AC/DC: Powerage

AC/DC : Powerage

1978

Atlantic Records

Format I Own it On: Compact Disc

1. Rock N' Roll Damnation  2. Down Payment Blues  3. Gimme a Bullet  4. Riff Raff  5. Sin City  6. What's Next to the Moon  7. Gone Shootin' 8. Up to My Neck in You  9. Kicked in the Teeth

This one tends to get a little overlooked. You never hear any of these songs on the radio, the band never plays any of it live, but don't let that dissuade you from checking this out. It's probably my favorite of their albums, and it's as good a place to start as any if you're looking to get into AC/DC.

This one kicks off with the bruising "Rock N' Roll Damnation," which for some unknown reason (at least on my copy) is almost completely lacking in bass guitar... did  new guy Cliff Williams forget to plug in his bass? Were they going for a tinnier sound as some nod to the punk scene that was currently in full swing? Who knows? Somehow it doesn't seem to make much of a difference, and the song shines through regardless.."Gimme a Bullet" is basically a dry run for "Highway to Hell." Is it just me or do the two songs sound suspiciously similar? And I love that twisty guitar riff on "Riff Raff." Great performances all around! On "Down Payment Blues" Bon even convinces us  he's on "Rock N' Roll Welfare," for Chrissakes! 

Unfortunately it marks the end of the end of the Vanda-Young production era. After this point, there's a slight shift towards a sleeker, less bluesy, more pop-rock sound, but not here!  It's all sleaze-blues! And to top it off they even pull off a good song about Superman on "What's Next to the Moon."!  How can that be? Songs about Superman always suck (see Three Doors Down "Kryptonite, " "Superman" by Bush, and especially "Superman (It's Not Easy)" by Five for Fighting.)

I don't understand this shitty history of Superman songs! Superman is cool...

Look....

...and it has AC/DC's coolest album cover, hands down! Win. win. win. If you've somehow missed this one, or haven't heard it in awhile, I absolutely recommend throwing it on at your next Friday night record party...Here, I'll shut up now so we can air guitar to some "Rock N' Roll Damnation."