DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen spoke with Gary Graff from Billboard about the Deluxe Edition release of their 1996 album Slang.

Collen says: "Y'know, I think we could've put out Sgt. Pepper's or Dark Side Of The Moon and I think it would have been the same because it was Def Leppard and we had gotten lumped in with all the crap metal bands of the '80s that were kind of pale versions of us," Collen explains. "Nirvana had come along and everything had changed. What was very interesting was people said they didn't like it so much because it didn't sound like us, but we set up in a villa in southern Spain and pretty much recorded live, so it was actually closer to the mark than the other albums where we didn't play live and did the usual studio thing of putting one thing on at a time and building it from there."

The band recently assembled in Dublin, Ireland, for some preliminary work on Def Leppard's next album, the first of new material since 2008's Songs From The Sparkle Lounge.

"We're just writing," Collen says. "We're all just together and figuring out what we're gonna do. We've got some great ideas. We're definitely going to get some new music out for next year."

There might be some "new" old music as well. Def Leppard is continuing to record fresh versions of some of its biggest hits for iTunes - 'Love Bites' is next on the docket - and plans to continue until it comes to terms with the Universal Music Group over digital rights for the material.

"I know I really wanted that to happen, and I don't really care now, to be quite honest," Collen says. "It would be kind of cool if it was up on iTunes, but if it doesn't happen that's great; we'll just re-record them. There's no problem there. The new 'Pour Some Sugar on Me' we did is really successful on iTunes and it sounds great -- kinda like the original only louder and a bit more aggressive, so that's kinda cool."

Read more at Billboard.

The Deluxe Edition of Slang reissue is available in three formats: a CD Deluxe Edition and Digital Edition containing the original 11 album tracks re-mastered and numerous bonus tracks. A special iTunes Digital Edition will have everything from the Digital Edition, plus an additional set of bonus tracks. A Double Vinyl Deluxe Edition will also be available and will feature the original album and its own set of exclusive songs.

The band will release a special Slang Video Collection the same day (February 11th) exclusively on iTunes that will feature videos from singles 'Slang', 'Work It Out' and 'All I’ve Ever Wanted'.

Slang Deluxe Edition tracklistings:

CD/ Digital Edition

Disc 1

'Truth?'

'Turn To Dust'

'Slang'

'All I Want Is Everything'

'Work It Out'

'Breathe A Sigh'

'Deliver Me'

'Gift of Flesh'

'Blood Runs Cold'

'Where Does Love Go When It Dies'

'Pearl of Euphoria'

'Move With Me Slowly'

'Truth?' (Original Version)

'Burn Out'

'Worlds Collide'

'Can't Keep Away From The Flame'

Disc 2

'Turn to Dust' (1st Draft)

'Raise Your Love'

'All I Want Is Everything' (1st Draft)

'Work It Out' (1st Draft)

'Breathe a Sigh' (Rough Mix)

'Deliver Me' (Rough Mix)

'Black Train'

'Blood Runs Cold' (Rough Mix)

'Where Does Love Go When It Dies' (1st Draft)

'Pearl of Euphoria' (Rough Mix)

'All on Your Touch' (2012 Revisit)

'Anger Me' (Deliver Me -1st Draft)

'Move on Up' (Viv Demo)

'Gift of Flesh' (Phil Vocal)

Double 180g Vinyl

Side 1

'Truth?'

'Turn To Dust'

'Slang'

'All I Want Is Everything'

'Work It Out'

Side 2

'Breathe A Sigh'

'Deliver Me'

'Gift of Flesh'

'Blood Runs Cold'

'Where Does Love Go When It Dies'

Side 3

'Pearl Of Euphoria'

'Move with Me Slowly'

'Truth?' (original version)

Side 4

'Burn Out'

'Worlds Collide'

'Can't Keep Away From The Flame'

'All on Your Touch' (2012 Revisit)

'Black Train'