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The song was also included in Tim McGraw greatest hits album #3. [2] The song features a duet between Def Leppard lead singer Joe Elliott and country music artist Tim McGraw, a rare crossing of music genres for both artists. This collaboration originated after McGraw performed Pour Some Sugar on Me with the band at the Hollywood Bowl in 2006. [3]
The single made its worldwide debut on the Xbox 360/Guitar Hero III video game as a downloadable track pack on April 24, 2008, before the album's release on April 27, 2008. This was a novel release strategy for the band, generating media coverage. The pack also included live versions of Rock of Ages and Photograph.
Song History
Tim McGraw's involvement in "Nine Lives" began not as a commercial strategy but as a personal initiative rooted in his admiration for the band.
The idea for a collaboration was initiated by McGraw himself approximately three years before the song's release (around 2005) and was facilitated by his long-time tour manager, who happens to be the brother of Def Leppard's drummer, Rick Allen. The two acts had previously shared the stage when McGraw joined Def Leppard for an encore performance of "Pour Some Sugar on Me" at the Hollywood Bowl in 2006. [4][3]
McGraw co-wrote the song with band members Phil Collen, Joe Elliott, and Rick Savage. He described the creative experience, stating, "Each of us brought something different to the table, and we drew on each other's influence to finish it out." He expressed great respect for the rock legends, concluding, "They are simply one of the best rock bands ever, and it was a great time working together." Phil Collen of Def Leppard noted that when they first started writing the song, they immediately thought of McGraw, and a 90-second meeting in a corridor at the Hollywood Bowl established the basic framework of the track. [4][5]
While the song features a "country flair" in McGraw's opening vocals, the overall consensus from the band was that McGraw was the one who stepped into the rock sense. Def Leppard's Joe Elliott famously retorted to genre-crossing questions by saying, "No! Tim went rock!" [5][6]
Music video
The music video for Nine Lives was directed by Sherman Halsey. Halsey is known for directing numerous music videos for country music artists, including many for Tim McGraw. It was noted for its distinctive editing style, which rapidly intercut black-and-white footage with over-saturated color and grainy performance segments, a technique that one source called "somewhat overdone and distracting" but which ultimately "captured the spirit of the project. [7]
Promotional Use
Exclusive new video footage for the song, featuring both artists, was shot and used as the lead-in to the NBA on ABC game between the San Antonio Spurs and Phoenix Suns on March 9, 2008. [8]
Chart List
The song charted at number 38 on the Canadian Rock charts[9] and number 12 on the Billboard Heritage Rock charts.[10]
Critical Reception
The review in Rolling Stone criticized the track, calling the collaboration with country singer Tim McGraw a "desperate country-crossover attempt" and noting that "the results aren't pretty."[11]
Stephen Thomas Erlewine, in his review of the album Songs from the Sparkle Lounge for AllMusic, specifically commented on "Nine Lives," noting its unique collaboration with country music artist Tim McGraw. He suggested the pairing was "not all that odd," given the previous country work of Def Leppard's former producer, Mutt Lange. Musically, Erlewine stated that the track "rides a riff that is a kissing cousin to 'Pour Some Sugar on Me'" and is "built around big hooks in the guitars and melodies." While acknowledging the presence of these strong musical elements, he collectively applied a general critique of the album to the song, observing that the track's hooks ultimately "don't hit as hard as the overall sound," suggesting the song is a "grower" rather than an immediate highlight.[12]
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