X (Def Leppard album)

X (pronounced ten) is the eighth studio album by English rock band Def Leppard, released on 30 July 2002 by Island Records in the US and sister label Mercury worldwide.[2] Much like 1996's Slang, it featured another departure from their signature sound by moving into the pop genre. The album charted at No. 11 on The Billboard 200[3] and No. 14 on the UK Albums Chart.[4] Most of the album was produced by Pete Woodroffe and the band, with remaining tracks produced by either Marti Frederiksen or Per Aldeheim and Andreas Carlsson. This is the first Def Leppard album in which drummer Rick Allen actively took part in song-writing. On all of the band's prior albums, he is only credited with helping co-write three tracks. On this album alone, he co-wrote eleven.

X
US cover
Studio album by
Def Leppard
Released30 July 2002 (2002-07-30)
Recorded2001–2002
StudioJoe's Garage in Dublin, Ireland
Polar Studios in Stockholm, Sweden
Rumbo Studios in Los Angeles, California, USA
Genre
Length47:09
Label
Producer
Def Leppard chronology
Euphoria
(1999)		 X
(2002)		 Best Of
(2004)
Singles from X
  1. "Now"
    Released: 5 August 2002
  2. "Four Letter Word"
    Released: 23 November 2002
  3. "Long, Long Way to Go"
    Released: 14 April 2003
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic60/100[1]
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic link
Rolling Stone link
NME link

The album features the Roman numeral 'X', recognising it as their tenth album release, although the album is in fact only their eighth collection of all-new studio material. The other two albums released by the band prior to the release of X, Retro Active and Vault, were a rerecording of B-sides and rarities and a greatest hits set respectively.

The album peaked at number 11 on the Billboard 200, but did not sell to the standards of their previous releases and failed to earn any RIAA certifications. With the exception of an abbreviated version of "Now" being performed as part of an acoustic medley during the 'Rock of Ages' tour in 2012, nothing from this album was performed live by the band since the conclusion of its supporting tour until their Vegas Residency in 2019.

For a short time after the album was released, Def Leppard's website Defleppard.com featured a free mp3 download of "Perfect Girl," a bonus track and early version of the track "Gravity".

In a 2002 interview with vocalist Joe Elliott and guitarist Phil Collen, in addition to Now, the tracks 'Everyday' and 'Torn To Shreds' were contenders for a commercial release. However, due to the poor performance of 'Long Long Way To Go' further single released from the album were shelved.

Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Now"Marti Frederiksen, Phil Collen, Joe Elliott, Vivian Campbell, Rick Savage, Rick Allen3:58
2."Unbelievable"Per Aldeheim, Andreas Carlsson, Max Martin3:58
3."You're So Beautiful"Frederiksen, Collen, Elliott, Campbell, Savage, Allen3:31
4."Everyday"Frederiksen, Collen, Elliott, Campbell, Savage, Allen3:08
5."Long, Long Way to Go"Wayne Hector, Steve Robson4:38
6."Four Letter Word"Collen, Elliott, Campbell, Savage, Allen3:07
7."Torn to Shreds"Collen, Savage, Elliott, Campbell, Allen2:56
8."Love Don't Lie"Elliott, Collen, Campbell, Savage, Allen4:46
9."Gravity"Collen, Elliott, Pete Woodroffe, Campbell, Savage, Allen2:33
10."Cry"Collen, Elliott, Campbell, Savage, Allen3:17
11."Girl Like You"Campbell, Collen, Elliott, Savage, Allen2:49
12."Let Me Be the One"Elliott, Campbell, Collen, Savage, Allen3:29
13."Scar"Collen, Elliott, Campbell, Savage, Woodroffe, Allen4:59
Bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
14."Kiss the Day"Savage, Collen, Elliott, Campbell, Allen4:27
15."Long, Long Way to Go" (acoustic)Hector, Robson4:43
16."10 X Bigger Than Love"Elliott, Collen, Campbell, Savage, Allen3:57
17."Gimme a Job"Elliott, Collen, Campbell, Savage, Allen3:17
18."Perfect Girl" (Demo, early version of "Gravity")Collen, Elliott, Woodroffe, Campbell, Savage, Allen2:41

Personnel

Def Leppard

Additional personnel
  • Eric Carter – keyboards and drum loops on "Now", "You're So Beautiful" and "Everyday"
  • Stan Schiller – shredding tele licks on "Gravity"

Production
  • Producers: Def Leppard, Per Aldeheim, Andreas Carlsson, Pete Woodroffe
  • Engineers: Stefan Glaumann, Richard Chycki, Ronan McHugh, Liz Sroka, Pete Woodroffe
  • Mixing: Marti Frederiksen, Ronan McHugh, Pete Woodroffe
  • Mastering: Tom Coyne
  • A&R: Simon Collins, Jeff Fenster
  • Production co-ordination: Leslie Langlo, Sue Tropio
  • Editing: Brian Paturalski
  • Vocal producer: Ronan McHugh
  • Drum technician: Jerry Johnson
  • String arrangements: David Campbell
  • Programming: Ronan McHugh, Pete Woodroffe
  • Photography: Clive Arrowsmith

Charts

Album
Year Chart Peak position
2002 US Billboard 200 11

Singles
Year Single Chart Peak position
2002 "Now" US Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks 26
2002 "Now" US Billboard Adult Top 40 40
2002 "Now" Nielsen SoundScan Canadian Singles Chart 29
2002 "Four Letter Word" US Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks 30

References
Footnotes
  1. "X by Def Leppard". Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  2. "Def Leppard: X (Album Anniversary): A Look Back". Def Leppard Report. 30 July 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  3. "Allmusic (Def Leppard charts and awards) Billboard albums".
  4. "Def Leppard The Official Charts Company".
Other
  • X (CD back cover and booklet). Def Leppard. London, England: Bludgeon Riffola/Mercury. 2002. 063,120-2.CS1 maint: others (link)
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