Photograph
Def Leppard, 1983, from Pyromania. Solo by Phil Collen & Steve Clark.
Collen and Clark's layered, melodic lead work suits Mutt Lange's glossy production on Def Leppard's breakthrough hit.
Photograph was Def Leppard's breakthrough hit, and its lead work from Phil Collen and Steve Clark is built to fit Mutt Lange's glossy, layered production. The solo section is carefully arranged rather than improvised in one pass, with melodic lines that are doubled and harmonised so the guitar sounds wide and polished. Collen brings a quicker, cleaner attack while the overall shape stays singable, matching the song's huge chorus. It shows how Def Leppard combined hard rock energy with pop craft, a template many 1980s bands followed. Listen for how the harmony lines weave in and out of each other, giving the solo a rich, almost choir-like quality instead of a single voice.
Photograph by Def Leppard is featured in our Glam (#24) list. The solo is played by Phil Collen & Steve Clark and the song was released in 1983.
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Who played the guitar solo on Photograph?
Phil Collen & Steve Clark played the solo on Def Leppard's Photograph (1983).