("Goodbye"). From the production magic of Robert "Mutt" Lange -- who helped define the band's sound in his pre-Shania days and whose Defer-than-ever rocker "Promises" tops off the record -- to mountainous anthems like "Demolition Man" and "King of Oblivion," this is a welcome return to formula. Sure, attempts to "expand" their sound fall flatter than big hair on a humid August night (check the hilariously awkward Prince rip-off "All Night" and the sluggish instrumental "Disintegrate"), but that only makes the classic stuff sound sweeter. Jon Dolan

All Music Guide

Even though Slang successfully revitalized Def Leppard, it didn't become a huge hit, which was a disappointment, considering that the band adjusted their sound to fit the times. Taking that into account, Def Leppard set out to make a classic Def Leppard album with Slang's successor, Euphoria. And, surprisingly, that's exactly what they've delivered. From the outset, it's clear that Euphoria finds the band returning to the glam-inflected, unabashedly catchy, arena-ready pop-metal that made them stars -- and it's also clear that they're not concerned with having a hit, they just want to make a good record. For them, that means returning to the pop-metal formula that made Pyromania and Hysteria blockbusters, even if they must know that this signature sound no longer guarantees a hit at the close of the '90s. It is true that this approach means Euphoria sounds out of time in 1999, but it's a tight, attractive album with more than its share of big hooks, strong riffs, and memorable melodies. There are a couple of slow moments here and there, but no more than those on Hysteria, and the best songs (particularly the opening triptych of "Demoltion Man," "Promises," "Back in Your Face," plus the jangly Beatles-esque "21st Century Sha-La-La Girl") are worthy additions to an already strong catalog. But what's best about Euphoria is that it's utterly not self-conscious. Def Leppard feels free to try straight pop, appropriate Gary Glitter riffs, or play straight metal, without caring whether it's hip or commercial. That doesn't mean Euphoria is a classic, but it does mean that it's their most appealing effort in over a decade. Stephen Thomas Erlewine