The ultimate live ‘Rock
‘n’ Roll’ album - bar none, no arguments.
This album is like a big, everlasting
bone, that should be gnawed at in a frenzy,
then buried and dug up every time there’s
a party or the pack are going out.
This is heavy rock as it’s supposed to
sound, loud, dangerous, tongue in cheek,
and right in your face.
The opening guitar damage of “Riff Raff”
comes straight out your speakers, dragging
you round the walls like a sledgehammer
with claws. “If you want blood” captures
AC / DC in their rebellious prime. Angus
Young rushing round the stage like an
electrocuted school kid with it all to
prove.
The school boy image sometimes hides the
fact that Angus is one of the finest Rock
‘n’ Roll guitarists to hit the boards,
you can almost hear him moon the audience
in “Bad Boy Boogie”.
The late, great Bon Scott tells stories
as only he could, leaving nothing to the
imagination, even in the song titles.
Try “The Jack” or “Whole Lotta Rosie”.
The rhythm section of Angus’s elder brother,
“Malcolm”, the absurdly hardrockin “Cliff
Williams” & old Thundersticks himself,
“Phil Rudd” don’t let up for a second
and you don’t want them too either. What
makes this mongrel’s hair stand on end
is half way through “Problem Child”, Angus
turns it up to eleven and sends the crowd
onto another plain of ecstasy.
By the final conclusion of “The Rocker”,
you look round and your air guitar is
in pieces and so are you.
This album was recorded in 1978. A year
later Bow Scott left us and AC / DC were
never the same. Good yes, this good never.
If you haven’t got an AC/DC album, get
this, forget the rest.
Pawed by Mott The Dog
Remastered by Ella Crew
E-mail: review@mott-the-dog.com
