mmusicmag.com mmusicmag · attack like def leppard, there is another, secondary chemistry that must...

2
JUNE 2011 ISSUE JUNE 2011 ISSUE MMUSICMAG.COM MMUSICMAG.COM CHEMISTRY IS A DELICATE THING AMONG THE MEMBERS of any band—but in a hard-rock outfit with a trademark two-guitar attack like Def Leppard, there is another, secondary chemistry that must also be just right. Guitarists Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell have for nearly two decades forged a perfect balance between the former’s more technically minded, classical-tinged approach and the latter’s bluesier wail. “Keith Richards calls it ‘weaving a musical tapestry,’” Collen points out, nodding toward rock’s prototypical two-guitar powerhouse, the Rolling Stones. “We’re very different as players,” adds Campbell. “That’s one reason we work so well together.” Campbell replaced founding guitarist Steve Clark, who passed away in 1991 after a painful battle with alcohol abuse. The fact that Collen proved able to find another kindred six-string spirit is only one of the minor miracles that have kept the British powerhouse pushing forward for more than three decades. They have done so despite roiling changes in the music business, fans’ changing tastes and their own personal challenges—before Clark’s death, the group had already coped with the loss of drummer Rick Allen’s left arm in a 1984 auto accident. Def Leppard has nonetheless survived and thrived, riding out the storms to remain a seat-filling arena attraction. “We take our work seriously,” says Campbell, 48, “but not ourselves. We show up on time, we show up sober and we do our job. There’s a real commitment.” The latest from Collen, Campbell, Allen, singer Joe Elliott and bass player Rick Savage is Mirror Ball: Live & More, a long overdue record of the band’s onstage prowess and a timely summation of Leppard’s journey to date. Culled from shows recorded on their 2008-2009 tour, the two-CD, one-DVD set (available exclusively through Walmart) also features three new studio tracks that prove the band has lost none of its luster. “I think there’s still plenty more to come,” says Collen, 53. “The passion is still there.” DEF LEPPARD Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell are hard rock’s double-barrel dream team By Russell Hall ‘We’re very different as players. That’s one reason we work so well together.’ –Vivian Campbell Jeff Fasano Phil Collen, Vivian Campbell 62 62 62 MUSICIAN Why make a live album now? CAMPBELL: Making live albums in the past was very laborious and expensive. You had to get a mobile truck and do the entire recording over one or two shows. That creates something we didn’t want: performance anxiety. Technology in recent years has become very portable and affordable. We started recording and archiving every show we did during the 2008 and 2009 tour—over 100 shows. After a week of that, you forget you’re recording. You’re in a much more natural state, and that allows you to focus on the show as it’s happening in real time. It allowed us not to be concerned with what we call “red light fever.” How do you two click so well? CAMPBELL: We’re very secure emotionally. A lot of guitar players tend to be competitive. Phil and I have never experienced that. We capitulate to the greater good of the song and the greater good of the band. Plus we play very differently. Phil’s hands are a lot faster than mine, especially his right hand. He accents all the notes with his right hand, something I’ve never been able to do. I play a much more legato style, and let my left hand do a lot more work than my right. When did you first learn to play? COLLEN: A friend at school showed me one chord. After that I learned by listening— everything from Deep Purple to Led Zeppelin to Santana to Mick Ronson, on those Bowie albums. I also listened to lots of American guitarists: Rick Derringer, Ronnie Montrose and Johnny Winter. I preferred the American style. The Americans had a flair that some of the British players didn’t. CAMPBELL: I didn’t know many people who played guitar, but whenever I ran into someone who did, I’d ask them to show me a chord or a lick. I had a crush on a girl when I was 13. Her mother played guitar, and she showed me the lick for “Day Tripper.” That was the first riff I learned. Mostly I learned by sitting down with records and working songs out. That started with Rory Gallagher’s Live! in Europe and Thin Lizzy’s Jailbreak. How did you find Vivian? COLLEN: We didn’t want to replace Steve. We couldn’t do that. If you have a family member who dies, you don’t replace them. If we were going to bring someone else in, he needed to have different attributes and bring something different to the table. Vivian did that. He’s such a lovely guy. He was sensitive and a great player. Plus he brought vocal talent. CAMPBELL: It was harder for them than for me. It wasn’t the first time I had stepped into another band, whereas they had never gone onstage without Steve. I think that was frightening for them. As a result, we rehearsed for about two months before my first gig with the band. I think that was more for Def Leppard’s benefit than for mine. They knew I could play. A lot of the vetting process was about the personalities, and whether their personalities would work with mine. Are great riffs a dying art? COLLEN: Yes. The motivation for being in a band changed at some point. People want to be rich or famous, or they just want attention, whereas players in the past were more about sharing their gifts. Riffs are less important to players than they once were because the stuff that goes on around the riffs isn’t as important. Some of the grunge bands had great riffs, but nothing much has come since then. CAMPBELL: That was one of the great things about Steve Clark. He was a great riff writer. I pale in comparison. That’s a target I’ve set for myself for the next Def Leppard studio album. I want to focus on writing riffs rather than on trying to write complete songs. Sure, a lot of the great riffs have already been written, but I’m certain there are a few more out there. Did all that ’80s shredding hurt? COLLEN: That was what killed off great riffs, to a large extent. It was ridiculous. Obviously those guys didn’t have girlfriends. They just sat around and played this stuff no one else cared about, in a real male-dominated arena. I love shredding but it became absurd. There’s a time and a place for that. But if that’s all you do, then you’re missing out on an integral part of music as an art form. What are your main guitars? CAMPBELL: I have several Les Paul reissues, but my main squeeze is a bastardized guitar, a hybrid. It started life as a ’78 Les Paul TOOLS OF THE TRADE just skate over the fretboard, but I can’t do .54—and a metal pick. That really helps on includes a Marshall JMP pre-amp and solid- wire, as have all his guitars. “I like bigger amps. I’m also still using the Marshall JMP 17 years.” ‘I love shredding, but it became absurd. There’s a time and a place for that.’ –Phil Collen TOOLS OF THE TRADE Collen has been playing variations of his Jackson Signature guitar for the past 26 years. “I play very aggressively, and I like to really dig in,” he explains. “I don’t have a light touch with my left hand. Some players just skate over the fretboard, but I can’t do that. I also use heavy gauge strings—.13 to .54—and a metal pick. That really helps on some of the lead stuff.” Collen’s stage setup includes a Marshall JMP pre-amp and solid- state Randall Power Amp manufactured in the ’80s, along with TC Electronic effects processors. For acoustic guitars, he’s lately opted for either a Guild or a Breedlove. Campbell’s beloved ’78 Les Paul hybrid has been re-fretted with Dunlop 6000 Series wire, as have all his guitars. “I like bigger frets,” he says. “I also put TonePros hardware on all my Les Pauls and a CTS 300K pot on the volume control, so that it rolls off clean. In addition to the Les Paul hybrid I have a ’56 reissue with Lindy Fralin P-90 pickups that sounds really nice.” Campbell adds that he’s using Engl equipment for the first time for Def Leppard’s current tour. “I’m using Engl speakers and power amps, he says, and I’m currently experimenting with Engl pre- amps. I’m also still using the Marshall JMP pre-amps, which have been in my rack for 17 years.” 63 Jeff Fasano

Upload: lamnga

Post on 04-Jul-2018

222 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

TRANSCRIPT

JUNE 2011 ISSUE JUNE 2011 ISSUEMMUSICMAG.COM MMUSICMAG.COM

CHEMISTRY IS A DELICATE THING AMONG THE MEMBERS

of any band—but in a hard-rock outfi t with a trademark two-guitar

attack like Def Leppard, there is another, secondary chemistry that

must also be just right. Guitarists Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell

have for nearly two decades forged a perfect balance between

the former’s more technically minded, classical-tinged approach

and the latter’s bluesier wail. “Keith Richards calls it ‘weaving

a musical tapestry,’” Collen points out, nodding toward rock’s

prototypical two-guitar powerhouse, the Rolling Stones. “We’re

very different as players,” adds Campbell. “That’s one reason we

work so well together.”

Campbell replaced founding guitarist Steve Clark, who

passed away in 1991 after a painful battle with alcohol abuse. The

fact that Collen proved able to fi nd another kindred six-string spirit is

only one of the minor miracles that have kept the British powerhouse

pushing forward for more than three decades. They have done so

despite roiling changes in the music business, fans’ changing tastes

and their own personal challenges—before Clark’s death, the group

had already coped with the loss of drummer Rick Allen’s left arm in

a 1984 auto accident. Def Leppard has nonetheless survived and

thrived, riding out the storms to remain a seat-fi lling arena attraction.

“We take our work seriously,” says Campbell, 48, “but not ourselves.

We show up on time, we show up sober and we do our job. There’s

a real commitment.”

The latest from Collen, Campbell, Allen, singer Joe Elliott and

bass player Rick Savage is Mirror Ball: Live & More, a long overdue

record of the band’s onstage prowess and a timely summation of

Leppard’s journey to date. Culled from shows recorded on their

2008-2009 tour, the two-CD, one-DVD set (available exclusively

through Walmart) also features three new studio tracks that prove

the band has lost none of its luster. “I think there’s still plenty more

to come,” says Collen, 53. “The passion is still there.”

DEF LEPPARDPhil Collen and Vivian Campbell are hard rock’s double-barrel dream team

By Russell Hall

‘We’re very different as players. That’s one reason

we work so well together.’ –Vivian Campbell

Jeff F

asano

Phil Collen, Vivian Campbell

626262

MUSICIAN

M mag 12.indd 62 7/7/11 9:22:03 PM

Why make a live album now?

CAMPBELL: Making live albums in the past

was very laborious and expensive. You had to

get a mobile truck and do the entire recording

over one or two shows. That creates

something we didn’t want: performance

anxiety. Technology in recent years has

become very portable and affordable. We

started recording and archiving every show

we did during the 2008 and 2009 tour—over

100 shows. After a week of that, you forget

you’re recording. You’re in a much more

natural state, and that allows you to focus

on the show as it’s happening in real time.

It allowed us not to be concerned with what

we call “red light fever.”

How do you two click so well?

CAMPBELL: We’re very secure emotionally.

A lot of guitar players tend to be competitive.

Phil and I have never experienced that. We

capitulate to the greater good of the song

and the greater good of the band. Plus we

play very differently. Phil’s hands are a lot

faster than mine, especially his right hand.

He accents all the notes with his right hand,

something I’ve never been able to do. I play a

much more legato style, and let my left hand

do a lot more work than my right.

When did you fi rst learn to play?

COLLEN: A friend at school showed me

one chord. After that I learned by listening—

everything from Deep Purple to Led Zeppelin

to Santana to Mick Ronson, on those Bowie

albums. I also listened to lots of American

guitarists: Rick Derringer, Ronnie Montrose

and Johnny Winter. I preferred the American

style. The Americans had a fl air that some of

the British players didn’t.

CAMPBELL: I didn’t know many people

who played guitar, but whenever I ran into

someone who did, I’d ask them to show me

a chord or a lick. I had a crush on a girl when

I was 13. Her mother played guitar, and she

showed me the lick for “Day Tripper.” That

was the fi rst riff I learned. Mostly I learned by

sitting down with records and working songs

out. That started with Rory Gallagher’s Live!

in Europe and Thin Lizzy’s Jailbreak.

How did you fi nd Vivian?

COLLEN: We didn’t want to replace Steve.

We couldn’t do that. If you have a family

member who dies, you don’t replace them.

If we were going to bring someone else in,

he needed to have different attributes and

bring something different to the table. Vivian

did that. He’s such a lovely guy. He was

sensitive and a great player. Plus he brought

vocal talent.

CAMPBELL: It was harder for them than

for me. It wasn’t the fi rst time I had stepped

into another band, whereas they had never

gone onstage without Steve. I think that

was frightening for them. As a result, we

rehearsed for about two months before my

fi rst gig with the band. I think that was more

for Def Leppard’s benefi t than for mine. They

knew I could play. A lot of the vetting process

was about the personalities, and whether

their personalities would work with mine.

Are great riffs a dying art?

COLLEN: Yes. The motivation for being

in a band changed at some point. People

want to be rich or famous, or they just want

attention, whereas players in the past were

more about sharing their gifts. Riffs are less

important to players than they once were

because the stuff that goes on around the

riffs isn’t as important. Some of the grunge

bands had great riffs, but nothing much has

come since then.

CAMPBELL: That was one of the great

things about Steve Clark. He was a great

riff writer. I pale in comparison. That’s a

target I’ve set for myself for the next Def

Leppard studio album. I want to focus on

writing riffs rather than on trying to write

complete songs. Sure, a lot of the great riffs

have already been written, but I’m certain

there are a few more out there.

Did all that ’80s shredding hurt?

COLLEN: That was what killed off great riffs,

to a large extent. It was ridiculous. Obviously

those guys didn’t have girlfriends. They just

sat around and played this stuff no one

else cared about, in a real male-dominated

arena. I love shredding but it became absurd.

There’s a time and a place for that. But if

that’s all you do, then you’re missing out on

an integral part of music as an art form.

What are your main guitars?

CAMPBELL: I have several Les Paul reissues,

but my main squeeze is a bastardized guitar,

a hybrid. It started life as a ’78 Les Paul

TOOLS OF THE TRADE

Collen has been playing variations of his

Jackson Signature guitar for the past 26

years. “I play very aggressively, and I like

to really dig in,” he explains. “I don’t have a

light touch with my left hand. Some players

just skate over the fretboard, but I can’t do

that. I also use heavy gauge strings—.13 to

.54—and a metal pick. That really helps on

some of the lead stuff.” Collen’s stage setup

includes a Marshall JMP pre-amp and solid-

state Randall Power Amp manufactured in

the ’80s, along with TC Electronic effects

processors. For acoustic guitars, he’s lately

opted for either a Guild or a Breedlove.

Campbell’s beloved ’78 Les Paul hybrid

has been re-fretted with Dunlop 6000 Series

wire, as have all his guitars. “I like bigger

frets,” he says. “I also put TonePros hardware

on all my Les Pauls and a CTS 300K pot on

the volume control, so that it rolls off clean.

In addition to the Les Paul hybrid I have a ’56

reissue with Lindy Fralin P-90 pickups that

sounds really nice.” Campbell adds that he’s

using Engl equipment for the fi rst time for

Def Leppard’s current tour. “I’m using Engl

speakers and power amps,” he says, “and

I’m currently experimenting with Engl pre-

amps. I’m also still using the Marshall JMP

pre-amps, which have been in my rack for

17 years.”

‘I love shredding,

but it became

absurd. There’s a

time and a place

for that.’ –Phil Collen

TOOLS OF THE TRADE

Collen has been playing variations of his

Jackson Signature guitar for the past 26

years. “I play very aggressively, and I like

to really dig in,” he explains. “I don’t have a

light touch with my left hand. Some players

just skate over the fretboard, but I can’t do

that. I also use heavy gauge strings—.13 to

.54—and a metal pick. That really helps on

some of the lead stuff.” Collen’s stage setup

includes a Marshall JMP pre-amp and solid-

state Randall Power Amp manufactured in

the ’80s, along with TC Electronic effects

processors. For acoustic guitars, he’s lately

opted for either a Guild or a Breedlove.

Campbell’s beloved ’78 Les Paul hybrid

has been re-fretted with Dunlop 6000 Series

wire, as have all his guitars. “I like bigger

frets,” he says. “I also put TonePros hardware

on all my Les Pauls and a CTS 300K pot on

the volume control, so that it rolls off clean.

In addition to the Les Paul hybrid I have a ’56

reissue with Lindy Fralin P-90 pickups that

sounds really nice.” Campbell adds that he’s

using Engl equipment for the fi rst time for

Def Leppard’s current tour. “I’m using Engl

speakers and power amps,” he says, “and

I’m currently experimenting with Engl pre-

amps. I’m also still using the Marshall JMP

pre-amps, which have been in my rack for

17 years.”

63

Jeff F

asan

o

M mag 12.indd 63 7/7/11 9:22:21 PM

JUNE 2011 ISSUE JUNE 2011 ISSUEMMUSICMAG.COM MMUSICMAG.COM

Custom that I bought in a pawnshop in

Nashville in 1993. I especially like its neck,

which is very chunky and has a great worn

feel. That guitar got run over and the whole

body was destroyed, but I was able to

salvage the headstock, the neck and the

front pickup. I had it re-bodied with a smaller

Les Paul Standard-sized body, so it wasn’t

as big and heavy. And every other aspect of

the guitar has been changed out, from the

machine heads to the nuts to the frets.

COLLEN: I usually take about seven guitars

on the road. For the current tour I’ve got two

new Jackson Supremes, and a variety of

my Jackson Signature PC1s. The PC1 has

gotten better and better through the years.

It’s got a Sustainer, which acts as a pickup

as well, in the neck position. You can get

screaming feedback no matter where you

are in the room. It has a bolt-on mahogany

neck with a maple fi ngerboard. The new

model—the PC Supreme—is a neck-through,

with a completely different look. It’s an arch-

top with an ebony fi ngerboard, but with the

same electronics as the PC1.

What’s the secret to your longevity?

CAMPBELL: No one in Def Leppard

considers himself a rock star. I think that’s

more of a British phenomenon as opposed

to an American way of thinking. If you look

at, say, Mötley Crüe, who’s very much an

American band, they’re as much image-driven

as they are music-driven. They’ve written

great music, but they are also personalities

with rock-star personas. Leppard has

never been like that. There’s never been an

individual in the band who’s been fodder for

the tabloids. The focus has always been on

the music. That’s kept us together.

‘We’ve tried to push the boundaries

in Def Leppard, but the fans only let

us go so far.’ –Phil Collen

Kevi

n W

inte

r/G

ett

y Im

ages

BEYOND THE BAND

Both Campbell and Collen have undertaken

projects that afford them opportunities to expand

their guitar horizons beyond their work in Leppard.

Campbell recently spent time playing guitar

in a re-tooled version of Thin Lizzy, while Collen

serves as the six-string force in the high-octane

outfi t Manraze. “We’ve tried to do things that

push the boundaries in Def Leppard, but the

fans will only let us go so far,” says Collen.

“We’re stuck in a bit of a box. In Manraze I can

go all over the place, both musically and lyrically.

Manraze has a new album coming out in August,

punkfunkrootsrock. We called it that because all

those elements are there.”

“Playing in Thin Lizzy re-energized my

passion for the instrument,” says Campbell, who

performed with the group from May 2010 through

May 2011. “It took me back to my teen years, to

the time when I was learning Thin Lizzy songs by

playing to their records. That stuff is ingrained in

my DNA. To do that for real and to play onstage

with [longtime Lizzy members] Brian Downey and

Scott Gorham was a thrill. It’s made me want to up

my game as a player in Def Leppard. I think both

Phil and I will be pushing for a bit more guitar on

the next studio album.”

Campbell and Collen onstage with Def Leppard in Las Vegas, May 2006

Inse

t: And

rew

Mac

Pherso

n

646464

MUSICIAN

M mag 12.indd 64 7/7/11 9:21:11 PM