High 'n' Dry

High 'n' Dry is the second studio album by the English rock band Def Leppard, released on July 1981.[6] High 'n' Dry was Pete Willis' last full-time album with Def Leppard. It charted at No. 38 on the Billboard 200[7] and No. 26 on the UK Albums Chart.[8] "High 'n' Dry (Saturday Night)", ranked No. 33 on VH1's 40 Greatest Metal Songs.[9] Following the success of Pyromania, the album re-entered in the US chart and reached No. 72 in 1983.[7]

This article is about the Def Leppard album. For the song, see High 'n' Dry (Saturday Night). For other uses, see High and Dry (disambiguation).

High 'n' Dry
Cover art by Hipgnosis
Studio album by Def Leppard
Released	6 July 1981 (UK) 11 July 1981 (US)
Recorded	March – June 1981[1]
Studio	Battery Studios, London
Genre	Heavy metal[2]
Length	42:15
Label	Vertigo (UK) Mercury (USA)
Producer	Robert John "Mutt" Lange
Def Leppard chronology
On Through the Night (1980) High 'n' Dry (1981) Pyromania (1983)
Singles from High 'n' Dry
"Let It Go/Switch 625" Released: July 1981 "Bringin' On the Heartbreak/Me & My Wine" Released: 13 November 1981 "Bringin' On the Heartbreak (Remix)/Me & My Wine (Remix)" Released: May 1984

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[3]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal	9/10[4]
Sputnikmusic	[5]

Reissue

High 'n' Dry was reissued on 31 May 1984 with two bonus tracks:

1. "Bringin' On the Heartbreak" (remix), essentially the same recording with a few synthesiser overdubs. The remix was released in 1984 as a single, peaking at No. 61 in the US charts.[10]
2. "Me & My Wine", a remixed version of a 1981 B-side.

Videos for both were made, featuring Phil Collen (who was not in the band at the time of the album's recording). Both bonus tracks were omitted from the US mid-1990s re-releases of the album, although other countries' releases did include them, but returned when Def Leppard and Mercury came to terms in 2018 and the album was put on digital streaming and downloading platforms.

Track listing

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Solos	Length
1.	"Let It Go"	Pete Willis, Steve Clark, Joe Elliott	1st - Clark, 2nd - Clark, 3rd - Clark, Ride Out Licks - Willis	4:43
2.	"Another Hit and Run"	Rick Savage, Elliott	1st - Clark, 2nd - Willis	4:59
3.	"High 'n' Dry (Saturday Night)"	Clark, Savage, Elliott	Willis	3:27
4.	"Bringin' On the Heartbreak"	Clark, Willis, Elliott	Clark	4:34
5.	"Switch 625" (Instrumental)	Clark	Clark	3:03

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Solos	Length
6.	"You Got Me Runnin'"	Willis, Clark, Elliott	Willis	4:23
7.	"Lady Strange"	Willis, Clark, Rick Allen, Elliott	Clark	4:39
8.	"On Through the Night"	Clark, Savage, Elliott	Clark	5:06
9.	"Mirror, Mirror (Look into My Eyes)"	Clark, Elliott	Clark	4:08
10.	"No No No"	Savage, Willis, Elliott	Willis	3:13

1984 & 2018 reissue bonus tracks

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
11.	"Bringin' On the Heartbreak" (Remix)	Clark, Willis, Elliott	4:34
12.	"Me & My Wine" (Remix)	Savage, Clark, Elliott	3:40

• On vinyl and cassette releases, "Me & My Wine" (Remix) is added to the end of side one, while "Bringin' On the Heartbreak" (Remix) leads off side two. On CD releases, "Bringin' On the Heartbreak" (Remix) and "Me & My Wine" (Remix) follow "No No No".
• The last lyric, 'no', in "No No No" repeats infinitely on the original vinyl album release. The original cassette features "no" being screamed 46 times and then ending abruptly when the cassette finished. On later releases the no's simply fade out.

Personnel

Def Leppard

• Joe Elliott – lead vocals, backing vocals
• Steve Clark – lead and rhythm guitars, backing vocals
• Pete Willis – lead and rhythm guitars, backing vocals
• Rick Savage – bass guitar, backing vocals
• Rick Allen – drums, backing vocals

Production

• Robert John "Mutt" Lange – producer, 1984 remixes
• Mike Shipley – engineer
• Nigel Green - assistant engineer
• Hipgnosis – cover design

Charts

Album Year Chart Position 1981 UK Albums Chart[8] 26 Swedish Albums Chart[11] 31 Billboard 200 (USA)[7] 38

Singles Year Single Chart Position 1981 "Let It Go" Mainstream Rock (USA)[10] 34 1984 "Bringin' On the Heartbreak" Billboard Hot 100 (USA)[10] 61

Certifications

Country	Organization	Year	Sales
USA	RIAA	1992	2x Platinum (+ 2,000,000)[12]
Canada	CRIA	1988	Platinum (+ 100,000)[13]

References

1. "Def Leppard Biography". Def Leppard Official Website. Archived from the original on 9 April 2001. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
2. V. Bogdanov, C. Woodstra and S. T. Erlewine, All Music Guide to Rock: the Definitive Guide to Rock, Pop, and Soul (Milwaukee, WI: Backbeat Books, 3rd edn., 2002), ISBN 0-87930-653-X, pp. 293–4.
3. Huey, Steve. High 'n' Dry at AllMusic. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
4. Popoff, Martin (1 November 2005). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 92. ISBN 978-1894959315.
5. Davey Boy (3 January 2009). "Def Leppard – High 'n' Dry (staff review)". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
6. "Def Leppard High 'n' Dry (Album Anniversary): A Look Back". Def Leppard Report. 12 July 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
7. "Hig 'N' Dry Billboard Albums". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
8. "Def Leppard Official Charts". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
9. High 'n' Dry DefLeppard.com. Retrieved 17 November 2011
10. "Hig 'N' Dry Billboard Singles". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
11. "Def Leppard – High 'n' Dry (Album)". Swedishcharts.com. Media Control Charts. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
12. "RIAA Searchable Database: search for "Def Leppard"". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 14 August 2015.
13. "Gold Platinum Search for Def Leppard". Music Canada. Retrieved 10 July 2015.