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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
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You'd never guess it was Leppard if you only know their newer stuff
Over the years I've had it on 8-track, LP and CD. It's straight-forward old school metal that bears no resemblance to the radio friendly stuff that would emerge starting with Pyromania. Be sure to check out their sophomore release, "High 'n' Dry". It rocks even harder and has much better production.
Oh... "Darth Kommissar" mentioned in his review that Pete Willis and Steve Clark got kicked out of the band... Get a clue! Pete Willis WAS kicked out, but Steve Clark DIED, he did not get forced out.
Rating: 
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From not totally humble beginnings...
And here it is, Leppards debut album and it's not half bad. Excellent stompers like Wasted and Rocks Off backed up by solid hard rock such as It Don't Matter and Answer to the Master help lay the foundation for one of the hard rock genres biggest beasts. The outright rawk rock of High 'n' Dry as well as parts of Pyromania have their genesis here. The intro to Rocket from Hysteria has it's roots in Satellite and the bands pandering to the US market is also born here with Hello America.
In fact the work debut is so perfect for this album. The slightly cheesy hard rock of Pyromanias heavier tracks is here prequeled by Rock Brigade and by a very very long stretch I can visualise the relation between Desert Song from the Retro Active disc in the apocalyptic feel of When the Walls Came Tumbling Down.
The youth and inexperience of the band are there for all to hear but it's forgiveable because at the end of the day most purchasers of this collection of NWOBHM sonics is buying it as a historical document and not because the dorky band name amuses them - lets face it everyone reading this review knows who Def Leppard is and their story right! And as such it's easy to forgive the inexperience especially when you consider that they got their act together quickly and you know just how hard these guys worked from day one.
PS - Am I the only one bemused by the fact that On Through the Night (the song) doesn't actually appear on On Through the Night (the album)?? Only in the NWOBHM!
Rating: 
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I don't know why Joe Elliot bags on this album so much
In almost every interview Joe Elliot has done since about 1987 he says this is his least favorite Def Leppard album. He's even gone so far as to say he hates it. I have NO idea why. It's great. Better than most of their post "Arenalize" music, IMO. You can hear on this album why Def Leppard were originally considered part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (along with Iron Maiden, Diamond Head, et al). You can also hear the melodic side too, which makes their transition to a "pop metal" band not all that surprising. Still, if you like early 80's hard rock, this is one of the best of the first half of the decade.
Rating: -
A must have!!
Every Lep fan must have thier first album! A must have for your collection!
Rating: -
The least Def of all Leppard albums.
Def Leppard's major label debut album is by far their rawest, which may or may not be a good thing depending on your point of view. Personally, I liked Mutt's contributions on later albums such as Pyromania and Hysteria, but in the case of Adrenalize the production seemed to go overboard.
Anyway, OTTN starts out with two tracks ("Rock Brigade" and "Hello America") that I usually skip, although they may be the two most talked about tracks on this album. That is, the two songs that came the closest to being considered hits, although this album never really became a hit, at least not in America. Next, we have a great slow burner in "Sorrow is a Woman" followed by one of the fastest and catchiest tracks, "It Could be You", a personal favorite. "Satellite" is a mid-tempo track which I usually skip, and "When the Walls Came Tumbling Down" picks up where "Sorrow is a Woman" left off, although I like Sorrow a bit more. The next two, "Wasted" and "Rocks Off" serve as exhibits A and B in response to anybody who ever called Def Leppard a pure pop band. "It Don't Matter" is another decent track, but I would not call it a highlight. "Answer to the Master" is one of the more memorable tracks here with vocals that build on each other perfectly, and last but DEFINATELY not least, we have "Overture", and epic part-ballad, part-rocker that sounds like nothing in the rest of the Def Leppard catalog. It seems that many reviewers have called this the strongest song on On Through the Night, and I am inclined to agree. The only thing that bothers me is the fact that the Leps never seemed to attempt a song like this with any of their later work.
The bottom line here is that OTTN is the most underrated album by what many would call an overrated band. Hence, those of you that dislike DL based on their late 80's/early 90's hits may want to give this one a chance.
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