0
0
As any
hard rock fan knows, the road to rock and roll heaven begins on the highway to hell.
While not quite the obvious hit-after-hit production of later AC/DC albums like Back
in Black or The Razor’s Edge, Highway to Hell has more of a basic charm
and is a prime example of a not-so-flashy, straight-up, hard rock and roll
album.
Aside from the title track, the album holds no true AC/DC staples,
but songs like “If You Want Blood (You Got It),” “Shot Down in Flames” and “Get It Hot”
are the kinds of treasures listeners will really come to appreciate.
Not
to take anything away from Brian Johnson, (AC/DC’s singer since Back in Black was
released) but there is something refreshing about hearing Bon Scott doing what he did
best before his untimely death: screeching out some of the toughest rock vocals of the
late seventies/early eighties. His voice has a blue-collar charisma that reaches out to
people of all walks of life and the band thrives from this injection of street sense and
back-alley excitement.
Angus and Malcolm Young shine as always with
classic rock riff after classic rock riff, (they do this so well in fact that it always
seemed to me that they were trying to write some sort of rock and roll encyclopaedia of
riffs). The drums are not as impressive. If you are a drummer, or a big fan of the
drums, this album probably won’t give you what you need.
There is nothing
particularly flashy about the music on Highway to Hell. Though the album can be
played straight through with no disappointments, it also seems to make no aspiration
toward greatness. Instead it seems to declare: I am a rock and roll album and I know
that you’ll like what I have to give. Indeed we do.
