Album Review: AC/DC – The Razor’s Edge (1990)

Overview: 

A lot less filler equals a much better album this time around.  In fact, instead of going out with a whimper, AC/DC goes out with a bang on The Razor’s Edge as the last three songs are some of the strongest on the album.

Tracks you may know: 

Thunderstruck – Have you ever seen a sports movie?  Then you’ve probably heard “Thunderstruck”.

Moneytalks – More good fun from Angus and the crew as the hook gets you and never lets you go.

Tracks you should know:

Let’s Make It, Goodbye and Good Riddance to Bad Luck and If You Dare – The best closing trio of songs on any AC/DC album in their career, incredibly solid and leaves you feeling satisfied instead of cheated (like the ending of the last few albums did).

My personal favorite:

If You Dare – I don’t know why this stands out so much, the backup vocals maybe…it’s got a creepy vibe to go along with the great riff.  The best closing song in their catalogue.

Album rating: 

Back with a vengeance.  One of their best albums and the best of the late 80’s for sure.

8/10

Draft Party

Are they asleep, or did they commit ritual suicide at the prospect of a three hour Musburger-called game?  

That's a valid question.

The Hand You're Dealt

Yup, Shrimpy is an old-school Carolina Panthers fan.  Kerry Collins for the win!

Not so New Comic Review: Guardians of the Galaxy (1991) #56

                Somehow, someway, the Guardians always wind up escaping certain death at the last moment.  This time, after Ripjak has blown up his base, after detailing his origin to the Guardians first, of course, it is revealed that Vance teleported the Guardians back to their ship just before the explosion, because of course he did.  Once back on Icarus, Vance and Talon have yet another fight, before everything starts acting normal.  Yondu and Yellowjacket take Aleta to the infirmary to recover from her attack by Ripjak, while Martinex calls Vance on some sort of holographic video phone.  He chides Vance for breaking the quarantine around Mars, as well as questioning him about Charlie’s frame-job from a few issues ago.  Instead of having a conversation like a normal person though, Vance blows up at Martinex, one of his oldest friends and partners, and then tells him to not look into the goings-on.  It’s a level of trust that probably should be expected at this point in their partnership, but Vance could have very easily said that “Charlie was framed and we’re going after the real villain”.  Bam.  Done.  That was not difficult and it took less time than his little speech did.  I don’t know why Gallagher wants us to hate Vance, but it’s working. 

 

                We then get a quick update from the prison warden who basically blames the Guardians for everything (even though he promised not to), and this makes Charlie mad, then sad because it reminds him how rough he had it for all of a couple days I’m assuming.  Nikki then cheers him up and it’s romance rekindled!

                Wait, wait, wait.  It’s time for another Talon and Vance fight.

                Okay, now that that is out of the way we cut to Ripjak in his ship.  It turns out that his motivation for destroying these worlds has more to do with ending their suffering than actually killing them.  He is an interstellar Jack Kevorkian basically. 

                Back on the Guardians’ ship, Yondu is trying to heal ALeta by doing some sort of spiritual cleansing thing…and it works.  Yondu is consistently the only member of the team that has any real worth. 

                The Guardians show up at the planet that Ripjak has managed to make his way to.  Of course, a fight ensues, where Ripjak attacks the Guardians and surprise, surprise, he’s winning.  While he is kicking everyone else’s ass though, Yellowjacket shrinks down and blindsides him, knocking him down.  When he gets up though he shows the Guardians the error of their ways as the denizens of the planet they are on continue to die from a plague, writhing in pain and fear. 

                Next Issue: The Guardians made the wrong decision…go figure.  Now we get to see them deal with their foolishness, and I would be willing to put money on another Talon-Vance fight.

Pull Your Punches

I'm not going to point any fingers, but this may or may not have been a conversation I had before the draft in my league.

Album Review: AC/DC – Blow Up Your Video (1988)

Overview: 

Blow Up Your Video was well received, especially after the debacle of the last two albums, but it still fell under the “can they play anything else?” umbrella that has followed the band throughout their career.  That being said, the energy from the band is and always has been undeniable.

Tracks you may know: 

Heatseeker and That’s The Way I Wanna Rock & Roll – They are lumped together because they are so similar.  They are not bad songs, but like the rest of the AC/DC catalogue, they are interchangeable. 

Tracks you should know:

Meanstreak – The best track on the album, and one of the best of the Brian Johnson era.

My personal favorite:

Meanstreak – A walking beat and a killer guitar lick make this the best track on the album, by far.

Album rating: 

Looooooots of filler tracks on this one don’t make for a great album. The critics and general public may have liked it, but aside from a few tracks I’d rather listen to any other album.  This is probably my least favorite, and their most forgettable album.

3/10

'Tis the Season

Okay, I've been touting this as a big deal for a couple weeks now, and here's why.

1.  Every storyline I have done has been completely written in advance.  This is the first time I am writing the story as it happens, so this story has not be completed yet as the final week of the fantasy football season just ended.

2.  This is the longest story I have created to date.  Seriously, it will be going until June at least as it's 

currently constituted.

3.  Because this is a storyline that is based around an actual fantasy football season, it is very topical, most of the jokes, in fact will be little reminders as to what has happened in the current football season.

Note: You may not like fantasy football, or football in general, but I ask that you refrain from checking out until June.  This is still Eat @ Shrimpy's, so it's still going to be the same level of hilarity you're used to.