Recently while talking with Radioacktiva Colombia, Def Leppard’s Phil Collen talked about his new album ‘Diamond Star Halos’, He also talked about the influence behind the album and shared his opinion on how The Eagles were notorious and were better than Fleetwood Mac.
Phil Collen is a guitarist and songwriter best known for his work with the rock band Def Leppard. He joined the band in 1982 and has been an integral part of it ever since. He is credited with contributing significantly to the band’s sound by playing both melodic and technical guitar parts. Collen is famous for his use of wah-wah and tremolo picking, and his solos are often passionate and precise.
The Eagles’ timeless hit “Hotel California” and Fleetwood Mac’s groundbreaking single “Rumours” both inspired the band’s creative direction and approach when recording their new album, frontman Joe Elliott noted in a previous interview. Elliott’s earlier comments were brought up by the host, who then informed Collen that “Rumours” had defeated “Hotel California” at the Grammys in the 1970s.
As a result, when the conversation turned to the guitarist’s preference for which of the two records he would choose, Collen responded immediately and without hesitation, “Hotel California.” The singer went on to talk about the Eagles’ original approach to blending various musical styles and how their sound effortlessly shifted between pop, rock, and country throughout the album.
He clarified his choice of ‘Hotel California’ by saying it was the better one. He said, “‘Hotel California It was that the Eagles were a really interesting band. They started kind of country; they were kind of rock. The songs were really brilliant, that the songs are better [than ‘Rumours’], I think.
They’re country; they’re rock; they’re pop; they’re all the above. I think on that album, it culminated. It was [the] apex for them. So it had amazing things. It’s special.”
Although the band had “Hotel California” and “Rumours” in mind when they produced Def Leppard’s most recent album, “Diamond Star Halos,” it appears that Collen didn’t hesitate to select “Hotel California” as the superior one and discussed the Eagles’ distinctive elements while producing their magnum opus. Seems like Phil has a distinct taste and he really has his grip on it.
