AC/DC – Rock or Bust: Yes, You’ve Been Here Before

                We made it.  We slogged through every disc in the AC/DC catalog and it brought us to this point, Rock or Bust.  This is the new album, six years in the making.  What you get when you fire it up is the same AC/DC that you have come to know, and hopefully love.  The songs are all not only fairly similar to one another, but if you listen closely, you can even pick out pieces of the current tracks that are stolen from previous songs in their catalog (at least they’re not stealing from other musicians, just themselves).

                This does not mean that Rock or Bust is a bad album.  Far from it in fact, as it is actually quite a good AC/DC record, right up there with Black Ice and Stiff Upper Lip.  At this point, we’re splitting hairs when it comes to AC/DC records, right?  They are a known commodity, and when you attempt to judge them on anything other than their individual merit, you will be disappointed, not by the album itself, per se, but by the simple fact that the albums are all essentially the same. 

                Rock or Bust is no different, but where it lacks in originality (and boy does it ever) it makes up for that by providing a comfort in the simple fact that I could play this record and know that I would enjoy it.  If you like AC/DC, you will like this album, it’s as simple as that.  The opening tracks, “Rock or Bust” and “Play Ball”, the two current singles, are exactly what you would expect, but everything you have come to love about AC/DC.  Angus’ guitar work is masterful in its execution and the bottom end, the bass and drums, are as good as you remember.  Brian Johnson’s vocals are as good as ever.  The most amazing thing about AC/DC has to be the way that Brian Johnson can sound the same as he did in 1980.  Is it a trick of the recording process, or did he somehow avoid the ravages of father time?  Either way, it’s one of the highlights of the record in my opinion.

                Honestly, at this point, the only question you have to ask yourself is “Do I like AC/DC?”If the answer is yes, then the only thing left for you to do is go out and purchase Rock or Bust.  If you are already not a fan of the band, and believe me, after listening to their entire discography back to back, I can understand your argument, this is probably not the album for you.  If you are looking to “try out” a band that has been around since the early seventies in one incarnation or another, then this album is as good of a place to start as any.