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Adrenalized: Life, Def Leppard, and Beyond
A revelatory and redemptive memoir from the lead guitarist of the legendary band Def Leppard—the first book ever written by one of its members—chronicling the band’s extraordinary rise to superstardom and how they’ve maintained it for three decades.
Meet Phil Collen. You may know him as the lead guitarist in Def Leppard, whose signature song “Pour Some Sugar on Me” is still as widely enjoyed as when it debuted in 1988. Maybe you’ve heard of him as the rock star who gave up alcohol and meat more than twenty-five years ago. Most likely you’ve seen him shirtless—in photos or in real life—flaunting his impeccably toned body to appreciative female fans.
But it wasn’t always like this. Collen worked his way up from nothing, teaching himself guitar from scratch as a teenager by imitating his heroes. He slogged it out in London-based pub bands for years, long before Def Leppard formed and transformed from unknowns to icons (all thanks to a little album called Pyromania), from playing openers in near-empty arenas to headlining in those same stadiums and selling them out every night. But as Collen discovered, true overnight success is a myth. Like the other band members, he had to struggle and fight his way to the top; in the end, he says, “our work ethic saved us.” Just as it still does.
This is Collen’s story, starting with his first real taste of success and wild rock and roll excess as a member of the seminal glam rock outfit Girl. But once he joins Def Leppard, it’s also an amazing underdog tale featuring a bunch of ordinary working-class lads who rose to mega-stardom, overcoming incredible obstacles—such as drummer Rick Allen losing an arm in a car crash and the tragic death of guitarist Steve Clark, Phil’s musical soul mate, who lost his fight with alcoholism. Featuring personal, never-before-seen photos of Collen and his band mates on stage and off, Adrenalized is a fascinating account of the failures, triumphs, challenges, and rock-hard dedication it takes to make dreams come true.
Meet Phil Collen. You may know him as the lead guitarist in Def Leppard, whose signature song “Pour Some Sugar on Me” is still as widely enjoyed as when it debuted in 1988. Maybe you’ve heard of him as the rock star who gave up alcohol and meat more than twenty-five years ago. Most likely you’ve seen him shirtless—in photos or in real life—flaunting his impeccably toned body to appreciative female fans.
But it wasn’t always like this. Collen worked his way up from nothing, teaching himself guitar from scratch as a teenager by imitating his heroes. He slogged it out in London-based pub bands for years, long before Def Leppard formed and transformed from unknowns to icons (all thanks to a little album called Pyromania), from playing openers in near-empty arenas to headlining in those same stadiums and selling them out every night. But as Collen discovered, true overnight success is a myth. Like the other band members, he had to struggle and fight his way to the top; in the end, he says, “our work ethic saved us.” Just as it still does.
This is Collen’s story, starting with his first real taste of success and wild rock and roll excess as a member of the seminal glam rock outfit Girl. But once he joins Def Leppard, it’s also an amazing underdog tale featuring a bunch of ordinary working-class lads who rose to mega-stardom, overcoming incredible obstacles—such as drummer Rick Allen losing an arm in a car crash and the tragic death of guitarist Steve Clark, Phil’s musical soul mate, who lost his fight with alcoholism. Featuring personal, never-before-seen photos of Collen and his band mates on stage and off, Adrenalized is a fascinating account of the failures, triumphs, challenges, and rock-hard dedication it takes to make dreams come true.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
36 people are currently reading
996 people want to read
About the author
Phil Collen
23 books56 followersPhilip Kenneth Collen joined the English rock group Def Leppard in 1982 as the co-lead guitarist and one of the backing vocalists. Collen has also been involved in several side projects including two tribute albums, one to David Bowie and the other to Jeff Beck. He is also a producer and songwriter.
Collen lives in Southern California and is the father of four children.
Collen lives in Southern California and is the father of four children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
November 27, 2015
There is a saying; something about never meeting your heroes. Well, in this case, for me, it should be never read a biography of your hero. I've been a Def Leppard fan since the 80s. I bought their albums (in vinyl, before the days of CD, let alone downloads), I went to their gigs. I saw them in Leeds in the late 80s, I saw them play their massive 'hometown', never to be forgotten gig at Don Valley Stadium in the mid 90s.
Great, I thought. Phil Collen has written (or co-written) his story, I'll read that, it will be fabulous to relive the memories. Pah!
Adrenalized is certainly Phil Collen's story, but for a Northern British fan it's a huge disappointment. It is clearly aimed at the American market, I know that the band were huge in the States, they struck gold over there way before they made an impression here in the UK, but why speak directly to the American fans only? Phil Collen was born and brought up in London, yet he talks about putting gas in his car and turning on the faucet. He talks about meeting the Queen of England instead of just 'The Queen' and compares well-known shows such as The Old Grey Whistle Test to American shows. It's very annoying, it's very off putting and the more I read, the more I went off the bloke. That is a shame.
The writing is fine, I guess that Chris Eptling did most of it. It's the whole feel of it and how Collen comes across as a person, that I didn't like. For those of us, at home in the UK who supported them when Rick Allen lost his arm in a car accident, and cheered when he returned on his custom-made drums, for those of us who grieved along side the band when Steve Clark died and for those of us who went to their massive hometown gig on a very hot day at Sheffield Don Valley arena, this feels like a bit of a kick in the teeth. That Don Valley gig was huge. The hugest thing that the band had done for years; the first band to play the Stadium, a Sheffield band, a full day. We loved it, they sounded fabulous, it was one of the best days ever. Phil Collen doesn't mention it once. He talks about loads of shows in the UK, he talks about many more in the US, but he doesn't give Sheffield Don Valley Stadium one teeny tiny mention. Kick. In. The. Teeth.
If you can keep up with his love life, take a bow. This is not a long book but there are so many relationships mentioned, they all seem to blur into one another. At one stage, towards the end, he's moved in with a woman and her child, at the same time he's having a baby with his on/off wife, and then another baby, and at the same time he's starting a relationship with another woman .... it's all confusing and told in a very flippant way.
I'm not even going to go into a discussion about the last chapter; the philosophical mutterings, the deep thoughts. By the time I'd got to this part I was just fed up to the back teeth.
Great, I thought. Phil Collen has written (or co-written) his story, I'll read that, it will be fabulous to relive the memories. Pah!
Adrenalized is certainly Phil Collen's story, but for a Northern British fan it's a huge disappointment. It is clearly aimed at the American market, I know that the band were huge in the States, they struck gold over there way before they made an impression here in the UK, but why speak directly to the American fans only? Phil Collen was born and brought up in London, yet he talks about putting gas in his car and turning on the faucet. He talks about meeting the Queen of England instead of just 'The Queen' and compares well-known shows such as The Old Grey Whistle Test to American shows. It's very annoying, it's very off putting and the more I read, the more I went off the bloke. That is a shame.
The writing is fine, I guess that Chris Eptling did most of it. It's the whole feel of it and how Collen comes across as a person, that I didn't like. For those of us, at home in the UK who supported them when Rick Allen lost his arm in a car accident, and cheered when he returned on his custom-made drums, for those of us who grieved along side the band when Steve Clark died and for those of us who went to their massive hometown gig on a very hot day at Sheffield Don Valley arena, this feels like a bit of a kick in the teeth. That Don Valley gig was huge. The hugest thing that the band had done for years; the first band to play the Stadium, a Sheffield band, a full day. We loved it, they sounded fabulous, it was one of the best days ever. Phil Collen doesn't mention it once. He talks about loads of shows in the UK, he talks about many more in the US, but he doesn't give Sheffield Don Valley Stadium one teeny tiny mention. Kick. In. The. Teeth.
If you can keep up with his love life, take a bow. This is not a long book but there are so many relationships mentioned, they all seem to blur into one another. At one stage, towards the end, he's moved in with a woman and her child, at the same time he's having a baby with his on/off wife, and then another baby, and at the same time he's starting a relationship with another woman .... it's all confusing and told in a very flippant way.
I'm not even going to go into a discussion about the last chapter; the philosophical mutterings, the deep thoughts. By the time I'd got to this part I was just fed up to the back teeth.
February 6, 2016
I like Def Leppard, so I thought I'd like this book - and I did until the last chapter when he had to ruin it all and get philosophical and insulting.
Phil told us his story of being the guitar player in Girl and Def Leppard, along with the immoral lifestyle that goes along with just about every rock band, which he glossed over as pretty run-of-the-mill. He has been married three times, had children in and out of wedlock, and bemoaned the people of the earth whom he declared just don't care about anything. Then he went on a tirade about the ills and evils of the world, which didn't fit in this book at all.
Yes, we know the world has some very evil, bad people in it. We don't need to hear about it in your book. I also didn't appreciate that he blames this evil on religion, greed, blah blah blah, all while admitting his profession is part of the problem. The lack of religion and teaching morals to our children is at the heart of the problems in the world. He has abandoned his children and wives on more than one occasion when he sees another woman who tickles his fancy. Instead of blaming everyone else for our problems, how about he take care of his own little realm and stay with his wife? Raise your kids. Be true to your marriage vows for a change. If he'd put as much attention into his own family as he did his guitar playing, his own family wouldn't be so messed up. That was very annoying.
It was a decent book regarding his years playing guitar in rock bands and the friendships he acquired over the years, but skip the last chapter when he starts talking about what we've all known over the years but he hadn't known anything of because of his own sheltered life.
Phil told us his story of being the guitar player in Girl and Def Leppard, along with the immoral lifestyle that goes along with just about every rock band, which he glossed over as pretty run-of-the-mill. He has been married three times, had children in and out of wedlock, and bemoaned the people of the earth whom he declared just don't care about anything. Then he went on a tirade about the ills and evils of the world, which didn't fit in this book at all.
Yes, we know the world has some very evil, bad people in it. We don't need to hear about it in your book. I also didn't appreciate that he blames this evil on religion, greed, blah blah blah, all while admitting his profession is part of the problem. The lack of religion and teaching morals to our children is at the heart of the problems in the world. He has abandoned his children and wives on more than one occasion when he sees another woman who tickles his fancy. Instead of blaming everyone else for our problems, how about he take care of his own little realm and stay with his wife? Raise your kids. Be true to your marriage vows for a change. If he'd put as much attention into his own family as he did his guitar playing, his own family wouldn't be so messed up. That was very annoying.
It was a decent book regarding his years playing guitar in rock bands and the friendships he acquired over the years, but skip the last chapter when he starts talking about what we've all known over the years but he hadn't known anything of because of his own sheltered life.
November 28, 2015
A quick, entertaining read. The only other rock & roll memoir I've read recently is Pete Townshend's, and this one's on a different level. I remember being a little irritated reading Townshend's memoir, feeling like he was a little on the pretentious side. This one is a much simpler read, as though you're sitting at a bar with Collen and he's telling you his life story.
I've been a Def Leppard fan for decades, but don't know much about the personal life of the band. This was a great intro to the origins of the group, and entertaining without being a name-dropping tell-all. Collen loves what he does, and he acknowledges both the good fortune and hard work that have gone into the career he's built.
Rock on, guys.
I've been a Def Leppard fan for decades, but don't know much about the personal life of the band. This was a great intro to the origins of the group, and entertaining without being a name-dropping tell-all. Collen loves what he does, and he acknowledges both the good fortune and hard work that have gone into the career he's built.
Rock on, guys.
November 25, 2018
A fairly enjoyable book. I was never a huge Def Leppard fan - I had Pyromania and that's it - but I like to read rock star's autobiographies. Phil Collen has a very clear-headed, no-nonsense view of Def Leppard's career and their approach to their music. It was interesting to see the difference a hit on MTV can make at the box office. It reminded me a little of the chapter in Motley Crue's The Dirt when they talk about their tour in support of Motley Crue, their follow-up to Dr Feelgood where they played to mostly empty houses. The insight that Collen has during this period is fascinating.
I liked that he went quickly through his childhood, hitting the high points and not getting bogged down. I was impressed with how quickly we find him in his first band. It was interesting to hear about the milieu he moved in, meeting other current stars. Also to hear his fan side come up as he gets to perform with stars he grew up admiring. I also appreciated that he didn't spend much time on groupie stories of stories of drunken partying - I've read lots of those, I don't care anymore.
Of course, the book wasn't without its problems. I respect that he didn't go too deeply into his relationship problems - it reminded me of Bruce Dickinson's autobiography where he avoided those topics altogether - but even the high level view revealed that every time his marriage was winding down, he had a girlfriend on the side, and often a second girlfriend. At one point, he says that he's had more serious relationships in an afternoon than the person that he's talking to has probably had in his entire life, but that flies in the face of the fact that he always seems to have multiple women on the go. It's fine, but you do wonder if his marriages all really ended in the two of them drifting apart, or if it was caused more by his philandering. If you have several serious relationships with women on the go at the same time, how serious are they really?
At one point, he says that he's become his father - explaining that he means that because his father was always exhausted trying to please and take care of everybody else. This is a little self-aggrandizing to say the least, because the context is that he has a girlfriend and a wife. How noble. But when his mother dies, it's his ex-girlfriend and lifelong friend Liz who's the one that's there. When his dog needs to be put down, it's his current wife that's the one that has to do it. When it turns out his father has cancer, Liz is again the one that's there for the diagnosis, and even though Collen spends the last few months of his father's life staying with him, he admits that Liz is there for that as well. I don't get a strong sense that he really ends up taking care of anybody.
Small complaint, but he uses ironically all the time to describe things that are in no way ironic. He writes a song while waiting for the plane to fly back to England because his mother's dying, and describes that as ironic. He talks about playing with someone in a band, and then ironically seeing them again years later. They draw straws to see who gets which room in a house and then he says that they ironically did that in the next three houses. He talks about singing on a track for another band, and mentions that it's ironically in the same studio where he'd previously recorded a guitar solo. I understand that he's a musician. But where did he drum up his co-writer, and couldn't he find someone who knew how to write?
Another minor quibble, but he talks about how the Def Leppard albums are calculated, aimed at radio success and giving the audience what they want. Then when they produce an album that changed their style and was not as successful Slang, he evokes the age old complain that fans won't let artists grow. While either you're doing it for the fans, or you're doing it for yourself, but you can't have it both ways, unless you want what they want. It seemed a little disingenuous.
Finally, the last chapter entitled "Coda" which is basically a rant about all the trouble in the world today, and how awful the world is, was boring to read and not very coherent. I think you could safely skip that bit and not miss anything.
Overall, a fairly breezy, easy, sometimes interesting read. Not earth-shattering, but engaging enough.
I liked that he went quickly through his childhood, hitting the high points and not getting bogged down. I was impressed with how quickly we find him in his first band. It was interesting to hear about the milieu he moved in, meeting other current stars. Also to hear his fan side come up as he gets to perform with stars he grew up admiring. I also appreciated that he didn't spend much time on groupie stories of stories of drunken partying - I've read lots of those, I don't care anymore.
Of course, the book wasn't without its problems. I respect that he didn't go too deeply into his relationship problems - it reminded me of Bruce Dickinson's autobiography where he avoided those topics altogether - but even the high level view revealed that every time his marriage was winding down, he had a girlfriend on the side, and often a second girlfriend. At one point, he says that he's had more serious relationships in an afternoon than the person that he's talking to has probably had in his entire life, but that flies in the face of the fact that he always seems to have multiple women on the go. It's fine, but you do wonder if his marriages all really ended in the two of them drifting apart, or if it was caused more by his philandering. If you have several serious relationships with women on the go at the same time, how serious are they really?
At one point, he says that he's become his father - explaining that he means that because his father was always exhausted trying to please and take care of everybody else. This is a little self-aggrandizing to say the least, because the context is that he has a girlfriend and a wife. How noble. But when his mother dies, it's his ex-girlfriend and lifelong friend Liz who's the one that's there. When his dog needs to be put down, it's his current wife that's the one that has to do it. When it turns out his father has cancer, Liz is again the one that's there for the diagnosis, and even though Collen spends the last few months of his father's life staying with him, he admits that Liz is there for that as well. I don't get a strong sense that he really ends up taking care of anybody.
Small complaint, but he uses ironically all the time to describe things that are in no way ironic. He writes a song while waiting for the plane to fly back to England because his mother's dying, and describes that as ironic. He talks about playing with someone in a band, and then ironically seeing them again years later. They draw straws to see who gets which room in a house and then he says that they ironically did that in the next three houses. He talks about singing on a track for another band, and mentions that it's ironically in the same studio where he'd previously recorded a guitar solo. I understand that he's a musician. But where did he drum up his co-writer, and couldn't he find someone who knew how to write?
Another minor quibble, but he talks about how the Def Leppard albums are calculated, aimed at radio success and giving the audience what they want. Then when they produce an album that changed their style and was not as successful Slang, he evokes the age old complain that fans won't let artists grow. While either you're doing it for the fans, or you're doing it for yourself, but you can't have it both ways, unless you want what they want. It seemed a little disingenuous.
Finally, the last chapter entitled "Coda" which is basically a rant about all the trouble in the world today, and how awful the world is, was boring to read and not very coherent. I think you could safely skip that bit and not miss anything.
Overall, a fairly breezy, easy, sometimes interesting read. Not earth-shattering, but engaging enough.
November 1, 2015
I'm a huge Def Leppard fan. This book is poorly written. There is not much detail. It seems more like a text book of Phil Collen's life instead of a detailed account of his life experiences. It was pretty disappointing.
February 5, 2017
For 10 years, I lived in Southern California. Despite this somewhat rarified environment, I tried very, very hard not to do the obnoxious name-dropping thing of "Oh, my friend was a massage therapist for this very handsome actor" or "I had dinner with a brother of a famous actor." No one cares, I don't think. Or maybe that's just what we tell ourselves when we want to console ourselves for not being a famous star, or friend/brother/partner to one.
Anyway. I have ONE exception to this rule: on November 2, 2014, I met the lead guitarist of Def Leppard, Phil Collen, in the elevator of the Agua Caliente Resort and Casino. The main reason why I like to tell this story is more because I daydreamed about this band in general, and this man (and his gorgeous physique) in particular for most of my childhood and adolescence. To randomly meet him in the flesh was a heady experience, topped only by the fact that he is a perfectly pleasant and courteous person, kind and patient to the (maybe drooling and shell-shocked) fans who probably demand endless time and attention. It was a brief interaction, only half a minute or so, a friendly chat about the show they had done the night before. And this book is a bit like an extension of that chat--friendly, and with the potential to dig deep, if only there were time. (There's not. This is not a weighty, lengthy book). I don't read a lot of celebrity memoirs, so I don't have much to compare it to, but I'd say it attempts to dig a little deeper than you'd expect, and Mr. Collen's voice comes across as earnest and sincere as he relates his post-war working class upbringing, the hard work he's put in, the lessons and losses he has experienced, his numerous romantic partnerships (I'd shake my head at him but I've made some goofy choices myself in my life), and the success he has achieved.
If you'd like to meet him, but don't anticipate running into him on the elevator (and alas, you definitely won't be running into him at any bars), this book of his is a pretty decent consolation prize.
Could have used more pictures of his abs.
Anyway. I have ONE exception to this rule: on November 2, 2014, I met the lead guitarist of Def Leppard, Phil Collen, in the elevator of the Agua Caliente Resort and Casino. The main reason why I like to tell this story is more because I daydreamed about this band in general, and this man (and his gorgeous physique) in particular for most of my childhood and adolescence. To randomly meet him in the flesh was a heady experience, topped only by the fact that he is a perfectly pleasant and courteous person, kind and patient to the (maybe drooling and shell-shocked) fans who probably demand endless time and attention. It was a brief interaction, only half a minute or so, a friendly chat about the show they had done the night before. And this book is a bit like an extension of that chat--friendly, and with the potential to dig deep, if only there were time. (There's not. This is not a weighty, lengthy book). I don't read a lot of celebrity memoirs, so I don't have much to compare it to, but I'd say it attempts to dig a little deeper than you'd expect, and Mr. Collen's voice comes across as earnest and sincere as he relates his post-war working class upbringing, the hard work he's put in, the lessons and losses he has experienced, his numerous romantic partnerships (I'd shake my head at him but I've made some goofy choices myself in my life), and the success he has achieved.
If you'd like to meet him, but don't anticipate running into him on the elevator (and alas, you definitely won't be running into him at any bars), this book of his is a pretty decent consolation prize.
Could have used more pictures of his abs.
September 25, 2024
First off. I’m not Phil Collen. I’m not reviewing my own book. That’d be lame although I’m sure it’s been done.
Now on to my review…
An enjoyable read, but at times a bit disjointed.
The Coda of this book was interesting but weird. It felt a bit like the last “act” of War & Peace in that Collen got philosophical all of the sudden. As an aside, I never thought I would be comparing this to War & Peace, but I just did.
I wasn’t offended as some of the reviewers here were about the stories of his love life and multiple marriages. I expect that from a rock bio. Also, he didn’t ever go into great details about his flings, sexual escapades or constant partner changes. He kept it brief. Like his marriages.
Anyway, I know a lot more about Phil Collen than I did when I cracked open this book for the first time a few weeks ago…so I guess the book accomplished its task.
Although I took almost a month to read it, you could easily read this in a day or two if you wanted to. Def (leppard) worth a read if you’re a fan of Phil Collen or any of his bands.
Now on to my review…
An enjoyable read, but at times a bit disjointed.
The Coda of this book was interesting but weird. It felt a bit like the last “act” of War & Peace in that Collen got philosophical all of the sudden. As an aside, I never thought I would be comparing this to War & Peace, but I just did.
I wasn’t offended as some of the reviewers here were about the stories of his love life and multiple marriages. I expect that from a rock bio. Also, he didn’t ever go into great details about his flings, sexual escapades or constant partner changes. He kept it brief. Like his marriages.
Anyway, I know a lot more about Phil Collen than I did when I cracked open this book for the first time a few weeks ago…so I guess the book accomplished its task.
Although I took almost a month to read it, you could easily read this in a day or two if you wanted to. Def (leppard) worth a read if you’re a fan of Phil Collen or any of his bands.
Read
May 29, 2022This was a very well done memoir. I’m glad I didn’t read reviews prior to reading because it appears most people didn’t like precisely what I did like about this book. I love when the author sticks mostly to the stories behind the music, which Phil did very well. He did tell personal stories and what was going on with his life, and he shares relationships he was involved in but he didn’t do what I feel fails lots of rock books, which is give details of conquests and crude language to basically drive home that point to the reader.
I absolutely loved the philosophical parts and when Phil shares with us how he feels, his veganism, world views and basically really shows he is a deep thinker and not only that, i felt he encouraged others to think too. Now, it might be people who didn’t like that aspect of the book are shallow and only care about hearing of conquests, but to that I say, the author has proved his point, you are all the dumbed down product of society of the last generation and too bad for you. Brilliant.
5/28/22 had to listen again because I liked it so much the first time and in honor of new Def Leppard music coming out.
I absolutely loved the philosophical parts and when Phil shares with us how he feels, his veganism, world views and basically really shows he is a deep thinker and not only that, i felt he encouraged others to think too. Now, it might be people who didn’t like that aspect of the book are shallow and only care about hearing of conquests, but to that I say, the author has proved his point, you are all the dumbed down product of society of the last generation and too bad for you. Brilliant.
5/28/22 had to listen again because I liked it so much the first time and in honor of new Def Leppard music coming out.
January 1, 2016
Interesting book on Phil Collen and Def Leppard. Unfortunately it wasn't very well written. There seems to be a lot of stuff that he doesn't reveal or holds back on. Don't look for this to be a gossipy tell all.
Read
August 29, 2016Huge letdown. Love to read autobiographies from rock stars but this one absolutely failed to deliver. A lot of "and then we traveled here and we played a show and then the next show we traveled to and played and it was great." Nothing behind the scenes about this book at all.
February 4, 2016
I really wanted to like this book more than I did. What can I say? I have a weakness for 80's rock and roll and think Hysteria is an awesome record. While I did find it interesting to read about Def Leppard's glory days, Collen really glosses over a lot of stuff. He also uses a lot of really unspecific language and the book is kind of disorganized. A lot of the writing is kind of lazy and vague. Granted, Collen is a guitar player, not a writer, but he had a cowriter for this thing and I don't think his cowriter really helped him out much. The last chapter of the book is Collen ranting in a really preachy way about how fucked up the world is. He's got a right to his opinions, and as someone reading a book by and about him I started out interested in those opinions, but by the end I just didn't have the patience for it. I think this book could have been squeezed into three chapters titled, "I'm a Famous Guitarist," "I Do Not Know How to Use Condoms," and, "Look at My Chest." The end.
October 28, 2016
This book is a autobiography of Phil Collen who is a guitarist for the band Def Leppard. This details before and after he joined the band.
I believe your enjoyment of this book depends on whether you are a fan of Def Leppard or not. Pyromania was the first album I bought and Def Leppard was the first group I religiously followed so I liked this book. This book tells of all the bands Phil was in before he joined Def Leppard and how the rock and roll world is smaller than we think. I liked how the author showed how the music business has changed from albums and cassettes to compact discs to downloading music and how this has affected the band. The problem is that Phil is not a writer and it did show. At times this read like a Wikipedia page and I needed more personal insight especially with the tragedies this band has suffered.
This was a nice quick read and my rating might be biased because of the nostalgic feeling this book brought me. If you are like me and loved Def Leppard at one time this book is for you.
I believe your enjoyment of this book depends on whether you are a fan of Def Leppard or not. Pyromania was the first album I bought and Def Leppard was the first group I religiously followed so I liked this book. This book tells of all the bands Phil was in before he joined Def Leppard and how the rock and roll world is smaller than we think. I liked how the author showed how the music business has changed from albums and cassettes to compact discs to downloading music and how this has affected the band. The problem is that Phil is not a writer and it did show. At times this read like a Wikipedia page and I needed more personal insight especially with the tragedies this band has suffered.
This was a nice quick read and my rating might be biased because of the nostalgic feeling this book brought me. If you are like me and loved Def Leppard at one time this book is for you.
September 28, 2018
I'm going to go a bit of a different route with my review, as I don't at all agree with what most people said about this book.
I thought it was great. If you've watched enough interviews of Def Leppard or Phil Collen, this is 100% what I would expect to hear from him, and I loved it. Multiple people complained about the band selling out to the US during Pyromania. Did you read this book at all? Phil explains why they hit the US fast and hard with this album.
People complained about Phil's philosophical musings. Again, have you ever listened to an interview with him, or, again, read this book? He goes into extensive detail about how this way of life came to be for him.
Phil has had an extraordinary life and it was fantastically portrayed in this book. I feel Leppard fans picked this up to hear more nitty gritty stories about the band rather than keeping in mind this is, in a nutshell, Phil's biography. This is not a Behind the Music story.
It was a nice read and gave me a lot of good laughs and new perceptions, and really made me rethink some aspects of my own life.
I thought it was great. If you've watched enough interviews of Def Leppard or Phil Collen, this is 100% what I would expect to hear from him, and I loved it. Multiple people complained about the band selling out to the US during Pyromania. Did you read this book at all? Phil explains why they hit the US fast and hard with this album.
People complained about Phil's philosophical musings. Again, have you ever listened to an interview with him, or, again, read this book? He goes into extensive detail about how this way of life came to be for him.
Phil has had an extraordinary life and it was fantastically portrayed in this book. I feel Leppard fans picked this up to hear more nitty gritty stories about the band rather than keeping in mind this is, in a nutshell, Phil's biography. This is not a Behind the Music story.
It was a nice read and gave me a lot of good laughs and new perceptions, and really made me rethink some aspects of my own life.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 23, 2015
Phil Collen has had an incredible journey in life. He maps it all out in this frank autobiography. Sure he's been a partying rock star and experienced all sorts of cliches, but it's the losses in his life and his laser-focused determination to be successful in his craft that stands out. What you may know about the Def Leppard rise to fame story is enhanced with funny anecdotes. Collen also mixes in the personal behind the scenes tales that can be downright eye-popping in their honesty. A must read for die-hard fans and a fun look into what it's like to live life to the fullest both on and off stage.
December 15, 2015
As others have said this is a disappointing book, which I really wanted to be better. I wanted a lot more depth on the way the guys worked on each album, the songs, the process, the ways them promoted them etc, it ends up feeling quite shallow though. And as others have said his love life seems a mess and he doesn't present himself well in these sections of the book, seeming flippant.
A light read for a fan if on a plane or by the pool, but don't expect too much. Maybe one day we will get a true in depth book on the band, the likes that Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith among others have seen.
A light read for a fan if on a plane or by the pool, but don't expect too much. Maybe one day we will get a true in depth book on the band, the likes that Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith among others have seen.
April 23, 2016
Don't waste your time reading this book. Its about absolutely nothing and boring as hell. Felt like I was reading a newspaper article
December 15, 2015
So enjoyable. All the stories you'd want to hear. The one with Robert Plant and the laundry carts was the best.
January 16, 2022
I listened to the audiobook version, so this book might read better as a normal book.
This book tells the story of Phil Collen, one of the guitarists from Def Leppard. It is told from the first time he picked up a guitar, all the way up to 2013.
Now, I'm not a huge Def Leppard fan, but that doesn't impact how I rate the book at all.
My frist problem with this book is that the narrative in the first part is a huge mess.
We are hearing about the time when Phil Collen is in the band Girl, then suddenly he is creating an album with Def Leppard, or you are hearing about him from someone elses view. In the audiobook version, you just suddenly hear the voice talking about Phil Collen in the third person, instead of in first person. It also jumps between his time in Girl, Def Leppard and back again, mulitple times without anything indicating the shift. That is just bad writing.
In the last half of the book we are introduced to Phil Collens love life.
He sums his love-life up in a single sentence: "I have had more serious relationships in one evening than you have had your whole life."
Which seems true. Getting women pregnant while at the same time having multiple other girlfriends. Even while telling us about his latest wife, he never discusses how he has never stopped cheating on his wives/girlfriends. The way he talks about her makes it seem that it should have been a reckoning, but the topic never comes to fruition. It is hard to imagine him not constantly cheating now as well, given that he has the stamina for it.
While there were some fun stories and some nice insights, there was also a lot of shallow views and insights. He had read Chomsky, but jumped some hoops with the information gained, some of it going directly against statements given by Chomsky.
He also ends the book with his dark and grim view of the world, and how everything is getting worse. IF you have read any statistics about the state of the world, you would see that things are getting better. And not only in our ivory towers.
His talk about religion and how you should fear the Devil instead of God, doesn't make that much sense either. It all seems to come from someone that hasn't read much into the bible and the stories that are presented there. The whole Old Testament is filled with stories about why you should fear God, since he mostly does the killing. Anyone that doesn't live up to the ideals that he has created can be killed, even when he has created them so that they can't live up to the ideals.
When it comes to animal rights, there also seems to be where humanitarians have more to say than Christians. Animals do not have souls, or so many believe, so his arguments against animal cruelty fall flat.
There are many apologists out there that use the view many humanitarians have, that animals have worth, to be a sin against the place God has given humans. Prager is a good example.
It all seems very shallow. If you are giving space for some beliefs and even try to explain them, then it should be done better than this.
All in all, the story wasn't that exciting and the structure was a mess. After the shifts in characters and time jumps I didn't really want to finish it. But I did. Doesn't make the book great though.
Go read something else. So many better biographies out there.
This book tells the story of Phil Collen, one of the guitarists from Def Leppard. It is told from the first time he picked up a guitar, all the way up to 2013.
Now, I'm not a huge Def Leppard fan, but that doesn't impact how I rate the book at all.
My frist problem with this book is that the narrative in the first part is a huge mess.
We are hearing about the time when Phil Collen is in the band Girl, then suddenly he is creating an album with Def Leppard, or you are hearing about him from someone elses view. In the audiobook version, you just suddenly hear the voice talking about Phil Collen in the third person, instead of in first person. It also jumps between his time in Girl, Def Leppard and back again, mulitple times without anything indicating the shift. That is just bad writing.
In the last half of the book we are introduced to Phil Collens love life.
He sums his love-life up in a single sentence: "I have had more serious relationships in one evening than you have had your whole life."
Which seems true. Getting women pregnant while at the same time having multiple other girlfriends. Even while telling us about his latest wife, he never discusses how he has never stopped cheating on his wives/girlfriends. The way he talks about her makes it seem that it should have been a reckoning, but the topic never comes to fruition. It is hard to imagine him not constantly cheating now as well, given that he has the stamina for it.
While there were some fun stories and some nice insights, there was also a lot of shallow views and insights. He had read Chomsky, but jumped some hoops with the information gained, some of it going directly against statements given by Chomsky.
He also ends the book with his dark and grim view of the world, and how everything is getting worse. IF you have read any statistics about the state of the world, you would see that things are getting better. And not only in our ivory towers.
His talk about religion and how you should fear the Devil instead of God, doesn't make that much sense either. It all seems to come from someone that hasn't read much into the bible and the stories that are presented there. The whole Old Testament is filled with stories about why you should fear God, since he mostly does the killing. Anyone that doesn't live up to the ideals that he has created can be killed, even when he has created them so that they can't live up to the ideals.
When it comes to animal rights, there also seems to be where humanitarians have more to say than Christians. Animals do not have souls, or so many believe, so his arguments against animal cruelty fall flat.
There are many apologists out there that use the view many humanitarians have, that animals have worth, to be a sin against the place God has given humans. Prager is a good example.
It all seems very shallow. If you are giving space for some beliefs and even try to explain them, then it should be done better than this.
All in all, the story wasn't that exciting and the structure was a mess. After the shifts in characters and time jumps I didn't really want to finish it. But I did. Doesn't make the book great though.
Go read something else. So many better biographies out there.
May 12, 2025
I wonder if given the opportunity, he’d rewrite the book.
The two stars are for the mentions of his and the bands mates parents, leaning what happened when he found out about Rick Allen’s accident and his journey to relearning the drums, how Steve’s death impacted him, Viv’s entrance into the band and the friendships he made with fellow musicians and notable people in the music industry.
There was some great discussions about touring life, notable tours/concerts they’d done and how the band functioned. But weirdly enough, it felt like it was written for an American audience. Now I’m neither American nor British, but I’ve kept tabs on the band and found some parts either glossed over or not mentioned at all.
I also wonder why he felt like he needed to add context to certain British/American lingo. Lorry/truck driver I got, but after that? I was like hmm it’s not necessary Phil. Nobody would confuse football with American football because the latter would not make any sense in a British upbringing, or not know that football and soccer are I guess… the same thing (it’s a touchy subject for some and no I don’t say soccer 😂)
There was a section in the book where he said ‘I’ve had more serious relationships in one afternoon than you’ve probably had in your entire life’. Now, no judgement here but we’ve just read an entire book about him being unfaithful to his partners/wives and shagging a whole lot of people. So…..
Anyway let’s wrap it up, I liked some parts of the book more than others. The last chapter seemed a bit random and I may have glossed over it
The two stars are for the mentions of his and the bands mates parents, leaning what happened when he found out about Rick Allen’s accident and his journey to relearning the drums, how Steve’s death impacted him, Viv’s entrance into the band and the friendships he made with fellow musicians and notable people in the music industry.
There was some great discussions about touring life, notable tours/concerts they’d done and how the band functioned. But weirdly enough, it felt like it was written for an American audience. Now I’m neither American nor British, but I’ve kept tabs on the band and found some parts either glossed over or not mentioned at all.
I also wonder why he felt like he needed to add context to certain British/American lingo. Lorry/truck driver I got, but after that? I was like hmm it’s not necessary Phil. Nobody would confuse football with American football because the latter would not make any sense in a British upbringing, or not know that football and soccer are I guess… the same thing (it’s a touchy subject for some and no I don’t say soccer 😂)
There was a section in the book where he said ‘I’ve had more serious relationships in one afternoon than you’ve probably had in your entire life’. Now, no judgement here but we’ve just read an entire book about him being unfaithful to his partners/wives and shagging a whole lot of people. So…..
Anyway let’s wrap it up, I liked some parts of the book more than others. The last chapter seemed a bit random and I may have glossed over it
January 17, 2018
I have never understood Def Leppard's constant claim of not being hard rock or metal. They certainly borrowed the look, their early music was distorted rock glory. Yet over and over they try and distance themselves from the obvious and try and claim to sound more like Duran Duran something which Phil Collen implies in his book.
Phil tries early on to put himself forward as a Liberal. He talks about how Muslims were being treated badly by the English in London. Hmmmm... well we have seen a lot of terror attacks of late....
Phil also talks a lot about all the women he has been with, often they over lap, sometimes it is just sex. At one point he talks about bringing his mother on tour and how women loved it and got undressed for him because of it. Weird.
He sermonizes a bit towards the end and overall the book is ok but nothing all that amazing.
Phil tries early on to put himself forward as a Liberal. He talks about how Muslims were being treated badly by the English in London. Hmmmm... well we have seen a lot of terror attacks of late....
Phil also talks a lot about all the women he has been with, often they over lap, sometimes it is just sex. At one point he talks about bringing his mother on tour and how women loved it and got undressed for him because of it. Weird.
He sermonizes a bit towards the end and overall the book is ok but nothing all that amazing.
March 4, 2025
For as much as I love the band Def Leppard, this book was not equally as enjoyable. The book was repetitive at times, and Phil fluctuates between a kinda of bragging about his wild days and an arrogant “I’m so much better than this now” stance. It was not really the deep dive into Def Leppard lore that I was expecting but more of a look at Phil Collen himself, and his life experience and growth. I did think it was interesting to see how he himself dealt with the grief/loss of Steve Clark and Rick Allen’s accident, but these were just small moments in the book. Overall, it wasn’t what I was expecting and unfortunately, kind of a let down.
Read
May 31, 2025"I never really gave in to the emotion, though all that time I was dealing with Steve’s death. I had put up many walls so I wouldn’t have to deal with it or accept it. It wasn’t until about three months later, when I was stuck in traffic on the 101 freeway in Los Angeles and the Rolling Stones’ Waiting on a Friend came on the radio that I burst into tears. I pulled over to the side of the road and cried like a baby. I couldn’t stop. That was really the moment that I began to deal with the loss of my best friend. To this day, I continue to have dreams where Steve appears and we just talk as if nothing has changed."
June 21, 2017
Def Leppard has survived quite a few tragedies. It started with Rick Allen's car accident and leaving him with only arm. The band found a way to bounce back and still make good music. However, when Steve Clark died, the band was never the same. I give Phil a lot of credit when he says, "I was drinking pretty heavy at the time, so my memory is spotty.". I enjoyed Leppard on their "High 'N Dry" tour. I saw them a few years later on their, "Hysteria" tour and it seemed a little watered down, to me. I will always be a fan of early Leppard, good hard rock music.
October 13, 2024
This started out as a 4 star book until the last chapter where I was lectured on American gun control, politics, religion, hunting, veganism, & injustice from an Englishman. Other than that this was an interesting bio on Collen's life from childhood through 2015. Loads on information on his early years and his entrance into Def Leppard. Personal life (he's had a lot of wives) and professional life. Overall an pretty engrossing read except for his "philosophy" in the last chapter
December 7, 2017
Having been a Def Leppard fan since hearing "Photograph" blaring out of my Uncle's van in 1983 this was a great read. Even though I have been following them since that year there were some things I learned that I did not previously know. I particularly liked the Steve Clark stories. When I was younger he was the very epitome of cool.
January 20, 2021
Another bargain bin find and an interesting read. My favourite chapter was the final one entitled Coda. I’d actually like to read more of his philosophical thoughts and theories. Especially an elaboration of his statement “only a few are truly civilized”. Does he mean vegans? Spiritually awakened people? Maybe they are one and the same.
January 26, 2019
I love Def Leppard, always have, but this book
Just reads like a magazine article or a documentary. Very little insight into the man. The book glossed over Steve’s death, Rick’s accident and Viv ‘s cancer. I learned nothing I had not watched on Behind the Music or articles.
Just reads like a magazine article or a documentary. Very little insight into the man. The book glossed over Steve’s death, Rick’s accident and Viv ‘s cancer. I learned nothing I had not watched on Behind the Music or articles.
May 4, 2022
Def Leppard is my favorite rock band. Always has been. Always will be. Adrenalized is definitely my very favorite novel. Since I read Adrenalized the 1st time, I knew that I wasn't going to find another book I liked more.
September 26, 2017
One Hell of a Story
From a terrible two into a fitness fanatic Phil Colen shares his incredible Def Leppard story. You won't be able to put this down.
From a terrible two into a fitness fanatic Phil Colen shares his incredible Def Leppard story. You won't be able to put this down.
November 10, 2017
This was a Good Reads Giveaway book. If I was interested in biographies, I could've read this faster.
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