The first half of High n Dry is absolutley flawless rock. Let it Go kicks it off, it runs through 'Another Hit and Run', then it goes into Leppard's first true poppy tune, the title track, then into the prototypical power-ballad, Bringing on the Heartache, through Switch 625, a phenominal instrumental showcasing Steve Clark using his limited technical skills to their peak.

The second half sags a bit, as if Leppard wasn't quite used to their transition yet. And throughout the album, Joe Elliot sounds either convincingly raw or totally silly, he'd find his voice by next album, thankfully. And Steve Clark, rest his soul, but the man is one of the most overrated guitarists I've ever heard. His sense of melody is unparralled, as showcased on Switch 625, but as a lead soloist, he just doesn't have the techincal gifts that Pete Willis and later, Phil Collen have. Not enough 'Ooo.. Aahh' for me.

The Lep's sound wasn't fully developed yet, but High n Dry is a great slice of rock from a band that's remembered for their more pop-material. If you prefered Pyromania, Slang, or Euphoria to Hysteria and Adrenalize, you'll like this one.

Hard and Raw Def Leppard
High N' Dry is far more raw than the more popular Def Leppard releases that followed, but for anyone that is a true blue Def Lep fan, this CD fits right into the collection without skipping a beat. The beats are harder driving, the guitars harsher, and Joe Elliott just sounds a lot more raw. This CD was their first effort with Mutt Lange (the producer that oversaw all their top CDs) and you could see the growing pains on this one. This CD even more than On Through The Night shows the potential that this group had, and how close they were to breaking through to top the charts. If your Def Leppard collection starts with Pyromania, you NEED this CD. It's probably their best work, and that's not just because it has less of a pop feeling than their later work. This album rocks from top to bottom.

Leppard's best
As most every reviewer here has said, this is Def Leppard at its finest. They're tighter and more refined than on "On Through the Night" (the blue Kenworth album) yet not as pop-metal sounding as "Pyromania" and certainly not as commerical as the somewhat overrated "Hysteria." This is classic early-80's hard rock, and it just doesn't get any better.

AC/DC Influenced Hard Rock
I rated this album three stars because there is some filler on here, but there's a lot of good stuff, too. I enjoy most of it, but like I said, some of it can be quite filler. It is all very AC/DC influenced, sometimes to an extreme. But it all works out evenly. Some of the best songs on here are Another Hit And Run, Bringin' On The Heartbreak, and Mirror, Mirror. Overall, this is a pretty good album by AC/DC worshiping kids.

BEST ALBUM EVER
This is without a doubt def leppards finest album , if you are are true 8o's fan of the hair band glam type rockers, minus the glamour, these guys were hungry , and they kicked it out. Right from the heart rock..
Although it's difficult to remember through the smoke of Pyromania, this 1981 album, the quintet's second, hoisted Def Leppard to the apex of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Building on raw metal anthems, the band adds subtle melodic touches, catchy guitar riffs, and simpler lyrical themes. Producer Mutt Lange, a longtime associate of AC/DC, absorbs these pop-oriented changes without severely blunting the metal edge. While the album foreshadows Leppard's multiplatinum success, it also retains the aggressive power and rough-edged distortion of heavy metal. The power ballad "Bringing on the Heartbreak" ushered in a style that would come to define 1980s metal. Although later albums showcase well-crafted songwriting and glossy production, this one catches Leppard at the peak of their true metal years. --Marc Greilsamer