Highway to Hell
AC/DC
1979
Album Summary
Highway to Hell is the sixth studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, released on 27 July 1979. It was the last album featuring lead singer Bon Scott, who would die early the following year on 19 February 1980.
WikipediaPopped the first song on out of respect for the project but as the second started I remembered that all AC/DC songs sound the same and are average at best.
unclear if the album would be better if it were just "Highway to Hell" 10 times. definitely prefer Back in Black over this one. 4/5
lol I almost shouldn't listen, I've heard this album a kazillion times. I'll admit I prefer their 80s stuff but this is my fav of the Bon era. A lot more oomph than the albums before it, and imo where sooo many 80s metal bands got their ideas... and Airbourne too haha. 5/5.
i shouldn't have to comment on this album. i've been regularly listening to it for 40 years. it's amazing.
Man, listen. When I was learning how to play guitar in high school, it was all classic rock for me, and I’ll never forget when we hooked up Dad’s turntable and I put this on for the first time. I instantly fell in love with this album. So many killer riffs, some great, memorable (and easy) lyrics. It’s pure rock, plain and simple. And there are even a couple songs on here to deflect the claim that every AC/DC song sounds the same (I’m thinking “Walk All Over You” and “Night Prowler”). Of course, a lot of it does sound the same, and if you don’t like that sound, this probably won’t work for you. But if you do, this is undeniably one of AC/DC’s best. The last album with Bon Scott, which was followed THE NEXT YEAR with Back in Black. Talk about a one-two punch. This is a certified classic for me, and one I just recently picked up on vinyl. I’m writing this review in bed before I even get up to listen to the album. I feel electrified. Favorite tracks: Every track really, but Highway to Hell, Night Prowler, Love Hungry Man, Touch Too Much, Beating Around the Bush. Album cover: Iconic. Stone cold classic. Bloody legendary. I have a poster of this stashed under my bed. Angus with the devil horns and tail to distract from the fact that Bon Scott is wearing a pentagram. Guy in the middle with the “fluoride stare.” Rock and roll is most certainly the devil’s music. Nobody talk to me. 5/5
AC/DC is like a delicious plain chocolate ice cream. Every bite is going to be basically the same, but you aren't gonna be all that mad about it.
This thing kicks so much ass. Just a blood pumping, testosterone fest. A lot of the tracks sound the same, but I don’t even care. It is an adrenaline ride
Discazo. Aunque de cierto modo sucede algo como con Motörhead, en donde hay una fórmula que aplican a lo largo de toda su carrera, AC/DC tiene la ventaja de tener más variación dentro de esa misma fórmula y hacer algo como este disco, con canciones como Highway To Hell, perfectamente apegada a la estructura que siempre usan o Love Hungry Man que está bastante fuera del esquema y deja lucir al bajo con un ritmo que casi tiene funk. Más puntos por pensar que este es su sexto disco, pero en los 5 anteriores se pueden encontrar muchas joyas, y que los que le siguen (ya incluso con otro vocal) están también llenos de cosas buenas.
Their best album imo, Bon's best work and one the truly great rock albums of all time.
When you see this album cover, you should already know. These wild boys will rock your socks off whether that is on a hot summer day playing outside, jamming out with an air guitar, or watching any Iron Man movie. I think this might be my favorite of their albums but Back In Black might be there too. Either way, if you are looking for rock, roll, and blood, you've got it.
Great album and full of fun. I liked that every song was a rock out song, no slow bits at all
Bon Scott’s last album. The end of an era the last AC/DC album that still felt a little bit raw before they came back with the monster that was Black in Black. Crunching riffs, great solos, childish innuendo, unforgettable choruses and a relentless rhythm section that makes you nod your head and stomp your feet. Rock and Roll perfection.
Incredible rock n roll, first time listening to a full AC/DC album. Everything is awesome! Just wish the drums were crazier!!!
No complaints here. A cohesive album, didn't think there was a bad song, very much enjoyed
Power Chords? ✅. Awesome Guitar solos? ✅. Brian Johnson vocals? ✅ . If all 3 are correct, you have an AC/DC album, please rate high and move along.
Loved AC/DC as a kid, was more used to Brian Johnson but Jon Bon Scott is just as iconic for ACDC (always think it’s cool how similar singers they are) and I think it was his final album before he died. Can’t think of much to say… it’s ACDC. It rocks.
This is what you imagine when you think of Classic Australian Rock. Great Album. Shazbot Nanu Nanu.
Vinte. As mãos e os pés enchem-se de choques, tarifa bihorária. MotA: Highway to Hell "Livin' easy, lovin' free"
I've always had it in my head that AC/DC basically just write the same song over and over again, but I ended up really enjoying the album from start to finish. Musical highlight of my weekend.
Простой, лаконичный, дерзкий. И поэтому такой популярный. Направлялись по дороге в ад, а приехали к мировой славе. Классика на века.
It's iconic. The final stand of the Bon Scott era of AC/DC and it was an amazing (If unintentional) way to send the man off. It start's with probably their most anthemic song and doesn't stop the amazing pace until the final refrains of Night Prowler. A personal highlight is the sudo deep cut of If You Want Blood
Great album, didn't know as many of the songs as I thought I would. Night prowler, shot down in flames, and, of course, the epic title track were the highlights. Funny to think that some people used to think that this was as heavy/fast/extreme/metal as music would ever become - if they only knew!
You don’t get to be one of the quintessential rock bands of history by releasing boring albums.
I was in the mood to turn my brain off and ROCK!!! so I'm glad to get this today. 40 minutes of straight-up rock anthems. I'm going to give this 5 stars because it's a classic good time. My only criticism is that at least 70% of the lyrics are about how much they like having sex with women... maybe mix it up a bit and throw in more lyrics about partying or Satan?
99. Highway to Hell - AC/DC 10 tracks. I think I've mentioned before that I REALLY didn't like AC/DC in my younger days, (along with The Cure), and old me now wonders what on Earth was going on in my head back then? Absolutely love this. 5/5
Lendário. Não conhecia a história do álbum (o que deixou minha redescoberta mais interessante). Destaque, é claro, para a faixa-título: um misto de entusiasmo e movimento, de ritmo e fuga; coisas que nos tiram a gravidade, a tensão.
Embarrassing moment of second-guessing myself with this. I initially listened to this, perfectly enjoying it, but with the critical intention of determining whether this monolith of rock warranted the full 5 stars, an intention that slightly drained the sheer pleasure. This is not the mindset to approach this album, or any AC/DC album. Yes, I know, that's obvious. So, I applied some common sense. I went out and did enough physical labour to require a fistful of Deep Heat (I dug graves for two dogs), got some beers in and just rocked out (if any band justifies the employment of the phrase "rock out", it's surely AC/DC). And to nobody's surprise I loved every note, every clear, direct, unpretentious note. Akin to a perfectly cooked steak, the exact amount of taste and blood.
Great album. The best sounding album recorded with Bon Scott. The songs are fantastic but this is the first album the band recorded with producer, Mutt Lange, who really pushed AC/DC into the big league. Best songs are the title track, Touch Too Much and If You Want Blood. Weakest tracks are Love Hungry Man and Night Prowler. However, these are still good tracks.
Listened to on 4/18/22 5/5 Favorite song: Highway to Hell Absolutely classic - listened to it 3 times
Un album tellement classique. En plus Bon Scott au chant ! J,adore, un de mes prefs de AC/DC. À écouter 5/5
yeah okay all AC/DC songs are in four and are all about having sex but have you considered dudes rock
Formative Album for me. I love this shit, and so many good memories with it. Will forever ring out in my home.
A stone classic. Finishes strangely slowly, but otherwise it's a snarling monster. Great driving album, too!
AC/DC in their classic period when almost every song they wrote became a rock standard - the louder the better.
Great album! Every track a winner here. Disturbing side note: - the connection between serial killer Richard Ramirez the “Night Stalker” and the final track - it was pretty creepy at the time…
this is an albm that youre basically not supposed to think about so i wont. just kinda bangs. maybe a suprising opinion but makes sense if u think abt it ac/dc is really just the 70s version of shitty 2010s dance pop music which i also love. title track was featured in megamind (2010) so u kno its good 9/10
Very good rock album loved the drum sound and vocal energy satanic references are quite funny these days
Good album however none of the songs really really stands out which prevents it from getting a 5
Minimalistic loud dumb fun, background vocals were great, rhythm guitar perfect. It’s an AC/DC record. Touch To Much deep cut gem.
Excellently crafted album--not as heavy as I maybe expected, but clean and interesting
Discazo todavía con la voz de Bon Scott, abre con la canción homónima y luego te mete un gancho derecho con girls got Rhythm y de ahí se va para arriba y terminar con un blues bien estructurado
¡¡Un gran album de 'Hard Rock'!! Hay varias cosas que me sorprendieron, ahora que leí la reseña del álbum en Wikipedia: - Enterarme que AC/DC es un grupo Australiano! - Que este álbum es todavía de los 70's. Este tipo de música la asocio más a los 80's- principios de los 90's - Toda la historia alrededor del disco: la muerte del vocalista y los asesinatos seriales Mis canciones favoritas del disco fueron Highway to Hell (duh) y Love Hungry Man
AC/DC en su punto. Highway es Highway no y no hay más qué decir. Girl's Got Rhythm mantiene la tónica y Walk All Over You disminuye el tempo para retomarlo al final. Touch y Beating continúan entregando poder y después llega un pequeño bache con Shot Down in Flames y Get It Hot. Afortunadamente dura poco, 5 minutos entre las dos para llegar a la maravillosa If You Want Blood que aún no entiendo como no fue single (en lugar de Girl's Got Rhythym). Love Hungry Man vuelve a bajar el ritmo para preparar la salida con la bluseada Night Prowler para cerrar un gran, gran disco. Las letras son claras y puntuales, no hay tiempo para muchas interpretaciones. La voz de Bon resuena por todo el disco y los solos de Young quedan perfecto en cada canción. Pura energía. Songs: Highway To Hell, If You Want Blood, Touch Too Much, Night Prowler.
I liked it. I obviously recognized a few of the songs, but the ones I didn't know were really good as well.
Great guitar album, enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Fairly homogeneous but lots of fun. Really rocks.
4/5 It's a great album for what it proposes to do, I really like it. Special attention to the three first tracks (Highway to Hell; Girls Got Rhythm and Walk All Over you) and to the last one (Night Prowler) as well. The middle songs are somewhat forgotten because of the power of the first ones but it doesn't make them bad, just not as attractive I guess. It was a good experience and I'll definitely listen to it again.
No hubiese empezado por aquí, pero ahí vamos. Mente abierta y a ver donde nos lleva este proyecto. Disco sorprendente y chute de energía
It's AC/DC. You know what it sounds like. BT: Highway To Hell, Walk All Over You, If You Want Blood (You've Got It)
With a band like AC/DC, which is really basic rock 'n roll, you can't dun them for not being more sophisticated. That wouldn't be fair. You have to evaluate them on how well they execute their concept. You need riffs which intersect with the vocals in ways that provide forward momentum to the tunes. AC/DC does this very well. Since you're going for basic, you have to make your point and get out--no long tunes, no extended solos. Check. You have to keep the proceedings high energy--check. The production has to be dirty enough to provide grit, but clean enough to put the tunes across--check. And it helps if you come up with choruses that beg to be sung along with. The title cut obviously qualifies. But even on the deeper album cuts, the band never lets up on energy or professionalism. AC/DC may not be breaking any new ground here, but they are very, very good at what they do. (It actually surprised me a bit that this band was famous for partying and substance abuse, considering how precise they are in the studio.)But I would be lying if I neglected to say I was bored halfway through. Okay, the hell with it. I'm going to break my own rule and subtract a point for lack of ambition. If it helps for fans of AC/DC, this is a perfectly performed and recorded album. If I was evaluating it on that basis alone, Highway To Hell would be an easy 5/5.
Some classic tracks - brilliant album but as is always the way with AC/DC and me - I find it a little repetitive and one dimensional which just stops it hitting 5 stars - such a fun album tho ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Of course, Highway to Hell is the final album AC/DC recorded with Bon Scott, the lead singer who provided the group with a fair share of its signature sleaze... AC/DC has never sounded so enormous, and they've never had such great songs, and they had never delivered an album as singularly bone-crunching or classic as this until now.
Jag har tidigare avfärdat AC/DC som ett tråkigt gubbrockband. Men jag inser att när jag lyssnar på skivan att jag har ganska kul. Texterna är ganska korkade, jag är rätt säker på att det är samma trumkomp i alla låtar, men på något sätt känner jag att jag vill ta en öl och skråla med. Trevlig skrevrock.
I’ve cooled a bit on AC/DC over the years but this album rocks. Power vocals, timeless lyrics and killer instrumentation. This was one of the first albums I owned and it’s held up well.
Ok I'm not a fan, but the first two songs are great! The next song is great too, but at 5:10 way too long. These boys should know any song longer than 3:30 is just too long. But I'm going to have to concede 4 stars to these hard-drinking, hard-rocking nut boys. What saves it for me is the guitar histrionics rarely descend to wankery and the riffs are impressively HARD and accessible. Closer to sex pistols than to Van Halen... I had no idea. 4 🌟
This album's energy is high AF and fun. If "You Want Blood" is super underrated. 8/10.
I don't know what rating to give here because I only listened to highway to hell and then the next song was too sleazy. So I'm treating it as a single
Fantastic classic hard rock with all the usual fixins. Powerful guitar riffs, high energy vocals, and banging drums abound. If you know one AC/DC song, it's "Highway to Hell", and for very good reason. My primary complaint with the album is that it runs just a little bit too long and the songs start to all sound the same. It's a minor criticism and if I could give it four and a half stars, I would.
Thought I’d know a few more on it, but only a couple. very driven album, would probably grow on me with more listens. Highly expected to whale after Scott’s death, the band have gone on well.
Lots of songs about wanting to have sex with women. Good flow throughout. Classic rock.
I really love this album: it's a blast of energy that really reminds me of my adolescence - interestingly enough, back then I thought that I was going to remember Blink-182 and Green Day as the soundtrack of my adolescence, and now I think of AC/DC and Led Zeppelin. This unconstrained energy and impact that AC/DC can channel through this record, as well as the very explicit sex theme, are really enjoyable and a ton of fun. But, because there was going to be a "but", the problem with this album is that it gets a bit repetitive. Still, there are many great tracks such as "Touch too much" and "Night prowler" that are worth checking out.
Like most AC/DC albums you’ve got 50% filler and 50% absolute masterpiece of rock history. Highway to Hell is probably their signature song but there are more iconic albums. Fave tracks: “Highway to Hell” “If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It)” “Girls Got Rhythm”
AC/DC may be a 3 chord band but they know how to make the blood rush and necks sore. Wall to wall pub rock with classic guitar solos and riffs along with some really great lyrics from Bon Scott (Touch Too Much for example). Admittedly it isn't the most deep, sophisticated or intelligent album by a mile, but it's honest good fun to rock out with. Highway to Hell is a classic Aussie album and the majority of songs on it are great (not so much Get It Hot or Love Hungry Man).
Listened Before (in entirety)? N Pros: Nice, peppy, rocking listen. Not too long. This must have been wild to hear in the 70s. It's HEAVY rock (probably not quite metal by today's standards). Highlights: Girl's got Rythmn, Beating around the Bush has a GREAT main riff. Night Prowler was a great surprise! Guitars were spot-on (I'm a sucker for blues licks), Bonn's voice doesn't really lend itself to blues, but the riffs and solos more than make up for it. It's easy to see why AC/DC are considered an influence by so many later bands. This was a good intro to their pre-Brian Johnson days. Cons: It's a shame that I started this album by skipping track 1. Highway to Hell is probably one of the greatest hard rock songs of all time.... unless you listen to hard rock or classic rock radio. It's so overplayed in my world that I could go without ever hearing it again. As expected, the lyrics of the album are overtly sexual. It's fine, just not what I choose usually. Added to Library (Y/N/partial)? P Added: Girl's Got Rhythm, Beating Around the Bush, Night Prowler
Crunchy classic screamy rock and roll. Read that Angus regretted Get it Hot, and I can see why. Fun. Not something I listen to on the reg, but definitely fun.
I've historically not got on with AC/DC and now this is my second album by them within a week, and you know what? It didn't suck! Maybe it's like acquiring the taste of olives or other pungent flavors, and you need to be exposed on a certain number of unique occasions, I dunno. Anyway, that was a fun enough listen, and I didn't find the vocals too grating. Fave track - "Highway to Hell", by a mile. Which reinforces my olive theory, as it's been featured in so many soundtracks...
Classic album. Even if you don't like the genre, you'll still have something to like here. Highlight Tracks: 1, 2, 6, 10
AC/DC is one of my favorite bands. I saw them perform at coachella and they NAILED it. I feel lucky to have seen them. <3
Hell yeah. I've listened to this many times before. I mean what do you expect? It's AC/DC. You know what you'll be getting. Is this the most intricate music every made? No. Will it rock you? Absolutely. This is just pure rock and roll and doesn't claim to be anything else. 4.5/5
YES! Bon Scott last record with AC/DC, this is their magnum opus in my opinion. All of the fucking Bangerz are on this Jawn. Kind of the archetype for 80s hard rock, don’t know if that’s a bad thing or a good thing.
The bad boys from down under take off with this album. There are some gems here. The title track is an SCC (Stone Cold Classic), Girls Got Rhythm and Touch too Much evoke the dirty AC/DC vibes wholeheartedly. AC/DC were nearing their peak writing around this album, depending on your point of view you might say this was the peak.
Classic rock. Good album. Highway to Hell and Touch Too Much are favourites. Prefer Back In Black though.
I'm not a fan of classic rock, but I definitely like AC/DC more than most classic rock bands. This album was fun all the way through. Not crazy about the last song, but other than that, great album. Made me tap my feet and put me in a good mood, what more can you ask for?
I'm a big fan of this band and this album. Such fun rock music, to put it succinctly and ineloquently. Crank it up and rock it out! Dang, I love the Young brothers. Speaking of the Young brothers, interesting trivia that this album's appearance in my rotation made me remember to share here: in Dire Straits' 'Sultans Of Swing', the “Guitar George” and “Harry” who are mentioned in the lyrics are George Young and Harry Vanda, who were guitarists in the band The Easybeats. George Young is Malcolm and Angus Young's older brother, and Harry and George helped get AC/DC recorded.
4/19/22 Very classic rock! Enjoyed the album a lot as a whole. No one song stood out to me as something I would want to add to my music specifically but I enjoyed the album and genuinely liked every song. Great guitar of course! Overall very enjoyable. I’m glad I finally listened to a full AC/DC album! Favorite song: Highway to Hell
Their best album. It's tough to listen to in one sitting. You can't hear the same song repeatedly for too long, even with Bon Scott singing.
C'est un tout petit 4 que viennent récolter le smembres du groupe AC/DC ici, cet album était extrêmement décevant. Pour tout vous dire, l'excellent album précédent de ce groupe m'avait contraint à passer de nombreuses heures à communiquer exclusivement par cris aigus. Celui ci ne m'a même pas causé une petite levée de voix. A retravailler
Comme l'a plutôt bien énoncé mon compagnon d'écoute et principal antagoniste eltrapeze, cet album n'a pas eu le même impact sur notre quotidien que celui précédemment généré. Alors que pendant la semaine suivant ce dernier, il nous était impossible de nous exprimer d'une autre façon que par de longs cris stridents, l'album Highway To Hell n'eut pour seul effet que de changer la hauteur de notre voix d'un simple octave, ne provoquant au passage aucune gêne chez nos interlocuteurs. Une copie à revoir.
I feel like every AC/DC song I like (quite a few) is not overly complex but still rocks. Gotta give some credit to simple, smart arrangements. But can't be a 5 unless every song is a classic. Not this album. A few songs are great fun - Highway to Hell (still weird it's timing before Scott's death), Girls Got Rhythm, If You Want Blood. The rest are are pretty good (last song a bit meh). The start of Beating Around the Bush shows they do have some musical chops (at least Angus on guitar). If you like rock, you'll like it if not love it. But if you don't, I can understand if you wonder what the appeal is.
AC/DC. Every album of theirs, to me, sounds like the previous album. It's an amazing thing. A friend of mine took me to one of their shows. Concerts you can clearly divide up into shows where you get drunk and shows where you get high. At least in shows where you get high, you kind of stay within your own personal bubble. Drunks kept bumping in to me. Swear to god, I was ready to throw one off the top level. During the show, they had the cameras focused on women basically egging them on to take their tops off. Which some of them did. It was very surreal. Anyway, anytime I listen to their stuff I cannot feel a progression, one album to the next. The only difference is going from Bon Scott to Brian Johnson. That's a big leap to Back In Black. But this is about Highway To Hell. Each of the songs here has that sloppiness, vocal-wise. Like the guy is half-drunk. That was the beauty of Scott. He sounded like that all the time, but he was always on. Even though the albums are same-y, the songs vary to some extent. They're not all exactly the same. And there are a few deep cuts I recognize, like "Night Prowler," which I have always liked. So I don't say I hate them, but I get bored easily by them is my point. One album, like this one is good. Good enough.
This album hit the spot for me today. Maybe, I just needed a straight-forward rocker with most songs headed in one direction (don't go there). "Highway to Hell" is AC/DC's sixth and final album with lead singer Bon Scott. Evidently producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange had a major impact, influencing Bon Scott's vocals and Angus Young's guitar riffs. This a great album highlighted by Bon Scott's scratchy, screaming, raw vocals, the guitar interactions of the Young brothers and a rock solid rhythm section. The songs tend to fall in the sex, lust and partying categories. Imagine that. Scott said he wanted to loosen up the lyrics since he thought the previous album "Powerage" ones were too serious. "Highway to Hell" starts things off with an absolute classic guitar intro leading into Bon Scott's vocals. The meaning of the song is either being on the road touring for a lkng time or a horrible desert stretch of highway in Australia. Both work for me. "Girls Got Rhythm" might be my favorite song on the album with absolute killer rhythm guitar. "Walk Over You" is the most rockin song on the album and is some of the hardest music I've heard from this band. "Night Prowler" ends the album with a slower, dark song about a guy sneaking into his girlfriend's room. The song became famous or infamous for serial killer Richard Rodriguez's liking it. I had "Back in Black" a few months ago and I can't tell you which album I like better. Both have great high points and rock throughout, so....flip a coin and play one.
Highway to hell is an all-timer but the rest of the album is a standard AC/DC album: Ultra listenable, 70s rock
I’ve never been a huge classic rock fan but I really enjoyed this. The tone was perfect for what I was doing (traveling/working/running errands). The guitar is absolutely insane.
Good grooves, 4 great tracks (title, Touch Too Much, Shot Down in Flames, If You Want Blood) but the rest is just solid. 4 Stars, but still gotta love the Bon Scott era of the band.
I feel like AC/DC is very polarizing, either you have affection for them and the fact that every song is basically the exact same, or you despise them. Highway to Hell is on this one, so I gotta give it points.
Ya know, it's fine. I like ACDC. Every album has some great songs. For me though, there's no need to go beyond the greatest hits.
Classic rock, classic tunes. More than a bit overplayed at this point, but there's a reason for that. I don't get all jazzed up like some for AC/DC but I get why they do.
Instant classic. Enjoyed the first 3/4 of the album. Started becoming repetitive soon after
3.5 | Casi para repetir todo lo que mencionaba con Motorhead. Mucho rock, mucha energía y mucho movimiento. Quizá lo único es que incluso entre discos de AC/DC este, como proyecto completo, no se me hace el mejor. Entiendo que es muy emblemático y que haya sido el último disco de Bon Scott y me gusta bastante y lo puedo apreciar. Pero siendo honesto conmigo mismo, aun cuando todas las canciones de AC/DC son como una misma canción, aquí no están las que siento son las mejores. Para mí no hay duda que Back In Black es un disco bastante superior en casi todos los aspectos. Este sigue siendo un disco muy agradable y cumplidor pero por ejemplo si quitamos el sencillo gigantesco no podía nombrar ninguna de las canciones de memoria y, ahora después de escucharlo dos veces, sigo sin tener ninguna que me haya saltado o llamado la atención como para recordarla y registrarla. Entiendo que sea importante disco pero en mi gusto personal no es mi máximo de AC/DC fuera de Highway to Hell y lo emblemática que es (desafortunadamente no es calificación para el sencillo sino para todo el disco).
Very boring, every song is the same. I'm a bit disappointed even if I was not expecting much
It's technically well made and decent, I guess, but the songs get a little repetitive, and I don't love this sub-genre of "hard rock about girls" enough to enjoy it all the way through. Title track is still fire!
I thought maybe I'd like AC/DC better when I wasn't listening to the A-sides over FM radio. Not really. Lyrics like a 19 year old with a thesaurus just read penthouse letters.
Solid AC/DC album. Not my favorite (Powerage and Back in Black take the crown, but it's even beat by Dirty Deeds). Of course there's the complaint that the songs tend to sound the same. The power chords rock with ongoing riffs which draws in the audience with spotlighted solos. It's AC/DC in their prime but doesn't offer much beyond the title track.
so angus young's voice is iconic and awesome and bon scott can shred, but man is the song structure ever basic. it seems like they maybe wrote 3 unique songs for this album and then like changed up the lyrics and tempo slightly of highway to hell 6 times and called it an lp. despite all that it still rocks hard.
I feel like classic rock radio has ruined AC/DC for me. I'm very aware of all of the songs that get played on the radio, and while they're "fine" and I have no problem with them, they never really made me want to seek out their albums. It's fine, good, sexually-charged rockin'. Favorite tracks: "Girl's Got Rhythm", "If You Want Blood (You've Got It)"
18/08/2021 - 30/11/2021 Gli AC/DC non necessitano di alcuna introduzione, essendo una delle band più famose e amate di quell'enorme nicchia del rock che tanto piace ai padri stempiati con un'Harley Davidson in garage, ma nonostante l'enorme fama che li precede questo è il loro primo lavoro che mi trovo ad ascoltare per intero. Di questa band ho sempre sopportato (e apprezzato, fin quando ero un metallaro tredicenne che schifava qualsiasi nota prodotta da un sintetizzatore) le apparizioni radiofoniche e riconosciuto, già dai primi di innumerevoli ascolti forzati delle loro hit, la palese ripetitività nell'output artistico - fatta eccezione per "Thunderstruck" che, oltre a essere la sigla della F1 su Sky e essere dunque automaticamente associata a ricordi positivi, qualcosa di diverso dalle altre tracce oggettivamente ce l'ha. Ho approcciato questo disco sperando che le opinioni che avevo abbozzato sul conto degli AC/DC fossero frettolose e superficiali, auspicandomi che anche io, dopo qualche ascolto di un loro lavoro più strutturato, li avrei ammessi all'interno del mio personalissimo olimpo delle grandi band, come sembrano fare molti dei loro ascoltatori - purtroppo così non è stato, anzi. "Highway to Hell", emerge dalle note storiografiche, è tanto un lavoro della band - l'ultimo con Bon Scott al suo interno - quanto del produttore che li ha accompagnati durante la registrazione dell'LP, che ha cercato di spremere il meglio dalle poche capacità artistiche che questi (ormai ex) ragazzi avevano ai tempi, riuscendoci secondo quelli che erano i dichiarati intenti "minimalisti" di entrambe le parti. C'è sicuramente da far notare un abuso, a mio avviso, del termine "minimalismo" da parte di chi lo ha utilizzato per descrivere il processo di creazione di questo album: in questa occasione, con esso, si va a nobilitare quello che è evidente semplicismo nei tratti musicali e lirici. Le 10 canzoni che compongono il disco sono riconducibili quasi tutte alla stessa struttura (che chiunque abbia ascoltato almeno 2 canzoni degli AC/DC conosce sicuramente) sia sul lato lirico che su quello musicale: l'unica virtù in ciò risiede nel fatto che gli AC/DC, navigando in piena comfort zone per tutta la durata del disco, dimostrano di conoscere i loro evidenti limiti e di non voler giocare al di sopra delle proprie possibilità - questa si chiama maturità. La scelta di non variare troppo il prodotto potrebbe suggerire, a mio avviso, anche una precisa conoscenza della propria target audience - e questa invece si chiama furbizia. Per quanto riguarda i testi, emerge un dato interessante: 8 canzoni su 10 sono dedicate al sesso e a tutto ciò, bello o brutto, che gli gira intorno. Purtroppo "Highway To Hell" non è un concept album, quindi questo dato a me fa un po' storcere il naso. Meno quantificabile rispetto al dato sulle liriche, ma comunque significativo, è quello che emerge sulle composizioni: non è difficile notare che lo stesso giro di batteria si ripete, più o meno spedito, per grossa parte dell'album, affiancato dalla continua proposizione di soli 2 riff per canzone, uno per le strofe e uno per i ritornelli - eccetto in "If You Want Blood (You've Got It)" dove le carte vengono mescolate nell'ultimo chorus con ottimi risultati. A livello di produzione, il sound è pulito e pare ben bilanciato; non essendo un grande esperto di questi temi, mi limito a questa considerazione sicuramente banale. Di questo album l'unica cosa che mi ha sorpreso è stata la capacità di anticipare il futuro in ben 2 occasioni: in "Highway To Hell" è (coscientemente?) descritta l'autostrada verso l'inferno che Bon Scott percorrerà pochi mesi dopo l'uscita di questo disco, mentre in "Night Prowler" è anticipato quanto Richard Ramirez, sfegatato fan degli AC/DC e in particolare di suddetta canzone, farà negli anni successivi alle sue vittime, con prevedibili risvolti mediatici sull'innocente band. La vita che imita l'arte? Direi proprio di sì. Per quanto riguarda il resto delle canzoni, eccetto per "If You Want Blood (You've Got It)" - potente, tagliente, precisa e leggermente diversa dalle altre tracce per quanto descritto sopra - e per "Night Prowler" - dal ritmo lento che accompagna alla perfezione lo srotolamento delle perversioni nelle liriche - tutto scorre senza lasciarmi nulla, per quanto mi riguarda. Riesco tuttavia a intravedere l'appeal che alcune di queste canzoni avrebbero se suonate in un grande stadio davanti a un grande pubblico, che è un noto punto di forza del disco e degli AC/DC in generale. Intuisco che questo disco ha influenzato altri lavori, non solo dell'epoca, ma non essendo l'hard rock uno dei generi a me più congeniali (come già ribadito in altre recensioni), faccio fatica ad indicare con precisione chi possa aver preso spunto da questo LP per i suoi prodotti. Posso però affermare con certezza che chiunque abbia preso in mano una chitarra elettrica si sia trovato, volente o nolente, a suonare qualcosa di questo disco o in generale degli AC/DC per cominciare a muovere i primi passi con lo strumento, sognando di essere uno di loro. Concludo approfittando del nome della band per astrarre questo disco ad un circuito elettrico: di AC, alternato, disturbato e disturbante, in questo disco c'è davvero poco e infatti, se non per brevissimi tratti, nessun condensatore si è caricato e nessun diodo si è messo a lampeggiare nella mia testa, accoppiata al circuito per mezzo delle cuffie. Quasi tutto è DC, continuo, statico e uguale nel tempo, e recita la frase "questi siamo noi, questi sono i nostri limiti, questo è quello che sappiamo fare, divertitevi o andate a fanculo" - e a me mi sa che tocca la seconda opzione.
I know this is very good, and there are some songs I really like. But, as a millennial growing up in the 90s watching truck commercials backed by AC/DC tracks, this music sounds like a midlife crisis.
Back when I was 13 and discovering classic rock for the first time, sure, this album kicked some ass. It's never been my favorite album by them, nor is it even my favorite from the Bon Scott era. It's an album loaded with power and insanity, as usual by the very talented Young brothers, but its nothing with flavor or variety. Anybody who's listened to at least 5 songs by AC/DC can tell you almost all their songs sound the same, and beyond the guitar solos, there is nothing complex about their compositions. Night Prowler is the closest we get to something that sounds slightly different than the other songs, with it's ominous tone and swing-like rhythm, but ultimately it sort of course corrects into that signature, crunchy sound AC/DC is known for. Highway to Hell will always be the anthem that millions will associate with hard rock, you can't deny the legacy of that song, nor this album. For the impact it had on the hard rock/metal genre, especially coming out of the 70's, and for the fun this record gives, I won't say it's bad. But I find it insanely overrated against other albums of the year: Overkill by Motorhead, Van Halen II, Evolution by Journey, Dynasty by KISS, Candy-O by The Cars, or Pinky Floyd's The Wall. Favorite Song: Girls Got Rhythm Least Favorite: Touch Too Much
Oof, okay. So AC/DC aren't *terrible*, they have a degree of self-awareness that other big dumb rock bands like Metallica and Aerosmith are completely lacking. Their riffs and grooves were simple and effective for what they were, but I'm not going to pretend to like them. I made a comparison a few months back that AC/DC were to rock what Lil' Jon was to hip-hop, and I stand by that. I can drunkenly shout along to both if I'm in the right headspace. But I'm going to apply the same metric to AC/DC that I did to Green Day: If we give influential albums credit for the good music that was inspired by them, we have to also apply the blame when they inspire absolute garbage, and AC/DC has inspired some of the most garbage. Alongside Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, and a few others, they deserve a lot of blame for the universally terrible hair metal genre to follow them in the 80s. This is probably going to place this album in the low 3's for me. We'll see, I haven't listened to it in like a decade outside of the singles that I'm forced to hear literally every day on the butt rock radio station at work.
AC/DC is usually considered as over-rated, but they may also be under-appreciated. It is simply rock-n-roll. You can hear their influence in some of the garage-band revivalist like JET. They are worth another open-minded listen.
This used to be my favourite Acca Dacca album but has slipped in recent years. Why? For all its craft, it sounds like the band with the handbrake on. If it's possible to say so, this is a polite AC/DC record, and I don't want a polite AC/DC record.
Hahaha as a kid I thought they were satanists. I thought this album was probably very scary and that these dudes were seriously dangerous. Then I grow up and realize these album covers and the satan vibe were pretty much stoking the flames of all the uptight assholes who thought all rock n roll was devil's music. Hahaha. Anyway. AC/DC seems like the most likely band of this time to actually have some satanistic tendencies, but that's okay because this is a pretty great album. Songs with dumb names like 'Beating Around the Bush'... I mean... Dumb and scary, just like rock should be?
Not as good as ACxDC. Are ACxDC on this list? They better had be. Some Anti-Christ Demoncore to warm your cockles. Took Bort Ainsworth to see ACxDC once, I don't think he enjoyed it. Probably would have preferred AC/DC.
I suppose some aspects of it are very good. I'm just never really going to be into something that is just so 'rock'. Although I love several sub genres, all out, blue jeans - black t shirt- rock like this just doesn't do anything for me. It's just alright.
it says AC/DC, so thats exactly what you get. can't really complain, they do being AC/DC very well and its a tried and tested thing. i can take the odd track here and there, but a whole album is a bit much for me. love the schoolboy thing because i don't understand it. i don't want to know the reason because i like it as a weird surrealist gesture from an otherwise run of the mill looking rock band.
honestly, i was never a huge fan of AC/DC, but i get the appeal. by my recollection of 1979, this would've fit right in. feels like a solid representation of the time, like a lot of other albums on this list.
Listenin' easy Lovin' the rock Seems I've heard some of these before Aussie classic Lots of riffs Takin' everythin' in my stride Don't need reason Don't need rhyme Are some things that I'd rather do Goin' down Party time Fun when I'm in the mood
I have a mate named Malcom Young. He called his son Angus. That is so Hard Rock Aussie right there. Oh and Bon Scott left his underwear in my mum's shower. Good times.
Good rock album. Probably my second favorite ac/dc album. It’s consistent with its rock tone throughout. Doesn’t let up much but also doesn’t vary. Starts strong but not many other songs are as popular as the title theme. 6.5/10
Fun rock album, nothing beyond the title song stood out to me. Enjoyable but not revelatory
I love the fact that some of my favorite baseball closers of all time have used some of these tracks. I’m not a huge AC/DC fan, but I thought this album was decent. I’d definitely low key listen to it on the subway bopping my head or on full blast cruising to a game at spring training in Florida with the top down!
Best Song: Beating Around The Bush. Has that slightly rawer feel that benefits the intended vibe. Worst Song: Walk All Over You. The backing vocals come off really weak here. Overall: Obviously the title track commands a lot of the respect here. Many of the lesser known tracks even lose a bit of the AC/DC edge and feel like they verge into hair metal (Touch Too Much sounds like it could be a Def Leppard song). Also, has to be one of the worst album covers of all time. It looks like its taken from the perspective of a young woman who just asked if she could join her high school's D&D group.
This album gives me major flashbacks to middle school when I was a "my generation doesn't appreciate music" kid. And it is a good album that is certainly formative to the Hard Rock sound. That being said it is fairly consistent in sound throughout and the only really memorable track is Highway to Hell.
Title track still rocks. So far the rest is fun, but a bit...derivative. Sounds basically like every other AC/DC song. If You Want Blood is cool too.
26th April 2022 Listened while working in the front room all day. City Real champs league semi final in the evening. Such a fun band, highway to hell the obvious famous track. The album beats along with incessant rhythm but can be a bit one note.
There’s a reason why the title track is the one that is widely remembered. They never struck me as an album kind of band, more a live act with a few killer new songs every album or two. Their set list is just epic, but the track lists on albums feel like there’s a bit of filler.
Not as brash as I remember AC/DC being - bit my kind of music generally but I enjoyed.
Interesting here that no matter whether they give 1 or 5 stars, each review says more or less the same thing. And I agree with all of them
Creo que no es su mejor disco pero si tiene su mejor canción "Highway to Hell" o por lo menos la más conocida. Interesante e imprescindible pero con una nota media.
Not massively exciting but admirable use of the word "Rock" to allude to anything and everything sexual. Prefer early ZZ Top for a more bluesy rock
HIGHWAY TO HELL - Vad ska man säga? Klassiker. Bon Scotts är något jag verkligen gillar med AC/DC. GIRLS GOT RYTHM - Här rullar man typ på med samma riff genom hela låten. Lite tråkigt. Texten behandlar att kvinnor har "rytm" asså svängande bakdelar. Imponerande. WALK ALL OVER YOU - Helt okej låt. Mixar med tempo vilket gör låten intressant. TOUCH TOO MUCH - Får lite Def Leppard vibbar i refrängen med de höga stämmorna. Man märker att det närmar sig 80-tal. BEATING AROUND THE BUSH - Nice riff och med breaks i versen. Bra ös. SHOT DOWN IN FLAMES - Helt okej. Men de ösar på bra. GET IT HOT - Den här känns som en låt man spelar i bilen med öppna fönsterrutor. Gillar groovet. IF YOU WANT BLOOD (YOU'VE GOT IT) -Typiskt intro för AC/DC. Enkel men slagkraftig. Det går hem. LOVE HUNGRY MAN - En tonart de inte spelar oftast i. INTRESSANT! Ackord som de inte brukar köra vilket får låten att sticka ut. Enkel refräng men ja kommer komma ihåg denna låt ett bra tag framöver. NIGHT PROWLER - Längsta låten på plattan. Bluesig i 6/8 komp. Tung och go att lyssna på. En av de bästa på plattan.
I should like AC/DC more than I do. They just bleed rock'n'roll. I have a ton of respect for them, especially the Bon Scott era. If I'm being honest though this album is enjoyable, but nothing I ever really want to play by choice. The same could be said for much of their discography.
The title track slaps and then the rest just kind of happens, bit of a shame really Some great guitar solos though
It’s a great album but all AC DC albums sound the same without or without Bon no disrespect
There’s a formula they stick to, for sure! Loved “Love Hungry Man.” Pretty sure the last vocal on the album is the lead singer hurling.
Well, I'm in two minds about this one. It's got the iconic title track. But *Back In Black* is obviously the better album out of the two, and I personally don't see the point of including *more* than one AC/DC album in a list of 1001 essential records. Yes, I know those two LPs don't have the same singer (rest in peace, Bon Scott). But AC/DC sounds like such a well-trodden formula by now, with a band that never ever deviated from it, that I feel that room should be given for other sorts of styles and genres... Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 857 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory: 78 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 36 (including this one) Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 30
I really like ACDC in small doses, but given the relative sameness of their songs a full album gets to be a bit much. 3/5
Great in small doses for me. Classic blues rock, it's upbeat and hard not to tap your foot along to this album. Vocals and repetitivity could be grating but doesn't overstay its welcome.
Meat and potatoes stuff going down here; with a large side order of innuendo. Not for me
Don’t really enjoy listening to full albums of theirs... maybe a Greatest Hits would be nice.
I don't like AC/DC at all. I'm pretty sure it's that voice, it grates on my nerves nd drives me mad. Without that nails on a blackboard singing I might quite enjoy this band.
I might have appreciated this if it were my first time hearing it, but I burnt myself out on AC/DC years ago.
Not the biggest AC/DC fan, but as far as AC/DC albums go this is probably the one I would be most likely to listen to.
Dated. Rebellious at the time but that energy isn't enough to carry it today. Musically very monotone
Rocks, but not in a way that seems much different or better than their contemporaries. The riffs are well-executed, the lyrical material meh, the vocals consistent. Above average, but there are too many exemplary hard rock albums out there. Other albums.
Album 3 of 1,001. First AC/DC of this run. Title track is great, rest sounds the same as any other AC/DC song. A band that have never really clicked with me, and likely never will.
When I was listening I thought every song was around 8 minutes long and was going to comment that they could have made them more snappy. Upon checking after, to my surprise they were all 4 mins long. Bit samey, bit not that good. A couple stood out, but 2 songs is enough ACDC for me thank you.
There was enough boring hard rock in the late 70s before this album was added to the heap. There is some interesting guitar playing on this LP long after the title track.
Yeah, I'm pretty sure I'm not an AC/DC fan. There aren't any songs that I'll include in a playlist.
I mean a decent album but most of the songs sounded just like each other. There was a lack of diversity I think and there weren't any hidden gems in this album. The namesake and shook me all night were the only welcome songs. 4/10
"Superproducer 'Mutt' Lange sculpted AC/DC's rough-granite rock into chart-smart boogie on this album."
Blandly repetitive outside of the title track, perhaps the only song on this LP with an interesting melody behind it.
never really been a fan of AC/DC. I guess when you hear the occasional jam its okay but a whole album was just corny and repetitive.
Standard radio rock. Not much stands out beyond the title track, If You Want Blood, and Beating Around the Bush.
The opening hook is one-of-a-kind, but rest of the record is as forgettable as it is memorable – you hear the crunching guitars on one track, you've heard on all, with lyrics designed to spark #metoo complaints. One big meh serving of troglodytic rock.
Not a novel idea but it is basically the same song over and over, blends together. There are worse songs to repeat, but it’s just boring. Best song: Touch Too Much
For all intents and purposes, this entire album is just one 43 minutes long song. It works for some people, just like some people's favorite ice-cream flavor is vanilla. Somebody like me who likes to listen to Radiohead and Pink Floyd is not the target demographic. I like the occasional "Back in Black" or "Thunderstruck" in a rock playlist, but an entire album? Give me a nice scoop of lobster flavored ice cream. That's a real thing by the way.
While the music is pretty dull and doofy, this is lyrical poetry of the highest order, no? She had the face of an angel Smiling with sin A body of Venus with arms Dealing with danger Stroking my skin Let the thunder and lightening start It wasn't the first It wasn't the last It wasn't that she didn't care She wanted it hard And wanted it fast She liked it done medium rare I mean, these guys must be scholars of the pre-Renaissance Italian troubadours of the 12th-century – the golden age of the sestina (which “Touch Too Much” clearly is, with only the slightest modernizing modifications) – to write such refined verse.
I expected to like this a lot more. I guess the proto-screamo gets old if it's a whole album at once. Can't deny the hits, but the rest of the album was ... fine.
Eh. I found this repetitive and kind of boring? I bobbed my head a bit, but then got bored part way through the album.
I'll take Bon Scott over Brian Johnson any day, but it won't change how irritating they both sound to me. AC/DC's music is just too boring and generic for me. It's constantly playing SOMEWHERE whether you want to hear it or not. I'm so close to hating this band, but they're at least somewhat tolerable here.
When there are a 1,001 albums to listen to you irnevitably get some gems and some dreck. This is the latter unfortunately.
While never being big fan, I’ve always liked the way ACDC rebounded after their singer died, finding a guy who sounded like Bon Scott with his balls in a vice and putting out a mourning album, which turned out to be one of the greatest selling albums of all time. That said, if I were to compare this to the Van Halen offering from a while back, I’d give VH the nod in the late-70s-commercial-rock-I-didn't-like-then-or-now category.
Po tylu latach sie czlowiek wreszcie dowiedzial skad ta podswiadoma odraza do pradowej bandy, a okazalo sie, ze chlopaki z najwiekszej na swiecie kolonii karnej pochodza, co jest pewnie glownym czynnikiem dlaczego te wokale tak potrafia rozsierdzic czleka nawet o spokojnym usposobieniu, kolejna niespodzianka bylo to, ze nie jest to ich debuitancki material czy tez jakis wczesny, bo to szosty album w dyskografii z roku 79, sama banda juz dziala od 73 i nadal tworzy muzyce dla napalonych boomerow, a z pozytywnych zaskoczen, to glownego pana wyjacego nie ma na tym materiale, bo dopiero po tym albumie pan Bon Scott, og wokalista bandy sie wywrocil i jego miejsce zajal Johnson, ale przechodzac do samego highway to hell, to przed odsluchlem znalem jedynie tytulowego traka, ktory jest jednym z najbardziej rozpoznawalnych numerow zespolu i po przesluchaniu 41 minutowej plyty utwierdzilem sie jedynie w przekonaniu, ze sluszenie tylko jeden numer wyroznica sie z calego albumu, ktory jest doslownie zawodzeniem wyposzczonego upadlego czleka, z kawalka na kawalek caly czas o tym samym, jak by to patelki byly robione, rymci cimri rymci, wiec nie dziwne, ze banda zyskala taka popularnosc jako hardo rokowa banda radio przyjazna, wiekszosc kawalkow zamyka sie w standardowych 4 minutach i jest instrumentalnie tak powtarzalna, ze ma sie wrazenie, ze polowa materialu to rozne wersje jednej piosenki, bracia Young postarali sie zeby gitarki byly mocno przesterowane, wiec nie ma mowy o jakis ambitnych brzmieniach, a jest lupanie po lopacie, jedynie pochwalic sie da pana drumersa Rudda, zwlaszcza na trakach gdzie sa one wyeksponowane na z przodu sceny ratuje on czesc instrumentalna plyty, jak na kawalkach shot down in flames czy tytulowy highway to hell, podszedlem do albumiku bez zadnych oczekiwan i odchodze po przesluchu bez rozczarowania, bo jednak ac/dc to chyba jedna z najbardziej przehajpowanych band mainstreamowego rocka, ale przynajmniej wiem juz cos wiecej poza tym, ze strasznie wyja, juz wiem kto wyje, po co wyje i o czym wyje, bardzo edukacyjny pick listowy, na plejke juz nic nie dodaje, bo tytulowy traczek jest wystarczajaca pamiatka po tej plycie
AC/DC is an exemplary 80s rock band, it's just that I really, REALLY dislike 80s rock bands.
AC/DC are basically the epitome of the style of boring classic rock that I just can't get behind no matter how much people hype it up. The lyrics are trite and the songwriting is too straightforward. Some of the guitar tones and soloing are nice though I will admit.
Just getting into this album. Love the title track
-Title track is a hella simple song, vocalist is the main star of it for sure. Makes me feel like I'm driving down the road sunny day wearing a leather jacket and I have a beautiful woman alongside me who has like, 10 piercings. -Girl's got Rhythm: I think this song is about sex!!! -Wouldn't go out of my way to listen to this but it's good background music for a road trip like at the beginning where motivation is high and we have lots of caffeine.