Def Leppard will offer an early taste of its next studio album with three new songs that will be part of a live album, вЂMirrorball,’ which is due out this summer.
The group is also planning to release a retrospective book, вЂDef Leppard, The Definitive Visual History,’ featuring more than 30 years of photographs by Ross Halfin, in June.
Vocalist Joe Elliott composed вЂUndefeated,’ which he describes as “a very Queen-type vocal thing. It even features piano and stuff.”
Guitarist Phil Collen’s вЂAll About Believin’’ is “a pop-rock song,” while bassist Rick Savage’s вЂKings of the World’ is “a big, epic, rock anthem that will sound great in arenas and stadiums all over the world — kind of ‘We Will Rock You’ with guitars, if you like.”
Elliott says the group will continue to assemble new songs while on the road this summer, working on them backstage in much the same way it made 2008’s вЂSongs From the Sparkle Lounge,’ which debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200. “If we can pull together the other seven or eight songs we’d like to do,” Elliott says, “we’d start recording them when the tour’s over and hopefully have them ready for summer of 2012…or if not, then out in the autumn for the Christmas market.”
The live tracks on вЂMirrorball,’ meanwhile, were recorded during 2008 and 2009. Elliott says Def Leppard records and rates each show and selected the performances — which will include вЂPour Some Sugar on Me,’ вЂRock of Ages,’ вЂFoolin’, вЂHysteria,’ вЂPhotograph’ and вЂBringing on the Heartache’ – from the very best concerts.
‘Mirrorball’ marks the first official live album in Def Leppard’s discography.