What the hell is it about AC/DC that has allowed their rock 'n' roll career to span nearly 40 years?
Their sound has not even remotely changed over that time; every song they write is comprised of the same three chords (I'm not sure if that's true but it definitely sounds like it) and some songs can even sound near identical. They've even had two different vocalists and while the singing style differs somewhat between the two, the variation in music is negligible. A band this famous has essentially made a profession out of recycling songs, normally a much unappreciated move by fans and critics alike, usually leading to their eventual demise.
However, I'm here to tell you the bottom line. When it comes to these five rock veterans, it simply does not matter. This song resembles that song which sounds a lot like a song from three albums ago, but guess what: damn near all those songs rock. And with AC/DC, creating hard rocking rhythms to bang your head to and choruses to scream along with is their sole purpose. Throw in some serious guitar shredding and a driving rhythm section and you have a formula for sustained rock n' roll conquest.
I like to analogize AC/DC's brand of rock to one of my other favorite things: Chipotle. It's the same ingredients each visit, but that doesn't mean it's not awesome every time. And no matter how many times we consume it, we keep going back for more.
"Back in Black" (their eighth album, but first with then-new singer Brian Johnson) debuted in 1980, and is currently listed as one of the greatest-selling records of all time.
Twenty-eight years later, AC/DC have dropped their 15th studio album, "Black Ice," to positive reviews and mega sales. Listen to some of these numbers: the album went No. 1 in 29 different countries, including the U.S.; in its first week of release it sold 3 million copies in Australia alone (the band's native country) and more than 750,000 in the U.S.; the album also had the second-highest one-week sales in the U.S. in 2008, behind only Lil Wayne's "Tha Carter III." Those are some serious numbers for 50ish-year-old classic rockers. You gotta have some respect for a band that can accomplish that, even if you can only buy their record at Wal-Mart (seriously, what's that about?).
For all its anticipation and all its hype, "Black Ice" truly is a complete ball-buster of an album. It's the classic AC/DC sound for the new millennium, complete with stop and go guitar lines, thumping beats and Johnson's yowls about "Skies on Fire" and "War Machine." AC/DC also demonstrate on this record why they've always been as much a blues band as a hard rock act, with tracks like "Rock N' Roll Dream."
On another note, welcome to my column. For the record, I haven't been a musician since I played in the high school band, and I have no special musical qualifications. I'm just a dude who loves music, attends his fair share of shows and has a few musical opinions he's willing to share. In fact, I have a lot of them. I'm aware musical preferences can be a touchy and personal subject; all I'm asking is that you read my column for what it is: an opinion commentary.
Agree or disagree, hopefully, it'll make you think about what you're currently jamming to.
Currently Listening to: Q-Tip- "The Renaissance"; The Allman Brothers Band- "A Decade of Hits 1969-1979"
RSS Feeds
Be the first to comment on this article!