“A lot of rock guitar players don’t really listen to the rest of the band – it’s very self-absorbed”: The trick Phil Collen uses to create groove in Def Leppard
Def Leppard’s Phil Collen has shared the one rule that’s stuck with him as a player since recording the band’s 1983 record, Pyromania.
Collen joined the band amid the making of the album, when the heavy rock outfit decided co-founding guitarist Pete Willis needed to go. Upon joining, producer Mutt Lange shared a nugget of advice for recording guitar with Collen, which he still puts into practice to this day.
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Pyromania marked a new sonic era for Def Leppard, and earned them huge commercial success across the pond. The record peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 chart, and went on to become certified Diamond in the US, and 7x Platinum in Canada.
In the September print issue of Guitarist, Collen is asked how Pyromania changed him as a player. “Mutt Lange taught me that there’s a rule… A lot of rock guitar players don’t really listen to the rest of the band, which is a very self-absorbed approach, so what I learned from him was how to play in time with the rest of the band.
“You can place your focus anywhere on the beat, but Mutt’s whole thing was to delay it a bit, which gives more groove and makes it more sexy. I really brought that aboard to my playing. And just the melodic strategy and how important it is to have something that enhances the storyline or the narrative,” he says. “If you’ve got backing vocals supporting the lead vocals, the guitar also does that. It’s all about promoting your song and making it the best it can be.”
Def Leppard are currently touring with Journey for The Summer Stadium Tour. You can still grab tickets via their website.
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