Coming off my four album trek of Barbra Streisand, I need something a little edgy, heavy, and loud, but turned down, cause my old ears. I'm heading right back into unfamiliar territory as I dig into the world of AC/DC. As the story often goes, I picked up their entire discography from the 80's, and then proceeded to let it sit on the shelf with the usual mindset of, "I'll get around to it."
I've heard the hits from the band, and that's really what prompted the majority of my buying. However, as albums got checked off, it also became the standard game of, "Well, this one is here, and relatively cheap (in the used CD bin)", and then "Well, this is the only one left to get to have them all." You know, the mental gymnastics we collector's do to justify our bloated buying habits.
Digging into the history, as I prepared for this journey, I was intrigued to see that there were two versions of their debut album, High Voltage. The first, in 1975, was limited to an Australasia release. I also got a geography lesson, learning that Australasia is a sub-region of Oceania, comprising Australia, New Zealand (overlapping with Polynesia), and sometimes including New Guinea and surrounding islands (overlapping with Melanesia). Educational!
High Voltage was then re-released (sort of) in 1976 in mass internationally. However, this version of the album was a compilation of selected tracks from both the original cut of Voltage, as well as the band's second album, T.N.T., also limited to an Australasia release. The original versions of both were released for the first time on CD between 1986 and 1987. However, it's interesting to note that to date, not outside of Australia and New Zealand.
There's a lot of history to fill in, but for now, let's jump to 1980, when work began on Back In Black. February, to narrow it down. Shortly after commencing, singer, Bon Scott would enjoy a night out with friend, Alistair Kinnear, heavily drinking. Upon returning home, Kinnear would leave a passed out Scott in the passenger seat to sleep it off. However, he would later rush him to a hospital when unable to wake him. Bon was pronounced dead.
Disheveled by the loss, the remaining members of the band considered calling it quits. However, it would be Scott's parents who would tell them that he would have wanted to see them carry on. With this blessing, a number of names would be put forth for consideration, but ultimately it would be Brian Johnson who got the gig. This was not only because he impressed in his multiple auditions, but also because the band liked his personality, wanted someone who wouldn't simply be an impersonator of Scott, and also because they recalled Scott himself praising Johnson's vocals when he was with the group, Geordie.
Work once again commenced on Back In Black, releasing it in July of that same year. It instantly catapulted in sales, becoming AC/DC's biggest album to date, certified 12X platinum by the ARIA, 2X platinum by the SNEP, BVMI, and BPI, platinum by the IFPI, and RMNZ, 2X diamond by RIAA, and diamond by the CRIA. Basically, they sold a ton of albums. The world not only embraced the new AC/DC, but shoveled a bajillion dollars at them.
That's a lot of sales, and psyches me up a bit for diving in. So, let's go.
Things kick off with Hells Bells. It's a track I've heard before, and it of course makes its way to my shuffle list. Among those also selected were, Back In Black (the song), You Shook Me All Night Long, and Shake A Leg. I almost added Have A Drink On Me, but decided to edit myself, lest I continue to pile on my already bloated IPOD.
The name of the game was high energy sound, both in terms of instrumentation, and Johnson's powerful vocals. It's definitely music that will wake you up, and a vast contradiction to my prior walk through Barbra Streisand's albums. Of course, that would be like comparing apples to a-bombs.
I actually had to go to the bathroom midway through, but didn't want to pull myself away. You know something's good when you have to pee, but refuse to walk away. In fact, after racing to the toilet, I'm going to immediately dive into 1981's For Those About To Rock We Salute You. If this pace keeps up, I can definitely see myself becoming an AC/DC fan.
I'll also dive further into the past of AC/DC as the posts unfold over the next four albums, as well as look at where they've gone since the 80's ended. I'm excited for it all.
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Disclaimer: They Toy Box does not endorse or contribute to piracy. Retro Spins posts are intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. None of the music discussed here is available for sale, downloading or distribution.
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| THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS September 24, 1983 |
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| THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS September 24, 1988 |
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