July 25, 1980 - Back In Black

A month after my last release and a year after "Highway To Hell", AC/DC released their seventh album "Back In Black" on July 25, 1980. I have half the songs on this album (5 out of 10) which is a lot more than I usually delve into these Australian rockers, but this album would go on to be one of the best-selling of all time and immensely popular worldwide. It is a different AC/DC however as lead singer Bon Scott died in February of 1980 after choking on his own vomit after a drinking binge. What a sad way to go and the band thought about breaking up, but decided to press on and it certainly worked out for them with their new lead singer Brian Johnson. All five of the songs I have became popular singles, so let's give them a listen!

The album begins with "Hell's Bells" and it aptly begins with some long notes from what sounds like a large bell. One of the Young brothers starts a smooth guitar riff along with the bells and eventually the rest of the band comes in to form a pretty standard AC/DC main riff. This moves into the main verse and we hear Johnson's voice for the first time. He may not be Bon Scott but he sounds pretty close as they definitely seemed to have found a fitting replacement. His high yells sound good and Angus Young drives the verse with another simple bit effective guitar riff. The opening riff turns out to be the chorus riff as they return to the slow epic riff with Johnson doing some decent singing overtop. They play another verse and chorus before Young goes off for a guitar solo. He's not going very fast but it fits the mood nicely and sounds pretty good. This leads right back into the chorus which they jam out a couple times before Angus delivers some nice guitar at the end and Johnson yells the name of the song one last time. The next song I have is "Shoot To Thrill" and both Angus and Malcolm Young play some cool guitar to form this catchy main beat while Cliff Williams and Phil Rudd play their standard, barely noticeable rhythm section. Johnson comes in for the first verse and I don't actually think his vocals are all that great on this one. Angus plays a nice little bit that leads into the chorus but I find that (as usual for AC/DC) the chorus riff is really simple and uninspiring. They play another alright verse and chorus and that's followed by a pretty dull bridge riff that connects to an Angus "solo". I put quotes there because he barely plays any notes at all and it hardly counts as a riff! This leads right back into the chorus and this song might be the perfect example of why I think AC/DC is alright, but they are certainly not very imaginative with their riffs! After another chorus they move to a new guitar riff that's very light and fluffy as Johnson does some rambling-esque vocals that sound decent. The guitar picks up again and Angus actually plays a real solo this time! This one is definitely more appealing and it leads right into a rock and roll flourish ending that at least spiced up the end end of the song a bit! We go to side two for my next song, the title track "Back In Black". It'a driven by one hell of a guitar riff that is very catchy and has some sweet guitar. Johnson comes in for the first verse and his voice seems to fit this riff perfectly as he does some nice low and high vocals. Once again the chorus guitar riff is fairly simple, but it sounds good as it builds up and ends with Johnson screaming the name of the song nicely. After another solid verse and chorus Angus goes off for a pretty good guitar solo that really fits the mood as he plays some great stuff. This leads into another chorus and they play a nice little building riff but it just leads back into another chorus. Angus plays a couple epic notes at the end of the chorus before departing on another guitar solo that I think is even better than his first one! He plays some excellent guitar at the end of this pretty solid song and things slowly fade out, which is slightly annoying because I think he was almost done! The next song I have is called "You Shook Me All Night Long" and Angus starts it off by himself before Rudd comes in with a basic drumbeat and we hear a pretty cool lead guitar riff. Johnson's vocals sound great on this one as he sounds like he's having fun and enjoying himself. The chorus is as simple as it gets as they shout the name of the song while Angus plays some catchy guitar. It's hard not to sing along though as Johnson continues his lyrics about an attractive woman in the next verse. After after slightly longer chorus we're treated to another Angus guitar solo and he seems to hit all the right notes for this tune. It's not especially flashy but it sounds pretty good as it leads back into the chorus once again. Johnson lets out a few nice yells as they jam out this final chorus and bring this song to a nice ending. My final song off the album also closes out the album, titled "Rock And Roll A'int Noise Pollution". It's message is pretty evident and it begins with some slow, epic guitar as Johnson does a nice rambling entry m, including a "so get off your ass and come down here". The riff becomes heavier and more typical AC/DC style as the Young's continue their epic slow guitar in what will end up being the chorus riff. The verse is pretty bland with Johnson leading the way with his yelling vocals about rock and roll as they move into the anthemic chorus. It's a pretty catchy chorus and it's exactly what these guys are about: playing simple rock and roll riffs that are somehow timeless. After another verse and chorus it's the same formula as Angus plays a pretty cool guitar solo that leads right back into the chorus. They jam it out a couple times before Angus ends it with one final note. I liked the songs that I have, but I didn't think any of them were spectacular or amazing and I just don't understand why so many believe this album to be one of the best ever made. It's just ludicrous!