Def Leppard Rock Of Ages: The Definitive Collection CD

Def Leppard: Joe Elliot (vocals); Pete Willis, Phil Collen, Steve Clark , Vivian Campbell (guitar); Rick Savage (bass guitar); Rick Allen (drums).
The 2005 double-disc set Rock of Ages: The Definitive Collection is the second Def Leppard compilation to be released in the U.S. The first, Vault: Def Leppard Greatest Hits, appeared ten years earlier, and while the band was active in the decade separating the two albums, charting fairly consistently, it didn't have any major hits during that time, so the chief appeal of Rock of Ages versus Vault is that it covers more ground. Vault had 15 songs. Rock of Ages has 35, including all of the songs on Vault. Actually, the first disc of Rock of Ages functions as an expanded version of that earlier comp, adding two cuts. The second disc skips around their career, wisely concentrating on their early-'80s albums, which were somewhat under-represented on Vault, and adding a new song for good measure (a cover of Badfinger's "No Matter What," which is from their "forthcoming covers album"). While this may be too much Def Leppard for some casual fans -- for those listeners, the 2004 import-only collection Best of Def Leppard is a good choice, since it expands on Vault -- it nevertheless is the best overview of the group's career yet assembled, since it has not only the hits, but the sleek, glammy pop-metal that earned them the reputation as one of the biggest and best bands of the '80s. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
In the mid-1980s, there were few hard-rock bands as popular as Sheffield, England's Def Leppard. Influenced by the glam rock of Queen, Slade, and the Sweet, the quartet reveled in the style's high-energy elements, while trading the outlandish imagery for a no-frills, denim-clad look that made them even more accessible to the masses. With 1983's PYROMANIA and its delayed follow-up punch, 1987's HYSTERIA, Def Leppard became an international phenomenon, unleashing hit after hit, including the riff-heavy, shout-along singles "Rock of Ages," "Pour Some Sugar on Me," and "Armageddon It."
This collection presents every song on the previously released VAULT: GREATEST HITS 1980-1995, along with an entire second disc of additional album tracks, including the AC/DC-like "High 'N' Dry (Saturday Night)" and HYSTERIA's anthemic ode to "Women." Throughout the decades, the group endured its share of upheavals and tragedies--drummer Rick Allen lost an arm in a 1985 accident and guitarist Steve Clark died in 1991--but they continued recording into the 21st century (see the 2002 track "Now"), revealing a determination that most of their peers lacked. For fans of '80s hard rock, this 35-track compilation is essential.Rolling Stone (No. 975, p.78) - 4.5 stars out of 5 - "[Def] Lep [cranked] up enough hits to fill this sucker out... "