Absolutely my favorite moment by this band. “Back In Black” and “Highway to Hell” will always be the icons in the public’s eye but I didn’t really feel the full brunt of the power which is AC/DC until I saw the video for the title track on Headbangers Ball when I was 13. The raw look, and hairy charisma are in full display as Bon Scott relays a hard luck tale of penitentary escape. Scotts voice is in full throttle on this single and the riff is in my opinion one of Malcolm Youngs finest, if not one of the best in the history of Rock N’ Roll. During early era of the band, AC/DC had more youthful pluck and had an immediacy that in a few years later and another vocalist later had turned into a grizzled snarl by the 1980s. For some reason I always picture shirtless pasty high school dropouts working on Trans Ams in their driveways with the sun beating down on their dirty dishwater mullets when I hear these sounds, but it doesn’t make me any less of a fan. In fact, quality time spent with their 70’s output will reveal a quality hard blues band that even crosses the line into punk at times. They have an unbelievably militaristic and successful musical formula (spartan drums, simple rhythms, sophomoric sexual metaphors, Angus solos on top) that hasn’t changed in their extremely long standing career spanning multiple decades. It definitely wasn’t broke, so they obviously didn’t fix it. Brian Johnson may have been an able replacement, but the true spirit of the band died with Bon Scott in the back of that car. If you need more proof of this, the exciting and eyecatching 12” cover says it all! I want that red SG btw……
recordlections 