AC/DC – Highway to Hell
AC/DC – Highway to Hell (1979, Atlantic Records/Atco Records)
1.”Highway to Hell” … 3:26
2.”Girls Got Rhythm” … 3:23
3.”Walk All Over You” … 5:08
4.”Touch Too Much” … 4:24
5.”Beating Around the Bush” … 3:55
6.”Shot Down in Flames” … 3:21
7.”Get It Hot” … 2:24
8.”If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It)” … 4:32
9.”Love Hungry Man” … 4:14
10.”Night Prowler” … 6:13
Band:
Bon Scott – Lead Vocals
Angus Young – Guitar
Malcolm Young – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Cliff Williams – Bass, Backing Vocals
Phil Rudd – Drums
Producer: Robert John “Mutt” Lange
Forget about Back In Black, THIS is AC/DC’s greatest album!
I owned this one on cassette years ago. I had a CD player but I also still had a tape player and being a high school kid with no job, I went for the cheaper format picking it up for $6 or $7. I don’t have a tape player anymore but I was so familiar with this album that it took me over 10 years to finally upgrade to CD and I only did that after finding a copy for $5 at a used record store. It’s always hard to re-purchase an album when there’s so many albums out there that I’ve never heard and want to buy!
Anyway, yes, I believe this is AC/DC’s best. That other AC/DC album is great but I’ve always felt it was incredibly overrated and have never understood why Highway to Hell isn’t at least put on the same level with it. Everything I’ve heard from AC/DC previous to album was more of an oddity. They had some great songs and albums but they were also kind of quirky. With the help of producer Mutt Lange, they streamlined, became heavier, the Brothers Young became riff masters and Bon Scott’s final album performance turns out to be his best.
“Touch Too Much” is one of my favorite AC/DC tracks of all time and it’s hard not to get fired up over “If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It)”. “Highway to Hell” is a song I was never hugely into. It’s good but isn’t even close to being the best song on this album. I always thought “Beating Around the Bush” was a funny song title.
On a down note, the band and the song “Night Prowler” came under fire in 1985 when the L.A. serial killer known as the Night Stalker (Richard Ramirez) was caught and it was revealed he was a huge AC/DC fan and “Night Prowler” was one of his favorite songs.
Highlights: “Highway to Hell”, “Girls Got Rhythm”, “Touch Too Much”, “Shot Down in Flames”, “If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It)”, “Love Hungry Man”, “Night Prowler”
www.acdc.com
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Posted on March 21, 2010, in AC/DC and tagged AC/DC, Angus Young, Blues Rock, Bon Scott, Classic Rock, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Malcolm Young, Metal, Music, Rock, Rock 'N' Roll. Bookmark the permalink. 12 Comments.
Agreed 100%! HIGHWAY TO HELL has always been my favorite AC/DC album too . . .
. . . followed closely by LET THERE BE ROCK.
J.N.
Me, too.
I always like this best of all AC/DC albums…and my favorite song on it is the title track.
And, it’s true, that Richard Ramirez being a fan of the band didn’t help their image in America with groups such as the “PMRC“.
Powerage is my favorite. Highway to hell would be tied for second with Let there be rock.
Powerage is also my favorite. Sin City, Riff Raff, Give Me A Bullet, Down Payment Blues among others are classics. I saw them a couple of times around this time and they were at the top of their game.
My favorite rock vocalist of all time is AC/DC, it is funny I am currently doing a video thread on the history of AC/DC on FB and watching the live clips with Bon reminded me what a lethal live band this line up was.
My favorite AC/DC album of all time and I agree Bon’s best performance.
POWERAGE is my all time favorite AC/DC album, but this one runs a close second. The title track, while a well-worn radio staple – is by far not the best track on the album. “Shot Down in Flames”, “Girls Got Rhythm”, “Touch Too Much”, “Beating Around The Bush” and “Night Prowler” are even better. BACK IN BLACK is good also – but not quite as good as this one. But then POWERAGE, in my opinion, is still a few riffs better than these.
So it’s agreed… POWERAGE will be my next AC/DC purchase!
I choose “Highway To Hell” over “Back In Black” any day. The way I have always seen/heard it, there is a tale of two AC/DC’s… the Bon Scott era and the Brian Johnson era. I tip my Metal hat to “Back In Black” and “For Those About To Rock” from the Brian Johnson era.
Overall, this album you posted is my all inclusive favorite AC/DC album. Plus, I could not agree with you more on “Touch Too Much”, this song is amazing and very relevant to what we hear being created in 2010.
In a Metal nutshell… AC/DC are simply icons. It took me many years to finally complete my AC/DC album catalog. Now, there has to be an “Iron Man” album of greatest hits… I’ll just wait on that one if I don’t really need it. I can’t always be the “completist” when it comes to greatest hits and special packaging… it all adds up to $$$.
A cool personal view/review on this ultra classic!
Yeah, when I hear “Touch Too Much” I can’t help but also hear Airbourne’s “Too Much, Too Young, Too Fast”!
Oh yeah… the AC/DC influence is all over Airbourne. Arguably Krokus influence too? Plus, that Airbourne band brings some darn cool energy to the Heavy Metal table! Airbourne has reintroduced the “F” word to Hard Rock and Heavy Metal… that word is “Fun”!
Yeah, Krokus has an AC/DC vibe at times too. I’m looking forward to getting their new album, it’ll be my first (besides a greatest hits). I still haven’t checked into Airbourne’s first but I’ll be getting the new one.
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