Def Leppard and Journey

Is it sacrilege for Def Leppard to take on the Kinks’ “Waterloo Sunset”? Probably. But so what? On the covers album Yeah!, Def Leppard delivers one of the year’s least likely best records by reaching into the past and applying its patented laser-gun metal to David Bowie, Blondie, T.Rex and ELO. As for tourmates Journey, 1988’s Greatest Hits remains a choice soundtrack for the lovesick high schooler in everyone, but the band seems to have stuck together mainly through an uncanny ability to find or clone guys who sound just like Steve Perry. With usual Perry 2.0 Steve Augeri shut down with a chronic throat infection, Journey is fronted instead by … someone else. But it’ll sound close enough if you’re making out.