The Toy Box: AC/DC

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Retro Spins: AC/DC - Blow Up Your Video

Today I make my way though the final 80's studio album from AC/DC, 1988's Blow Up Your Video. It's been a journey of hope, one where I wanted to like the band more than I ultimately did. However, it's also not been a total loss, nor disappointing. As a whole, AC/DC is okay. They're just not mind blowing.

Sessions for the album began in October 1987, and when completed in September, the band had sixteen songs, which they whittled down to ten for the album. It would become the last album which Brian Johnson would contribute to writing on, with all future songs being written strictly by Angus and Malcom Young. While no official explanation has been given, fans state Johnson was going through a divorce at the time writing for 1990's The Razor Edge began, and simply withdrew from the process, not returning to it since.

During the recording sessions, it was also become apparent to those around brother Malcom Young that he had a problem with alcoholism. While he'd make it through the production, he'd ultimately withdraw briefly from the supporting tour to seek help. He was temporarily replaced during the US leg by nephew Stevie Young.

Feeling restricted creatively, drummer Simon Wright would also leave the band in 1989. He'd go on to work with Dio on his 1990 album, as well as several in the 2000's. During this time, as well as after, he would also go on to work with UFO, Geoff Tate's Queensrÿche, Rhino Bucket, and more. Chris Slade would take his place in AC/DC. More on this below.

As for the album itself, there were some standout tracks, which included, Heatseeker, Nick Of Time, and Two's Up. What I particularly noticed, with exception of the latter, is that the band seems to perform well when writing and performing versus. However, when the choruses come into play, this is where things fall apart, at least for me. They just don't payoff the hooks that are building, and I think this is more so lyrically then instrumental wise.

It was a decent album, and a fine way to close out the year, though not spectacular by any stretch of the imagination. At the end of my journey do I like AC/DC? Yeah, they're okay. I wouldn't write them off as a flash in the pants band, but at the same time, I wouldn't personally categorize them as a legacy band, despite their endurance and contributions to rock and roll.

AC/DC would see a resurgence in 1990 with their next album, The Razor's Edge, which featured the massive hit, Thunderstruck. They'd continue to ride this wave into 1993 with the single, Big Gun, from the Arnold Schwarzenegger film, The Last Action Hero.

As work began on what would become 1995's Ballbreaker, newest member, Chris Slade would receive an unceremonious call from Malcom Young informing him that the band wanted to try a reunion with prior member Phil Rudd. While Young told him he'd like to keep Slade on the sideline as a backup if things didn't work out with Rudd, the drummer refused. Despite this, there was no animosity, or hard feelings.

With the new / old lineup of Brian Johnson, Phil Rudd, Cliff Williams, and the Young Brothers, the band would return to the studio for the next several years to release the aforementioned Ballbreaker, 2000's Stiff Upper Lip, 2008's Black Ice, and 2014's Rock Or Bust. During this time, AC/DC remained multi-platinum sellers, and continued to chart singles.

By 2014, Malcom Young was suffering with dementia, and ultimately needed to retire from music and the band. He was replaced by nephew Stevie once again. In 2015, Phil Rudd ran into legal troubles, which resulted in him being placed under house arrest. While Chris Slade would return to drums for the tours which followed, by 2020 he was once again sidelined when Rudd returned for the release of AC/DC's latest album to date, Power Up. While they've continued to tour, no word has been mentioned of any new studio albums in the works.

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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.

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
September 28, 1985

Retro Spins: AC/DC - Fly On The Wall

Oh, AC/DC. How you disappoint me. I really wanted to be a fan at this point in their discography. However, I keep getting delivered mediocrity, which is simply unacceptable from a legacy band. At this point, I'm more so trying to figure out what all the hubbub is about. At the same time, I'm also hopeful that with two more studio albums left to go that they'll change my mind.

Prior to the release of 1985's Fly On The Wall, Atlantic Records put together the EP, '74 Jailbreak. The album consisted of four tracks originally released on the Australian version of the bands 1974 debut, High Voltage, as well as the title track, which only appeared on the Australian version of their 1976 album, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. All of the songs featured the lineup of the time in which they were recorded.

Fly On The Wall, itself, continued a steady decline in popularity for AC/DC upon its release. Oddly, this was not necessarily translated over to album sales, which continued to reach platinum accreditation on the ARIA. Critically, the album was panned, not only for the music itself, but the quality of the mixing. Many critics compared it to nothing short of AC/DC being a tribute band to AC/DC. A band trying to hard to stay relevant among the thrash metal and hair band scene.

One specific critique that I can certainly get behind is that the vocals of Brian Johnson are difficult to understand because the music is so loud in comparison. Apparently AC/DC felt the same, because when select tracks were pulled for the Maximum Overdrive soundtrack the following year, the volume of the vocals were raised. We'll get more into that soundtrack below.

I suppose that's the best segue into the album that I can give. Overall, it's a difficult album to listen to, and this all comes back to what's noted above. The mixing of the vocals is simply too low. I can't make out a single word being sung. Mind you, I was listening to it with headphones on, so all the sound was literally going directly to my ears. It's still incoherent.

Frankly, there's not much more I can say about it. I can't hear most of it to actually critique it. I suppose out of it all, the song Danger did stand out for me.

Further controversy marred Fly On The Wall, and the band as a whole, when serial killer Richard Ramirez was arrested in August 1985. Ramirez told police the "Night Prowler" from 1979's Highway to Hell had driven him to commit murder. Police also claimed that Ramirez was wearing an AC/DC shirt and left an AC/DC hat at one of the crime scenes. The media pounced on the opportunity, claiming the bands name was actually an acronym for Anti-Christ, Devil's Child, and used all the fuel they could get to slander the band with wild accusations.

The following year, the band released the soundtrack to Maximum Overdrive, titling it Who Made Who. It consisted mostly of songs taken from prior albums, but don't call it a greatest hits. AC/DC doesn't believe in releasing those, stating it's lazy, and a cash grab. The album contains the new single, Who Made Who, as well as instrumental tracks, D.T., and Chase The Ace. The remaining six songs come from Back In Black, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, Fly On The Wall, and For Those About To Rock We Salute You. Though the film was critically panned, the title track of the album managed to be the highest hit for the band that year, reaching the top ten in Australia, and peaking at 16 in the UK. It also reached number two in Hit Parader magazine on their Best Songs Of 1986 poll.

However, it would be two more years before AC/DC would return to the studio for their final album of the decade, 1988's Blow Up Your Video. We'll wrap that one up tomorrow.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
September 27, 1980

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
September 27, 1986

Retro Spins: AC/DC - Flick Of The Switch

When I last left AC/DC, with their bloated album title, For Those About To Rock We Salute You, I wasn't necessarily blown away. The album was mediocre at best, and lacked anything really worth adding to my shuffle list.

Still invested, I turned my sights to 1983's Flick Of The Switch. However, my excitement level quickly dropped as I continued reading up on the band's history. Let's just say, Flick didn't necessarily turn any heads. Critical reviews considered the album to be underdeveloped and unmemorable, while one critic even stated that they "had made the same album nine times". Guns For Hire would be the only song to reach the Billboard Hot 100, and it would stall at number eighty-four.

Further, the band's own label hated the album art. While the brothers wanted to feature an embossed finish, much like their Back In Black release, the label refused, stating there were no hits on the album worth investing the money in.

While recording the album, tensions between Malcom Young and Phil Rudd would reach a boiling point, resulting in a physical altercation. The result was Rudd being fired, replaced by Simon Wright, selected among the seven hundred individuals who auditioned. Though Wright would appear in the multiple promotional music videos for the album, he doesn't appear to have actually recorded any of the music for it.

The lineup of Johnson, Williams, Wright, and the Young brothers would finish out the decade with 1985's Fly On The Wall, and 1988's Blow Up Your Video. However, before we get to those latter two, we first need to take a pause, and actually play through Flick of The Switch. Just based on the history alone, it's not off to a good start.

As Rising Power kicked off, I was surprised to find my head bobbing, and my toes tapping. Admittedly, it made me feel the critics might have been wrong about this one, and even shifted my overall mood about it.

The energy of Flick Of The Switch stayed high, with thunderous drums, screeching vocals, and edgy guitars. However, I did ultimately see what the critics, and even the label were talking about. No hits. By track five, I couldn't even have told you how any of the songs went, to and include the first, which initially had me rethinking my opinion.

Overall, I think I'm with the critics on this one. It's decent, but it's been done before. There are no hits, and no hooks to really keep you invested. It's a solid rock album though. Tracks, Rising Power, Deep In The Hole, Bedlam In Belgium are adequate, but nothing to really write home about. They'll probably make their way to my shuffle list, where they'll inevitably be skipped for the remainder of all eternity when they come around.

In continuing my reading of AC/DC, it appears that 1985's Fly On The Wall fared no better critically, so I'd be lying if I said I had high hopes at this point. Mind you, I don't hate what I've been hearing. I guess I was just hoping that I'd become a fan of the band, which simply isn't happening. Well, they've got two more albums to prove me wrong. Three, if you count their 1986 soundtrack to Maximum Overdrive. But, we'll get into all of that next time.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
September 26, 1981

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
September 26, 1987

Retro Spins: AC/DC - For Those About To Rock We Salute You

Brothers Malcom and Angus Young formed AC/DC in Sydney, Australia in 1973 with Colin Burgess, Larry Van Kriedt, and Dave Evans. The name of the band would come when the sister of the Young's pointed it out to them on the label of her sewing machine's plug. The boys felt it perfectly described the raw energy and the power-driven performances of their music.

The group would begin recording sessions in January 1974 at EMI Studios. However, shortly after commencing, Burgess was fired as a result of being passed out from alcoholism at a performance. Van Kriedt was also fired around this time period. However, little is known as to what happened that led to the decision. Neil Smith and Noel Taylor were brought in as replacements, but only lasted six weeks before being replaced in turn by Rob Bailey and Peter Clack, respectively.

Initially, AC/DC adopted a glam rock style. However, after signing with Albert Productions in June of 1974, began shifting to a pub rock sound. As a result of this, they no longer felt Evans was the right fit as a front man, and parted ways with him. It would be the band's chauffer, Bon Scot, who would take his place in September.

Recording of High Voltage, the band's debut, began in November, and be released, and be released around Australasia in February 1975. However, the month prior to its release, both Bailey and Clack were fired. Paul Matters joined briefly, but he too was fired. Additional members included both Ron Carpenter and Russell Coleman, who brief tenures before Phil Rudd was brought in. Mark Evans would join in March 1975.

The lineup of Scott, Evans, Rudd, and the Young brothers would remain the core for two years, and together record 1975's T.N.T., be featured on the compilation / international release of High Voltage (1976), 1976's Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, and 1977's Let There Be Rock. AC/DC would also sign an international deal with Atlantic Records in 1976, and prepared to embark on a tour with Black Street Crawler. However, the death of Crawler's guitarist, Paul Kossoff, resulted in cancellation of the shows. Atlantic would regroup, and organize the Lock Up Your Daughters tour for the band, which began in June of '76.

While the band continued to tour into 1977, conflicts with Evans began to form, and he was ultimately fired in May, replaced by Cliff Williams. This revised lineup would record and release 1978's Powerage, and 1979's Highway To Hell. With all things realigned, AC/DC began work on what would become the album Back In Black. However, as production kicked off, the band was dealt a blow when lead singer, Bon Scott, died from alcohol poisoning in February 1980. Though they initially considered calling it quits, Scott's parents would encourage them, stating they felt Bon would have wanted them to carry on. After multiple auditions, Brian Johnson joined as their new vocalist.

The lineup of Johnson, Williams, Rudd, and the Young brothers would release 1980's Back In Black, 1981's For Those About To Rock We Salute You, and 1983's Flick Of The Switch. However, before we get to the latter, we first have to stop in the middle for today's Retro Spin.

For Those About To Rock We Salute You, tired of typing that out, was the first AC/DC album to reach number one on the US Billboard charts, and achieve over seven million album sales. Let's Get It Up, and For Those About to Rock (We Salute You) (the song), made it to number thirteen and fifteen, respectively. However, despite this, sales were a major drop off from the band's prior album, Back In Black.

Playing through it, I can understand the reasoning behind it. While the band is at the top of their game, what...sigh....For Those About To Rock We Salute You lacks is any commercial hits. Yes, it does have songs that charted, and those are pretty okay. Ultimately though, these are not what I'd call radio friendly. I'd also go so far as to say they're relatively unmemorable, lacking any catchy hooks.

As a whole, it's just okay, and for me, I chalk it up to sophomore blues. Yes, AC/DC was well established by this point in their careers as a "franchise". However, as a band, this was only their second with their new singer. I would give them the benefit of the doubt, though perhaps incorrectly so, that they were still trying to figure out how to work together as a well oiled machine.

While I didn't necessarily walk away with anything shuffle worthy, I'm not counting the band out. Like I said, the album is okay. It's just lacking a noteworthy hit single. 1983's Flick Of The Switch comes up tomorrow, and we'll see from there if AC/DC was a one and done for me, or if they deliver hard. Heck, even mediocre will do if there's something worth having the album for. I guess we'll see.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
September 25, 1982

Retro Spins: AC/DC - Back In Black

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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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
September 24, 1983

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
September 24, 1988

AC/DC (NECA)

AC/DC
NECA
2007

Admittedly we don't know much about AC / DC the band, and we won't pretend to. Beyond a handful of the "hits", we don't honestly listen to their music and even then don't go out of our way to do so. Because of this we won't jump into details on the band itself as we don't want to offend their fans with what would be nothing more than a cut and paste from Wikipedia.

What we do know about is toys, so we'll focus on that factor.

NECA produced a fantastic two pack in 2007 based on lead singer Brian Johnson and guitarist Angus Young. Between the sculpts, articulation and fun accessories you really won't find a better pair of representations in plastic.

Unfortunately, you also won't find them too cheap these days. Much like the many music related lines which NECA has released in the past, this two pack is going to set you back around $90.00 to $120.00. Pretty steep for two figures. You'll have to be a pretty big fan to swallow that price.

We will say this - The announcement of Axel Rose officially being the front man for tours intrigues us enough that we would definitely check out a live act or even a new studio album (if he were involved). Of course, we also understand that AC / DC purists may find this blasphemous. Believe us, we know how it feels to have some random guy fronting your favorite band. Adam Lambert is currently ruining everything we love about Queen with the help of Brian May and Roger Taylor who seem intent on destroying Freddie Mercury's legacy.

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