MattA75's Full Review: Dirty Deeds Done Cheap [Remaster] by AC/DC
Throughout the history of rock music, there have been numerous artists who have expanded on their original sound, made bold statements, delved into sounds from the Middle East, and experimented with other genres such as jazz, soul, gospel, the blues, and hip hop. And so, with good reason, these bands become critically hailed artists for decade upon decade, as a new generation of music lovers and fans discover their songs and their albums.
In terms of raw, meat and potatoes rock and roll though, there is no band as no nonsense as AC/DC. Especially for the teenage male, perhaps no band is easier to relate to than the masters of the double entendre, the power chord, and of course, the schoolboy outfit.
It is sad, therefore, to point out that Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap didn't appear in the US until 1981 (six years after its original release in the band's native Australia), after lead singer Bon Scott had died and had been replaced by Brian Johnson. More importantly, it was after AC/DC became a household name thanks to Back in Black.
So while the Brian Johnson era of the band has resulted in very much mixed results, for the most part, the Bon Scott era of AC/DC was extremely solid, from the band's somewhat overrated debut High Voltage, to Scott's swan song, 1979's Highway to Hell.
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap is not the band's best album, and many could make the argument that it wouldn't make the top three albums of the band's career. What it is, however, is yet another solid reminder of what rock once could be, and what rock no longer is.
The title track has long been a live favorite band, thanks in no small part to Malcolm Young's vocal chant and its at the time risque subject matter. It wasn't every day back in 1975 that bands would sing about pimps and prostitutes, then again, it wasn't every day that a singer as talented and charismatic as Bon Scott came along.
Love at First Feel has a simple, bluesy feel to it as Scott sings about the touch of an underage girl. While musically, the song is a romp, it is Scott's goofy, exuberant delivery that makes the song such a great time to listen to.
We then hit perhaps the album's most recognizable song. Big Balls, one of the most irreverant songs ever written. The song has a raw energy to it, even though it is perhaps one of the most quiet songs the band ever wrote. And to this day, even after numerous listens, I can't help but laugh at lines like "it's my belief that my big balls should be held every night" and "some balls are held for charity, and some for fancy dress, but when they're held for pleasure, they're the balls that I like best." Complete and utter ridiculousness, and I love every single second of it.
The album then takes a hard rocking turn, with Rocker a hard charging blast of rock and roll that could be presented as the blueprint for bands like The Black Crowes, while Problem Child is one of the band's better earlier anthems.
The blues stomper There's Gonna Be Some Rockin' could almost be seen as the band's theme song, especially given the fact that the next three albums of the band's career would be their best.
Despite some nice guitar work from Angus Young, Ain't No Fun (Waiting Round to be a Millionaire) is much too long (just a hair under 7 minutes) and doesn't pack the same wallop that the band does on their shorter, more focused tracks.
They make up for this with the slow, methodical Ride On, which shows off the obvious influence of Keith Richards on the guitar playing of the Young brothers. What's nice about Ride On is that it is a slow song, but it still feels raw, in no small part to the production of Harry Vanda and George Young.
Unfortunately, the album ends on a bit of a generic note with Squealer. However, don't let that fact color your decision on whether or not you should own this album. While not a certifiable five star classic in the vein of Powerage, Highway to Hell or Back in Black, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap works quite well thank you. 4 stars.
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