Overview:
The first American album, High Voltage hit in 1976 (there
were two albums before this one that were released solely in Australia). The sleaze of Bon Scott’s vocals along with
the guitar playing of Angus Young was not enough to garner international
acclaim from the time it was released (but it is an album that has aged very
well as songs like “T.N.T.” and “High Voltage” still receive extensive airplay.
Tracks you may
know:
T.N.T. – This and probably anything off Back in Black are the most played songs in the band’s
catalogue. While the song itself holds
up, the amount of overplay it has received causes me to cringe every time I
hear “Oy, Oy, Oy”.
Live Wire – I enjoy this track more for the guitar solo in
the middle of it than anything else. Angus
is just so underappreciated. I often
overlook his musical contributions as well, but looking back on his work, holy
shit that guy could play.
It’s A Long Way to the Top (If You Want to Rock & Roll)
– I can do without the bagpipes, but the song holds up very well.
Tracks you should
know:
The Jack – Equal parts blues, rock, sleaze and innuendo
(seriously, Bon Scott could have given Steven Tyler a run for his money in the
innuendo department) this is a track that should be on everyone’s playlist
forever.
My personal favorite:
The Jack – You probably assumed this would be my pick,
right? It doesn’t hurt that many of the
“radio friendly” songs have been overplayed (seriously, I could skip over
“T.N.T.” and be perfectly fine never hearing it again)
Album rating:
High Voltage was a
solid opening salvo from AC/DC that definitely put all their cards on the table
for the Bon Scott years. There were
going to be catchy tracks with killer guitar riffs and a vocalist that makes
you want to go shower after hearing him sing.
It was not the best album in their catalogue (tracks like “Little Lover”
and “She’s Got Balls” are okay, but not essential listening) but it was a very
good one, and a great start to their career.
7/10
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