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Powerage
(©1978)    
1.
Rock 'N' Roll Damnation 2. Down Payment Blues 3. Gimme A Bullet 4. Riff
Raff 5. Sin City 6. What's Next To The Moon 7. Gone Shootin' 8. Up To
My Neck In You 9. Kicked In The Teeth
For me this was always
one of the more overlooked of the Bon era albums, which explains why
it took me three decades to finally pick it up. The last couple of weeks
I've been listening to quite a bit of AC/DC, and music from their disciples:
Airbourne, and Rhino Bucket. Mainly because my nephew who is now 12
has discovered the band, and loves to come over and raid my stuff. I
find it rather heart warming to know that the music that rocked my world
as a kid is now rocking my sister's kid in the same way. God bless rock
and roll.
Powerage, is a solid AC/DC album although it feels a bit like
a step backwards from their earlier albums - maybe because I'm more
familiar with them. It's full of all the familiar riffs and lyrical
depth I've come to know and love. You'd never guess from this one, that
just around the corner the guys would be taking over the world. "Riff
Raff" is smokin', although there are times when it borrows some
licks from "Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo". Then there's "Sin
City" which is an AC/DC classic. Of the lesser known tracks (at
least to me at any rate) "Gone Shootin'" is vintage stuff,
and lays down a great head bobbin' groove.
All in all, this is AC/DC four albums in, and showing no signs of slowing
down, with their best work still ahead of them.
Reviewed April 5, 2008
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Back
In Black (©1980 Atlantic)     
1:
Hells Bells 2: Shoot To Thrill 3: What Do You Do For Money Honey 4:
Given the Dog a Bone 5: Let Me Put My Love Into You 6: Back In Black
7: You Shook Me All Night Long 8: Have A Drink On Me 9: Shake a Leg
10: Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution
This is probably the album
that comes to mind when most people think of AC/DC. Rather than pretend
to know a lot about the now ancient history of the band, I'll only state
a couple of obvious facts. This was the album Brian Johnson debuted
on, and this was the album that redefined rock and roll for a generation
of air guitar players. As a teenager this was the album I enjoyed playing
along with the most. Oh I wasn't Angus, I was Malcolm. AC/DC is a lot
of things, but metal they ain't. They're a straight ahead full on rock
and roll band with deep roots in the three chord rock pantheon.
This album is so full of classic
songs it's practically a greatest hits album all by itself. It still
sounds great, and feels fresh - which isn't surprising since the boys
are still playing the same three chords. There are a couple of songs
here I didn't really like back then, and still don't get off on, but
what the hell, the great songs more than make up for the weaker moments.
There's no doubt that this
is one of the best albums in their catalog. Is it the best? I'd
have to say it's up there. But Highway to Hell is up there too.
Later years would transform Brain's guttural gravel laden voice into
something you'd expect coming out of a perverted Smurf. Still there's
no denying that Black in Black is one absolutely freaking amazing
rock tour de force.
Reviewed July 5, 2003
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Flick
Of The Switch (©1983)   
01
Rising Power 02 This House Is On Fire 03 Flick Of The Switch 04 Nervous
Shakedown 05 Landslide 06 Guns For Hire 07 Deep In The Hole 08 Bedlam
In Belgium 09 Badlands 10 Brain Shake
For Flick of the Switch
"Mutt" Lange was jetisoned. The band decided to twiddle their
knobs themselves; and the guys managed to produce one of the most underwhelming
albums in the band's catalog. I've tried more than once to get into
this one. First back when it was released, then again in the early 90's
when I was given a cassette copy. Each time I just didn't get it - sonically
it had more edge than For Those About to Rock - but the songs
themselves were lifeless and still born.
Fast forward another decade
and I figured its time for another spin. After all, it couldn't be as
insipid as I remembered could it? Um, yes it could. There are moments
where the guys put the pieces together and you can't help but enjoy
youself, "Flick of the Switch", "Landslide" and
"Bedlam in Belgium", but for the most part the guys sounded
uninspired, and frankly out of ideas (ideas? Who am I kidding, this
is AC/DC they play the same riff over and over - it's what they do).
This is one of those albums
that is just sort of there. It certainly didn't do a lot for me.
Reviewed December 29, 2007
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Fly
on the Wall (©1985 Atlantic)    
the
songs: Fly on the Wall / Shake Your Foundations / First Blood / Danger
/ Sink the Pink / Playing With Girls / Stand Up / Hell or High Water
/ Back in Business / Send for the Man
One of the more overlooked
gems in the AC/DC catalog. It took me fifteen years to finally pick
it up. This is vintage stuff. Angus as usual proves he's more than adept
at filling in his stock riffs over Malcolm's journeyman rhythm work.
Brian's voice is still strong, and still a few years away from his angry
smurf impression.
The songs themselves are still
a twelve year olds dream. "Sink the Pink" still cracks me
up. I should feel ashamed, but these guys write great music, if not
great lyrics.
Reviewed November 10, 2001
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LIVE
(©1992 ATCO)    
disc
one: Thunderstruck / Shoot To Thrill / Back In Black / Sin City / Who
Made Who / Heatseeker / Fire Your Guns / Jailbreak / The Jack / The
Razors Edge / Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap / Money Talks
disc two: Hells
Bells / Are You Ready / That's The Way I Wanna Rock N Roll / High Voltage
/ You Shook Me All Night Long / Whole Lotta Rosie / Let There Be Rock
/ Bonny / Highway To Hell / T.N.T / For Those About To Rock (We Salute
You)
I suppose on a moral level
I should be totally appalled at the prospect of having to listen to
not one, but two CD's worth of AC/DC. Lots of long meandering
guitar solos, crowd chants of "Angus, Angus, Angus," and Brian Johnson
sounding more like a gravel chewing smurf than ever. Love this
album. Great with the windows rolled down and cranked, sweet revenge
against all of those back window reverberating wankers that think overpowering
bass is music. This is like industrial dentistry, it's a very
wicked pleasure. I can almost hear Sir Lawrence muttering, "Is
it safe?"
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Stiff
Upper Lip (©2000 Eastwest Records)   
the
songs:Stiff Upper Lip / Meltdown / House of Jazz / Hold Me Back / Safe
in New York City / Can't Stand Still / Can't Stop Rock 'N' Roll / Satellite
Blues / Damned / Come and Get It / All Screwed Up / Give it Up
If you're a fan then you could
not care less about the fashion trends of today's popular artists, and
the sorry state of rock and roll. AC/DC is an oasis in a wasteland of
prefabricated attitude.
The boys once again go to their
familiar well, and are starting to come up a little dry at times. However,
this isn't to say that this is a crappy album. Give me an average AC/DC
album to most "good" new releases. Brian is a smurfy as ever,
and Angus is probably the world's oldest school boy - but the lad can
play. Malcolm still plays his guitar with the heaviest gauged strings
in the business. It must feel like he's strumming rebar.
This isn't heavy metal, and
only a plonker could confuse AC/DC with metal. This is blues infected
rock and roll pure and simple. The boys nail enough tracks to get the
foot tapping and the volume crankin'.
Reviewed March 26, 2001
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