26. Power Up by AC/DC
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ga5qfM2-kog&list=OLAK5uy_nE7snmTKmOsGW8oUpg3P_TcEkOHd0rxa8
AC/DC saved 2020 with their mid-November release of Power Up. I didn't think they'd come out with another album after Brian Johnson, Phil Rudd, and Cliff Williams had left the group after the 2014 release of Rock or Bust. Due to hearing problems, Brian left in the middle of the tour, and they had to finish out the tour with the lead vocals being screamed out by Axel Rose. I'd heard that AC/DC might come out with another album with Axel, but then Malcolm Young died in 2017, and I was pretty sure the band was done.
I was wrong. Malcom's nephew Stevie Young took his place in the band, and Brian, Phil, and Cliff returned to the studio to record Power Up as a tribute to Malcolm, and this album certainly honors his memory, as it is, in my humble opinion, the best damn AC/DC album since 1980's Back in Black.
I'm sure some AC/DC fans out there would argue with me about that, but they'd be wrong. This album has the highest consistent quality in its songs out of all the other AC/DC albums I've listened to, except for Back in Black. Sure they put out only three singles from this album, starting with "Shot in the Dark," which was released a month or so before the album to get the buzz going and drive up album sales. "Realize" and "Demon Fire" were the other singles. But I'm not sure how important "singles" are anymore. What with the online music distribution being the primary way people get their music today, we don't even have to buy the music anymore. It's all made available for free on YouTube, and the advertisers are the ones that pay for it. But I'm sure that AC/DC gets paid for it all. They were one of the last hold-outs to digitally releasing their albums online because they thought it would cut into their profits. So if AC/DC is letting their songs get free play by the consumers now, you know that's a sing that the music industry has undergone a BIG change in how music is consumed and how artists get paid.
I initially hesitated putting this album on the list because we'd already started the listing of albums, and I thought maybe I hadn't waited long enough to determine if my enthusiasm for it was due to its newness instead of its quality. But then I thought about how this band has been putting out pretty much the same music since they formed back in the '70s. They figured out their formula and haven't ever strayed from it. And when you put this album up against all of the others, it definitely holds its own musically and lyrically. It's definitely better than Stiff Upper Lip--the only other AC/DC album that I have listened to more than this one, as I had that album back in graduate school, and Ryan and I went to the Stiff Upper Lip AC/DC concert together in Salt Lake City. So, Stiff Upper Lip got taken off the list, and Power Up took its place.
Will AC/DC record any more albums? Possibly. I mean, it's a minor miracle that they got together to record this album. But as long as Angus is still able to play, there will always be a chance that AC/DC has some more music coming. However, Power Up will be the last one with music and lyrics that were at least partially written by Malcolm. Angus took the best of Malcolm's song ideas that they hadn't already used and built a lot of the songs on this album from them. My guess is that the Malcolm well is now dry, and anything that might come out in the future will be 100% Angus.
Clearly, AC/DC is part of my Australian cognitive triad, the other two parts being my Dad's mission to Australia and the Paul Hogan show. Truth be told, I wasn't a big fan of AC/DC until after I went to their concert. But after seeing and hearing the band in person--and you definitely hear the band at an AC/DC concert--I decided that I actually was a fan, and that I needed to just embrace that fact. Of course, I didn't tell a lot of people that when I worked at BYU-Idaho. I once wore my AC/DC concert shirt to the store and I ran into someone from the Elder's quorum in my ward, and when he saw the shirt, he got a very shocked look on his face. He said that he didn't peg me for an AC/DC fan. I said that indeed I was, and that my shirt was from their concert. I then said that the concert wasn't the kind of concert I'd picture in hell because they don't swear in any of their lyrics, but it was definitely a telestial event.
So, even though they sing about the devil and being on a highway to hell, I don't think we'll see AC/DC in hell in the afterlife--unless Axel Rose becomes the permanent lead singer.
Nardo
#26: AC/DC—Power Up. That scream! That guitar! It’s pretty amazing that these old guys still know how to rock, and for that I salute them.
ReplyDeleteAfter listening to this album a couple of times, I was going to say something about how AC/DC makes great rock SONGS, but not necessarily great ALBUMS. I felt that a few songs into it, the songs start taking on a bit of a sameness. But then I listened a few more times, and I started to get more of the flow of the album. I’ve only owned one AC/DC album, “The Razor’s Edge,” and I never really gave it more than a cursory listen or two before just plucking the songs “Thunderstruck” and “Money Talks” for various playlists. (Yes, that’s right, I never owned “Back In Black.” Blasphemous, I know, but it came out when I was young enough to worry that it might put me on the highway to hell, or something. Not that that stopped me from listening to the album, just from purchasing it.)
Anyway, I’d have to say it’s a damn fine album, especially for 2020. Standout tracks for me being “Realize,” “Shot In the Dark,” “Through the Mists of Time,” and “Demon Fire.” A lot of the albums on your list are a walk in the park, but this one was more of a shot in the dark. And sometimes, that’s better.