At this point, the only reason to get excited for a new AC/DC album isn't for the album itself, but for the tour that will follow it. So in honor of the band's new album Black Ice (which is actually pretty good, but is not listed on Eps yet for review), and for the fact that I have tickets for the band's November 9th show in Boston, I'm gonna look back on the last time that AC/DC was a commercial juggernaut in terms of album sales.

No one really saw the success of The Razors Edge coming when it was released in 1990. Since 1983's Flick of the Switch, the band had released a handful of albums with diminishing returns. Sure, they still went platinum, but albums like Fly on the Wall and Blow Up Your Video never really garnered any major hits (the closest thing to one was Heatseeker off of the latter).

That all changed with The Razors Edge, which saw the dawn of two of the biggest hits of AC/DC's career. The opening Thunderstruck has a guitar riff that has become one of the best known in rock and roll history. Lead guitarist Angus Young lets loose a pair of jaw dropping solos, while singer Brian Johnson does his usual mix of shriek and whiskey. But aside from the guitars and the "thun-der!" chants, the thing that really holds this song down is the rhythm section of bassist Cliff Williams and drummer Chris Slade (making his first and last appearance on an AC/DC record). They lay down a thick, pounding backbeat that meshes perfectly with what Angus and his brother Malcolm are laying down.

While Thunderstruck has remained a live staple and a fan favorite, I think MoneyTalks was the bigger hit at the time. Following the melodic hooks of past hits like You Shook Me All Night Long. the riff almost sings itself. Some diehards dislike the song, feeling it represents a softer, poppier AC/DC that began when Brian Johnson took over for the late, great Bon Scott. Is it poppy? Sure. But it also has that signature AC/DC attitude and sound that makes it unmistakable.

The band's penchant for double entendres continues throughout the record. This record was the first time that Malcolm and Angus Young wrote all the lyrics themselves (Johnson was going thru a divorce), and the song titles almost make that too obvious: Fire Your Guns, Got You By the Balls, Shot of Love, Let's Make It. But Mistress for Christmas has the most, and is quite possibly the best Christmas song ever recorded by a rock band. Of course, it's entirely inappropriate for family gatherings, but it wouldn't be AC/DC if it was.

The rest of the record is what you'd expect from an AC/DC record. There is some filler (If You Dare and Rock Your Heart Out stand out), and some good songs that aren't bad but don't stand up to past album tracks (Shot of Love is a lot of fun, and Fire Your Guns is 3 minutes of pure scorch).

The Razors Edge doesn't stand up to the band's best albums, but it is better than most of their post Back in Black output. Beginners should check out that album, along with the oft-overlooked by casual fans Powerage, and Highway to Hell first.

3.5 stars, rounded down