Track Record – AC/DC

Today’s Track Record covers the masters of high voltage Rock ‘N’ Roll, AC/DC! Fire!

High Voltage Rock ‘N’ Roll

I’ve always thought that AC/DC were clever. They found this formula early on in their career that fused bluesy riffs, heavy rock energy, tongue-in-cheek lyrics, and driving rhythms, and it worked for them throughout their career, even to this day. They’re one of the most faithful bands around. You can always count on them to deliver something fun and witty.

They can be usually be split into two camps: the Bon Scotters and the Brian Johnsoners. Though there were several line up changes over the years, those two lead singer changes seem to define their eras, even though Johnson’s is the longer of the two. I don’t know the later era albums from the 2000s very well and I have my suspicions about how I’ll feel when I’m done listening, but I’m going to give it all a fair shake.

For a band like this to still be going after all these years with pretty much the same energy is respectable. While their catalogs have their highs and lows, I feel they warrant a good catalog listen. These are my gut reactions when listening to the entire catalog of AC/DC from start to finish.

 

High Voltage/T.N.T. (1975-76)

I’m combining these first two albums into one for this listen. Turns out, there was an initial album called High Voltage that was released in Australia and New Zealand. Then there was a second album called T.N.T. and it received the same release treatment. It was then decided that they should be internationally known, so Atlantic Records/ATCO decided to combine tracks from these records and make a new album confusingly called High Voltage. I’ll be listening to the original releases of these since the international version doesn’t contain all of the tracks from both albums. Also it seems they went through a number of line up changes, too numerous and confusing to mention for now.

Their first official album, High Voltage, is fun but definitely sounds like a band defining their sound and honing their skills. However, the clever themes and puns are all intact with songs like “She’s Got Balls,” and “Soul Stripper.” Bon Scott sounds exactly like he did on his last album with the band. Everything’s in place. The foundation is laid (which sounds like the title of a would-be song by them.) The weird track here for me is “Love Song.” It feels out of place, like something a different band would write. It’s a good thing they got out of the love song business and stuck to riff-based bluesy rock.

“It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘N’ Roll)” is everything the band has always represented. They’ve basically made a career out of rewriting this song and maybe three other songs over and over again, but with any other band it would be lame. T.N.T. is a much better album if you’re comparing these. The title track, “The Jack,” and “T.N.T.” alone are worth the price of admission. It’s a solid release.

Line up:

• Bon Scott – lead vocals
• Angus Young – lead guitar, rhythm guitar
• Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals, lead guitar
• George Young – bass guitar
• Rob Bailey – bass guitar
• Mark Evans – bass guitar
• Peter Clack – drums
• Phil Rudd – drums
• Tony Currenti – drums

 

Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (1976)

This is the stuff. The band hits its stride on this one. The title track is classic. “Problem Child,” “Big Balls,” and “Jailbreak” are all favorites of mine, and they rock hard. I had forgotten how cool “Ride On” is. The guitar solo is killer. Ironic that Bon is singing about stuff that eventually killed him. Angus’ guitar work definitely leveled up on this record. The solos are more exciting, the riffs are crisp, and Bon Scott knows how to sing around and in between them skillfully. I feel like this album defined their sound and locked it in. You can’t help but bop your head to this stuff.

Line Up:

• Bon Scott – lead vocals
• Angus Young – lead guitar
• Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
• Mark Evans – bass guitar
• Phil Rudd – drums

 

Let There Be Rock (1977)

Now that they’ve perfected the formula, they are laser focused on delivering riff-based guitar rock with playful lyrics and powerful guitar solos. It’s all here. Not sure why, but the production feels a little darker here. The guitars are a little boxier, perhaps? “Let There Be Rock” and “Whole Lotta Rosie” still bring the thrills after all this time. When they go into blues, however, things start to sound the same as their other blues efforts. “Crabsody In Blue” is the culprit here. Same beat, same tempo, same key even (perhaps) as other songs like “The Jack” or “Ride On.” Still good stuff though. Fully enjoyable. Oh! And the iconic logo makes its debut on this cover.

Line Up:

• Bon Scott – lead vocals
• Angus Young – lead guitar
• Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
• Mark Evans – bass guitar
• Phil Rudd – drums

 

Powerage (1978)

Line up changes don’t mean too much in this band until Back in Black comes around, but it’s good to note that this is bassist Cliff Williams’ first album with the boys. For some reason, they skipped the iconic logo this time.

Not gonna lie, this album rocks hard. It’s a bit of an underdog. It’s not like there are lots of tracks that people talk about all the time. It’s not as well-known as something like Dirty Deeds or Highway to Hell. I think “Riff Raff” might be my favorite track. It’s a fresh deviation from the usual mid-tempo stuff. “Rock ‘N’ Roll Damnation” feels like standard fare for the band. I might be imagining things but “Gimme a Bullet” reminds me a lot of “Highway to Hell” in the verses for some reason. It’s one of those examples of how the band keeps writing the same type of songs but somehow it works and it’s still enjoyable. Ripping off yourself is allowed. “Sin City” and “What’s Next to the Moon” are definitely cool tunes. “Kicked in the Teeth” is a great album closer.

All in all, I think this is a better album than Let There Be Rock. It’s slightly more mature.

Line Up:

• Bon Scott – lead vocals
• Angus Young – lead guitar
• Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
• Cliff Williams – bass guitar
• Phil Rudd – drums

 

Highway to Hell (1979)

There’s a first and a last here. This is the first album the band did with Robert John “Mutt” Lange at the help. This is also the last album with Bon Scott on lead vocals who died almost a year after this album was released. You can say what you want about Lange, but this album sounds fantastic. The backing vocals are improved, also a result of Lange.

As far as the songs go, the title track is textbook AC/DC perfection. If you want to get technical about it, it’s probably one of their best tracks ever, if not the best. “Walk All Over You” has echoes of the forthcoming “For Those About to Rock,” again demonstrating the way the band reuses material. I may be hearing things, but I also hear a bit of “Thunderstruck” in “Shot Down in Flames.” In “Touch Too Much” you can hear where Lange would go in the 80s with Def Leppard and Bryan Adams, especially the distinctive backing vocals. “Beating Around the Bush” is boogie-tastic.

Despite all this, it’s a very good album and enjoyable to throw on at any time you just need some fun rock tunes to make you feel good.

Line Up:

• Bon Scott – lead vocals
• Angus Young – lead guitar
• Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
• Cliff Williams – bass guitar
• Phil Rudd – drums

 

Back in Black (1980)

This is the big one. So, you might call Highway to Hell the beginning of a transition for the band. Back in Black solidifies this transition. Bon Scott passed away and Brian Johnson stepped right in. His style was definitely different. I’d say it’s less melodic and cheeky, but more screechy. Somehow it seemed to work, though because this is another one of those perfect albums you just can’t deny. It’s a shame Bon Scott wasn’t there to be part of it.

As far as AC/DC albums go, this one’s pretty much perfect. I mean, just look at the track list. You put it on, it rocks from start to finish, and you smile. Maybe Scott isn’t there anymore, but these guys hardly miss a step. If you’re looking for guitar-driven pure rock, you really can’t get better than this. It blows away, or sits on equal ground with any other rock band of that era, while somehow still sitting comfortably alongside their previous efforts. Its influence cannot be denied. I mean, we’ve all heard You Shook Me All Night Long a million times, but it always makes people get up and dance or sing along. It’s still a great song.

Line Up:

• Brian Johnson – lead vocals
• Angus Young – lead guitar
• Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
• Cliff Williams – bass guitar
• Phil Rudd – drums

 

For Those About to Rock (1981)

This is where things start to shift a little. Everyone knows that when you peak with a perfect album, it’s really hard to follow that up with something critically better, although everyone expects you to do just that. They certainly did try, though. The album is pretty standard stuff for the band, but somehow it ended up in the shadow of its predecessor. It was their first number one US album, though, so that counts for something. In that regard, it was a success, but I think most people agree that Back in Black is a much better album. Numbers aren’t everything.

That said, I think that the title track is one of the coolest songs they’re ever written. The rest of the album is mediocre, though. There are good moments, but nothing more memorable to me than the title track. I think this is the beginning of a downward spiral that would continue until 1990’s “Thunderstruck” took everyone by storm.

Line Up:

• Brian Johnson – lead vocals
• Angus Young – lead guitar
• Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
• Cliff Williams – bass guitar
• Phil Rudd – drums

 

Flick of the Switch (1983)

This is a weird one. You can tell right away that the band decided to produce themselves. It’s a little more raw, but it doesn’t get them back to their older sound. “Rising Power” is very silly to me. “Bedlam in Belgium?” Really, guys? It sounds like a late 80s hair metal anthem or something. They kicked out Mutt Lange as producer and Rudd was too wasted to stay in the band after this one. The cracks were showing.

On their earlier releases, they were able to recycle material without sounding like it. It’s one of the band’s superpowers. This album doesn’t quite get there. It sounds like more of the same, but not as good. I do like the title track though. I had to look at the track listing to realize that the last song was called “Brain Shake” because I had no idea what Johnson was saying. That’s a pretty common thing, actually. “Badlands” sound like a very light version of “In My Time of Dying” from Led Zeppelin. I mean, not bad, but I feel like I’ve heard it before.

They must have sensed something was up because after this, they released an EP called ’74 Jailbreak with older songs on it. Maybe they wanted to remind people of what they used to sound like. I’m not including that in this listen.

Line Up:

• Brian Johnson – lead vocals
• Angus Young – lead guitar
• Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
• Cliff Williams – bass guitar
• Phil Rudd – drums

 

Fly on the Wall/Who Made Who (1985-6)

I’ve decided to combine these two since one is pretty awful, and the other is a soundtrack album that contains a few of the same songs. For Fly on the Wall, they decided to produce themselves again. Not smart. I don’t know if it’s the new drummer (Simon Wright) or the production, but the drums sound awful. They are trying to sound big, but actually sound like they’re in the next room or a box somewhere. I’ve heard a lot of AC/DC and if this isn’t their worst effort, I’m not sure what is. This is just generic mediocrity. “Danger” must be some kind of a joke. I mean, one of the songs is called “Playing with Girls.” It’s like they’re not even trying anymore. This album is completely forgettable.

Who Made Who is interesting. Stephen King needed a soundtrack and he called on the band, being a big fan. Only three songs are new, and two are instrumentals. “Who Made Who” is actually a pretty decent tune. The rest of the album is made up of older songs so naturally it sold pretty well. The movie (Maximum Overdrive) flopped, however, but that had nothing to do with the band.

Line Up:

• Brian Johnson – lead vocals
• Bon Scott – lead vocals
• Angus Young – lead guitar
• Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
• Cliff Williams – bass guitar
• Mark Evans – bass guitar
• Simon Wright – drums
• Phil Rudd – drums

 

Blow Up Your Video (1988)

So the last few albums saw a band in a downward spiral. I think this album is where they start to get their groove back. They got some production help and upped the fun factor. “Heatseeker” is a decent opener, but “That’s the Way I Wanna Rock ‘N’ Roll” is the standout track for me. It’s probably the best tune they released since “For Those About to Rock.” Many of the songs like “Meanstreak” and “Go Zone” have good grooves.

It’s not an amazing album, but it’s definitely a good one. It’s more interesting to listen to, at least. It’s not the same old regurgitated riffs and licks. It feels fresh. They were clearly paving the way for their next album, which would prove to be a huge hit.

Line Up:

• Brian Johnson – lead vocals
• Angus Young – lead guitar
• Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
• Cliff Williams – bass guitar
• Phil Rudd – drums

 

The Razors Edge (1990)

New drummer alert! Chris Slade takes the throne for this album. I remember seeing the video for “Thunderstruck” when it came out and wondering how the drummer lost all his hair, but it was someone else. Anyhow, the band came back with a vengeance on this album. The production from Bruce Fairbairn gave them a modern sound while still staying true to the spirit of the band. I won’t go on about “Thunderstruck” any longer. It’s a perfect song. Love it. That is all. But how about the rest of the album?

I’ll be honest here. I never really liked the song “Moneytalks.” It was around this time that Johnson’s vocals became extra screechy to me. I hate the chorus and the way it sounds. I never thought that song was strong enough to be a single. Shows how much I know, I guess. It’s their biggest charting single. “Fire Your Guns” would have been a better choice, and it rocks hard. The title track is pretty good too. There are a few duds on here. “Mistress for Christmas” and “Got You by the Balls” are a little goofy. “Are You Ready” was also a single, but it sounds hokey and generic to me. The rest of it is listenable but nothing out of the ordinary.

In the end, this was a defining moment for the band that proved to everyone they could survive just about anything.

Line Up:

• Brian Johnson – lead vocals
• Angus Young – lead guitar
• Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
• Cliff Williams – bass guitar
• Chris Slade – drums

 

Ballbreaker (1995)

After some touring and a live album, the boys came back with this album. It marked the return of drummer Phil Rudd. This time Rick Rubin was in the producer’s chair. While the album sounds fine, I’m not so sure he was the best choice.

“Hard as a Rock” is a good tune. While I like the groove of “Cover You in Oil,” I feel dirty listening to it. “Boogie Man” is kind of cool though. It reminds me of their older blues efforts. I didn’t know this previously, but apparently “Burnin’ Alive” was inspired by the Waco, Texas massacre. I also didn’t know there was some controversy about the songs “The Furor” and “Hail Ceasar.” I mean, I didn’t think AC/DC ever got that deep into politics. My guess is people were reading into some things.

While the band isn’t really breaking any new ground here, the songs are all listenable and undeniably AC/DC. Nothing gave me the urge to skip tracks.

Line Up:

• Brian Johnson – lead vocals
• Angus Young – lead guitar
• Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
• Cliff Williams – bass guitar
• Phil Rudd – drums

 

Stiff Upper Lip (2000)

I’m enjoying the fact that this one was recorded at The Warehouse, which is owned by Bryan Adams. I’m a big fan. This time, production reverted back to brother George Young, who has always been the band’s “fifth Beatle” from the beginning.

I have to be honest here. These albums from the 2000s were the ones I’ve been dreading. Outside of a song or two, I don’t know them at all so my expectations are pretty low. Johnson gets more and more incoherent as time goes by. They’re going to have to grab me with something new and different to keep my attention.

That said, the title track did grab me, but in a way that standards from the band do. Straight driving beat, punny lyrics, simplicity, loud solo. Status Quo. It’s a good opener. Some of these tunes start off sounding pretty cool or have a good groove, only to devolve into a silly chorus. “House of Jazz” is one of those tunes. “Safe In New York City” almost falls into that category also, but it’s a fun tune.

Look, in the end it still sounds like them, but you can’t help but think that they’ve already done what they can do. It’s cool to have more music from them so I guess we should be happy when they spit out an album, because it still rocks harder than most things out there, if you like that sort of thing.

Line Up:

• Brian Johnson – lead vocals
• Angus Young – lead guitar
• Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
• Cliff Williams – bass guitar
• Phil Rudd – drums

 

Black Ice (2008)

They emerge eight years later with yet another generic album with another generic cover. The last few album covers haven’t been too exciting. Brendan O’Brien takes the help, and I’m noticing a pattern here when reading some of the reference material about these efforts. All of these albums from the 2000s keep mentioning that the producer is trying to capture the sound of the band’s earlier work. I guess they’ll just keep trying because I don’t think anyone has ever done this successfully.

This album is basically more of the same. I’d say the production is closer to The Razors Edge than the last few albums. Drums are a little more up front in the mix. The guitars have some different effects going on. I don’t really like it. It sounds grungy and not AC/DC at all. I feel like I’ve heard all these songs before.

Line Up:

• Brian Johnson – lead vocals
• Angus Young – lead guitar
• Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
• Cliff Williams – bass guitar
• Phil Rudd – drums

 

Rock or Bust (2014)

Another terrible album cover. The band kept busy in the early 2010s with a compilation, a soundtrack, and a live album, most of which consisted of existing material. Then they decided to team up with Brendan O’Brien again for this album. I have to admit that hearing all this 2000s AC/DC in a row is really taxing on the ears. It’s repetitive and sometimes just… there. If these are just vehicles to drive tours, so be it, but I’m not hearing anything in these albums that’s making me want to hear the songs again. It’s like they take all the things they’ve done before, stick them in a blender, and pour it out into a big shake for you to drink. That’s not to say it’s bad. It’s just more of the same.

Relative Stevie Young replaced the ailing Malcom on guitar. You can’t notice, though. This was also that crazy tour where Phil Rudd was replaced with Chris Slade, and Axl Rose took over on lead vocals because of Brian Johnson’s hearing issues. The whole band seemed to be in disarray.

As for the songs, “Rock or Bust” is some kind of echo of “Back in Black”, I think. “Rock the Blues Away” sounds like something an 80s country rocker like Henry Lee Summer would play. I don’t get that one. It’s pretty wimpy for AC/DC. “Rock the House” has a pretty great riff. I’ll admit that “Emission Control” is a pretty clever pun that made me chuckle. The rest is standard fare.

Well, people do love this stuff and all these albums perform well enough, with some singles charting high, so why wouldn’t they keep spitting out these albums?

Line Up:

• Brian Johnson – lead vocals
• Angus Young – lead guitar
• Steve Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
• Cliff Williams – bass guitar
• Phil Rudd – drums

 

Power Up (2020)

We’ve reached the last of the terrible album covers. Whatever happened to Angus impaling himself, or having wires for hands. Or even just wearing a funny hat?

These guys really put the concept of reusing your own material over and over again to the test. I think with this album they finally reached the end of the line. While I love the band and all they’ve done for rock music, I just don’t see them coming out with anything else that’s groundbreaking or interesting anymore. I can’t tell the songs from one album to the next. It really wasn’t like that in the early days, which makes me think that besides Back in Black and a few other songs, I’m firmly in the Bon Scott camp. I miss the guy and I hate that people abuse alcohol and drugs to the point where they have to go and die.

It’s always good to hear from them. They are great at what they do. I just can’t get excited about their new material. Their early stuff was great, but anything after 1990 is pretty much just stuff to put on while having a party or cleaning the house.

Line Up:

• Brian Johnson – lead vocals
• Angus Young – lead guitar
• Steve Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
• Cliff Williams – bass guitar
• Phil Rudd – drums