In 1982, Phil Collen joined Def Leppard as their new electric guitarist after Pete Willis left the band. That year, he was immediately tested as the band began recording their third studio album, Pyromania.
Pyromania is widely regarded as one of Def Leppard’s greatest albums and a pivotal moment in their career, propelling them to success in the US. Some even consider it one of the greatest guitar albums ever, partly due to Collen’s standout guitar work, which features impressive solos on tracks like “Photograph,” “Rock of Ages,” and “Stagefright.”
Notably, Collen’s solo on “Stagefright” is one of his most celebrated, and it also marks his first recording with Def Leppard completed in just one take.
In an interview with Guitarist, Collen recounted, “The first track I recorded was ‘Stagefright.’ Our producer, Mutt Lange, gave me a cassette and asked me to come up with something for the song.
This was my debut recording with the band. I simply plugged my Ibanez Destroyer into a Marshall amp, and what you hear on the record was the result of that first take. It was an exhilarating experience.”
Collen’s contribution to “Stagefright” was a significant moment for the band. As Joe Elliott mentioned in Definitely: The Official Story of Def Leppard (via MusicRadar), it was then that they felt they had discovered their equivalent of Eddie Van Halen.
Despite the pressure, working on Pyromania was a major learning experience for Collen, reshaping his approach to guitar playing.
He reflects, “Mutt Lange taught me an important lesson: many rock guitarists focus too much on their own performance and neglect the band’s overall sound. What I learned from him was the importance of playing in sync with the band. Mutt’s approach involved slightly delaying your playing to add groove and make it feel more dynamic. This technique became a key part of my style.”
