10 Weird Backwards Messages In Rock Songs
8. Rocket - Def Leppard
The beauty behind all backwards recordings is having a whole different avenue to work with in terms of sound. Although a guitar solo may have sounded amazing in its forward form, it can take on a totally new character when you decide to flip the tape around. Once Def Leppard went down the studio rabbit hole, they threw practically everything but the kitchen sink on the back half of Rocket.
By Leppard's normal standards, this was already a bit of an unorthodox song, with the main drum groove being a sample taken from a local band that Joe Elliot had heard around town. Along with packing every verse full of Easter Eggs in rock history, there are more than a few hidden messages of what's to come on the album when you get to the breakdown.
After the second chorus when the drums take over, you get bits and pieces of samples from other tracks on the record shoehorned into the mix. Along with the normal backing vocals, you can also hear the chorus to Gods of War being played backwards as well as quick sampled versions of the lush harmonies that were to come on the song Love Bites. While Hysteria might be a great album on its own merits, this feels like the band trying to pack all of the punch of the entire album into one single track.