lambchops's Full Review: High Voltage [Remaster] by AC/DC
AC/DC has made a long career out of guitar riffs and screeching vocals. The music that this Australian rock band has put together over their nearly thirty year career is amazing, entertaining, and at the heart fun. The lineup has stayed essentially complete since the band’s American debut with 1976’s High Voltage. The one major change is that of Bon Scott.
Scott along with Angus Young (guitar), Malcolm Young (guitar), Phil Rudd (percussion), and Mark Evans (bass) spent the mid-1970’s touring in support of their brand of rock music. The five assembled two albums before making a splash stateside with High Voltage. As a debut, it’s amazing. As just one album out of many, it’s still an impressive musical feat. In fact, Scott recorded just four full-length American releases before he “drunk himself to death” in 1980 and AC/DC was forced to replace him with Brian Johnson. AC/DC did assemble no fewer than three additional albums available in Australia also during the same decade.
Those early albums will go down in history as classic. Beginning with High Voltage, AC/DC became a rock music icon on par with other mega-acts like Aerosmith. Bands like Guns n’ Roses even used the Australian innovators as a model of sorts. But where Guns n’ Roses faded into near obscurity by the mid 1990’s, AC/DC continues to be viewed as masters of their craft.
High Voltage features nine tracks. Released by ATCO in 1976, the album was a blending of two earlier Australian releases…High Voltage [1974] and TNT [1975]. The 1976 release proved a golden opportunity for AC/DC to make the jump to America. Even today, songs like It’s A Long Way To The Top, T.N.T., The Jack and Rock ‘N’ Roll Singer see rotation on rock stations around the country.
Sure AC/DC is pompous, obnoxious, and even a bit rebellious. But, the tracks on High Voltage translate well even today. Common themes include sex, drugs, and rock and roll among other equally cliché topics. So long as you’re not easily offended by such references this act is for you. Angus and Malcolm Young’s guitars are amazing while Scott’s macho yet unwieldy vocals are intensely gratifying. From the first track It’s A Long Way To The Top through the final riffs of High Voltage this is a must own album for any rock fan much less any fan of AC/DC.
The song that first introduced my part of the world to AC/DC was the explosive T.N.T.. Scott’s yelps and Angus’ guitars that introduce the track are representative of the band’s many songs on this album as a whole. Even the lyrics women to the left of me; women to the right are a good reflection of the album as a whole. Lines like lock up your daughter, lock up your wife demonstrate the occasional sense of humor. “Oy!” chants and thunderous dual guitars and drums really put the song over the top and today sound both classic and contemporary. AC/DC proved to Americans with T.N.T. that they weren’t planning on going anywhere except up on this, their first single.
Today, the two most popular tracks from this album are the first two. It’s A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock) is both a personal and radio favorite. With bagpipes in tow and a guitar riff at the apex, this track growls enthusiastically as it rocks. Much of the song focuses on guitar riffs rather than Scott’s trademark feverish vocals. AC/DC possesses to this day great energy. Few debut albums begin with this great of material.
Even Rock ‘N Roll Singer is amazing. In fact, I have to say it’s my favorite track on High Voltage. The track seems to directly foreshadow the band’s atmospheric rise to the top of the rock and roll profession. Hell…they knew as they recorded these songs that they would soon be worldwide hits. This particular track isn’t necessarily as hard rocking as others, but the band had a sort of motive in mind. The riffs aren’t particular hard, but the song is amazing. Absolutely, utterly amazing.
Then there’s The Jack. The track is a bluesy one (common across most AC/DC albums). Slow and plodding with a wry sense of humor, the song is an ode to a woman that was more than a little amorous, claimed to not have gonorrhea, yet managed to infect much of the band with the STD. Few songs successfully speak so openly about such icky diseases. AC/DC speaks in metaphors referring to the disease as The Jack in a high stakes hand of cards. As a whole, this is a great track that also managed to be exceptionally radio friendly. Even today, it gets a few spins.
As High Voltage continues, Live Wire appears. Once again classic, the song represents AC/DC at their musical best with an upbeat tempo, sneaky vocals, dueling guitar riffs, and bassy drums. The one thing that really stops the song from being more popular is the lack of direction in the chorus. Even despite that obvious issue, the song still gets quite a bit of rock rotation.
Finally, the title track that wraps the album up is High Voltage. Not my favorite, really but certainly a decent rock song. As a whole, this is an awesome album worth every single penny paid. It’s probably the fifth or sixth best in AC/DC’s expansive discography. If listeners are looking to own a complete rock music collection, High Voltage should be part. AC/DC fans should also certainly own the album. For fledgling AC/DC listeners, it’s also a necessary album although check out others before this one.
Rating: 5/5 stars
Track Listing:
1. It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock)
2. Rock `N Roll Singer
3. Jack, The
4. Live Wire
5. T.N.T.
6. Can I Sit Next To You Girl
7. Little Lover
8. She's Got Balls
9. High Voltage
Looking to begin an AC/DC collection? Here’s a quick rundown of the most necessary albums:
- Back in Black [1980]
- Highway to Hell [1979]
- Dirty Deed Done Dirt Cheap [1976/1981]
- Let There Be Rock [1977]
- High Voltage [1976]
- The Razors Edge [1990]
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This review was part of my man Ekidd911’s “In Memory Of” Write-off. The task was to choose an artist who has passed away, and review an album of theirs. I’d advise you to check out both Evan and the other excellent participants of this w/o… listed below for your convenience :-)
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