Album of the Week #250 - ACDC - Powerage

[Scott]

by "I finally learned how to center content" Scott

Time for another installment of the "The best album of an artists catalog is ______ ?"  This week its AC/DC and Powerage, my opinion only of course, but I think after you listen you'll be hard pressed to disagree.

I first heard AC/DC at a friends house in 77 or early 78.  The album was Let There Be Rock and the song was Dog Eat Dog.  I remember because for some reason the line "Eat cat too" was pretty funny to us so we sang it over and over and over ... and over!  That and Bon Scott's vocals were unique and I'd never heard anything like that before.  Didn't take long for the riff's to embed themselves in my musical soul and certainly didn't take long for AC/DC to be playing non-stop on my record player.  Enter Powerage and life changed at that moment.  Heres what Allmusic says...

Powerage was a first in the sense that it debuted bassist Cliff Williams, but it really is more of a final curtain to the band's early years. It would be the last produced by Vanda & Young, the legendary Australian production team who also helmed hits by the Easybeats, and it was the last before AC/DCbecame superstars. As such, it's perhaps the most overlooked of their '70s records, also because, frankly, it is the most uneven of them. Not that it's a bad record -- far from it, actually. There are a few genuine classics here, most notably "Down Payment Blues" and "Up to My Neck in You," and there's a real appeal in how Bon Scott's gutter poems of excess are reaching a mythic level; there's a real sense that he truly does believe that rock & roll leads straight to hell on "Rock 'n' Roll Damnation." But overall, the record is just a bit too wobbly, one where the parts don't add up to a record as hard and addictive as before -- but there's still plenty worth hearing here.

Well, what do they know!  This is my favorite ACDC of whatever era you want to divide them into and therefore it's your album of the week... Click the cover and jam out!

Artist: ACDC
Genre: Hard Rock
Nationality: Australian
Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Member: Yes, but who cares really!
Album: Powerage
Producer: Harry Vanda, George Young
Release Date: 1978
Running Time: 39:43
RIAA Certification: Platinum
Peak Billboard Chart Position: 133 
Singles: Rock and Roll Damnation

Track listing...
1. Rock 'n' Roll Damnation
2. Down Payment Blues
3. Gimme a Bullet
4. Riff Raff
5. Sin City
6. What's Next to the Moon
7. Gone Shootin'
8. Up to My Neck in You
9. Kicked in the Teeth

[Jon]

"Gone Shootin'" reminds me of "Beavis And Butthead" for some reason. Any explanation why?

Can't say this is my favorite AC/DC album, but it is quite good. If I was to pick the best from the BS era, it would be "Let There Be Rock". If I was to pick the best from AC/DC it would be.............."Let There Be Rock". So, as usual. your opinion is wrong.

The album cover gave me nightmares when I was a kid, because he had no hands.*

The onw-two puch of "Riff Raff" and "Sin City" is amazing, but I think there were split up on different versions of the album? Not sure, but it sounds like a good story.

Nice post, even though I listened to this album recently. You should maintain a spreadsheet of what albums people listen to and cross reference what you want to post with that list so people can go a few months instead of a few weeks having to listen to a specific album again (unless it's a Steven Wilson album, of course). 

*I lied, but that would make another great story. 

[Scott]

But I centered the image?

[Jon]

Yes, but that's negated by the other abject failures.

[Scott]

[RJhog (Admin)]

Well, let's see, AC/DC is the first band listed on my iPod (not Jon's, that would be Abba).

I used to think I preferred the Bon Scott fronted version of the band, but I've changed my mind recently with a much improved respect for the Brian Johnson stuff. 

The first track actually sounds like it could be a Rolling Stones song.  But let's face it, you know exactly what you're gonna get with AC/DC.  It never changes.  Straight forward rocking riffage, cool solos, a solid beat and tongue in cheek lyrics.  If you're expecting something else, you're in the wrong place.  And I don't have a problem with that, I'm just stating what I believe to be fact.

This album is no different.  But as I listened, it just continued to fade into the background.  I didn't love it, but I didn't dislike it either.  So as simple as that may sound, it is my humble opinion.  I can take this one or leave it.

[Scott]

Riff Raff?  Down Payment Blues?  Gone Shootin'?  ... nothin'?  hmm....  Have you ever heard their live "If You Want Blood, Youve Got It" album?  That opening riff to Riff Raff ... killer!  unforgettable! 

[RJhog (Admin)]

Can't say I have.  I do wish I could have seen them in their youth.  Wouldn't even mind seeing 'em now.

[Scott]

seen em in 2008, incredible!!!

[Niels (Mod)]

For many years, this was my least favorite of the Scott-albums. Now it's defintely in top 3. Sin City is one of the best AC/DC-songs at all. Up To My Neck In You and Kicked In The Teeth are classic, classic bon Scott-titles. It never was the same with Johnsons-lyrics.

Oh, and I saw them in '88 and '91.

[Meow]

The bons lyrics one of the best song writers of all time Night Prawler is my love song to the devil rot in piece world bons a rock god

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