HARD ROCK
FORUM
Post by Monsters of Rock on Mar 8, 2021 18:56:28 GMT 10
AC/DC: Powerage
As a longtime fan of AC/DC, I’ve been fortunate enough to collect all their releases, yet despite a massive back catalogue of music, there are some albums, such as Powerage, that simply don’t get spun that often. Yet upon putting it on the turntable, I marvel at the masterpiece before me and wonder just why I don’t seek Powerage out more often.
Without a doubt, Powerage is one of the best Bon Scott era albums and despite loving Highway To Hell, I may even go as far as declaring it the best 70s release from AC/DC. Still, I just don’t seem to reach for it as it has got lost in the back catalogue over the years. Certainly, as incredible a vocalist as Bon Scott was, I’ve always acknowledged that I much prefer Brian Johnson’s vocal style and subsequently I find myself gravitating towards his side of the catalogue. Perhaps this is the reason why I’ve looked past Powerage so often, but I’m going to have to change that by making it more prominent in my record collection. I’ve even been considering picking up a secondhand copy, with a decent quality sleeve, thereby allowing me to display it prominently on the wall as the cover is the perfect visual definition of AC/DC’s style and sound.
As with all the 2003 vinyl re-issues, Powerage is immaculately presented with an inner sleeve that details the album making process and subsequent success as well as including all relevant liner notes, sans lyrics. As you’ll likely be able to tell from the photographs, the records themselves are simply magnificent and the sonic reproduction that comes off them is nothing short of spectacular with plenty of headroom thereby allowing you to turn that volume knob up and rock out. Similarly, the Apple Music edition, an Apple Digital Master, sounds great but arguably is a little more shrill and compressed, thereby resulting in a sound that doesn’t hold together as well as the vinyl counterpart when turning the volume up; a process that is practically a must when listening to AC/DC.
That isn’t to suggest that you’ll be disappointed with the digital equivalent, but if you have access to a quality turntable, you’ll have a slightly more immersive experience. In a song such as Sin City, you really notice this as the bass solo is reproduced nicely on the digital release but the surrounding musical elements, outside of the solo, are simply less dynamic and jarring on the senses. Also, when listening to this on the vinyl release, you’ll feel the bass in the deepest depths of your soul; thanks, Cliff Williams! Similarly, the opening of What’s Next To The Moon is incredibly open on the vinyl reissue but feels a little more squashed on the Apple Music release. The result is that, for this fan, the vinyl release is simply more enjoyable to listen to.
Side One
Rock ’N’ Roll Damnation is a killer opening track and harks back to It’s A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock ’N' Roll); another exceptional opener on High Voltage. The guitar work here is exceptional and Scott’s vocal is searing.
Down Payment Blues could have very well ended up on Stiff Upper Lip; an incredible album in its own right but the slow build here, on Down Payment Blues, pays off massively once all elements are introduced into the mix. It’s another Bon Scott vocal masterpiece and one of my all-time favourite AC/DC songs.
Gimmie A Bullet is a solid rock and roll tune. Nothing to write home about, but a valued addition to Powerage.
Riff Raff is a riff-driven song that will have you air-guitaring every time you hear it. The riff is so memorable that I can hear the influence on Rick Springfield and Dave Grohl’s The Man That Never Was, from the Sound City – Reel To Reel documentary accompanying soundtrack. Riff Raff is off-the-charts good!
Side Two
Sin City is a monster track for the opening of Side Two that reaches to the lowest depths of sonic prowess to present a bass-focused, rhythmically charged, masterstroke.
What’s Next To The Moon has a guitar tuning that I adore as the level of distortion is pure perfection. A great song!
Gone Shootin’ has an incredibly addictive rhythm; a killer tune!
Up To My Neck In You continues the rhythmically charged attack on the senses and while Up To My Neck In You was never going to be a standout song, Angus’ lead guitar licks are exceptionally good here and in some ways it could be considered a hidden gem.
Kicked In The Teeth has a killer, primarily, vocal-only introduction that is incredible. From a vocal perspective, I’d suggest that this is one of the best vocal performances of Bon Scott’s career. If nothing else, it is certainly a perfect closer for Powerage, thereby encouraging me to play the album again and stay within AC/DC’s extraordinary catalogue of music.
Overall, Powerage, while underrated, is arguably amongst AC/DC’s best recordings and is pure blues-based rock and roll with absolutely no filler.
Subjective Sounds website
As a longtime fan of AC/DC, I’ve been fortunate enough to collect all their releases, yet despite a massive back catalogue of music, there are some albums, such as Powerage, that simply don’t get spun that often. Yet upon putting it on the turntable, I marvel at the masterpiece before me and wonder just why I don’t seek Powerage out more often.
Without a doubt, Powerage is one of the best Bon Scott era albums and despite loving Highway To Hell, I may even go as far as declaring it the best 70s release from AC/DC. Still, I just don’t seem to reach for it as it has got lost in the back catalogue over the years. Certainly, as incredible a vocalist as Bon Scott was, I’ve always acknowledged that I much prefer Brian Johnson’s vocal style and subsequently I find myself gravitating towards his side of the catalogue. Perhaps this is the reason why I’ve looked past Powerage so often, but I’m going to have to change that by making it more prominent in my record collection. I’ve even been considering picking up a secondhand copy, with a decent quality sleeve, thereby allowing me to display it prominently on the wall as the cover is the perfect visual definition of AC/DC’s style and sound.
As with all the 2003 vinyl re-issues, Powerage is immaculately presented with an inner sleeve that details the album making process and subsequent success as well as including all relevant liner notes, sans lyrics. As you’ll likely be able to tell from the photographs, the records themselves are simply magnificent and the sonic reproduction that comes off them is nothing short of spectacular with plenty of headroom thereby allowing you to turn that volume knob up and rock out. Similarly, the Apple Music edition, an Apple Digital Master, sounds great but arguably is a little more shrill and compressed, thereby resulting in a sound that doesn’t hold together as well as the vinyl counterpart when turning the volume up; a process that is practically a must when listening to AC/DC.
That isn’t to suggest that you’ll be disappointed with the digital equivalent, but if you have access to a quality turntable, you’ll have a slightly more immersive experience. In a song such as Sin City, you really notice this as the bass solo is reproduced nicely on the digital release but the surrounding musical elements, outside of the solo, are simply less dynamic and jarring on the senses. Also, when listening to this on the vinyl release, you’ll feel the bass in the deepest depths of your soul; thanks, Cliff Williams! Similarly, the opening of What’s Next To The Moon is incredibly open on the vinyl reissue but feels a little more squashed on the Apple Music release. The result is that, for this fan, the vinyl release is simply more enjoyable to listen to.
Side One
Rock ’N’ Roll Damnation is a killer opening track and harks back to It’s A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock ’N' Roll); another exceptional opener on High Voltage. The guitar work here is exceptional and Scott’s vocal is searing.
Down Payment Blues could have very well ended up on Stiff Upper Lip; an incredible album in its own right but the slow build here, on Down Payment Blues, pays off massively once all elements are introduced into the mix. It’s another Bon Scott vocal masterpiece and one of my all-time favourite AC/DC songs.
Gimmie A Bullet is a solid rock and roll tune. Nothing to write home about, but a valued addition to Powerage.
Riff Raff is a riff-driven song that will have you air-guitaring every time you hear it. The riff is so memorable that I can hear the influence on Rick Springfield and Dave Grohl’s The Man That Never Was, from the Sound City – Reel To Reel documentary accompanying soundtrack. Riff Raff is off-the-charts good!
Side Two
Sin City is a monster track for the opening of Side Two that reaches to the lowest depths of sonic prowess to present a bass-focused, rhythmically charged, masterstroke.
What’s Next To The Moon has a guitar tuning that I adore as the level of distortion is pure perfection. A great song!
Gone Shootin’ has an incredibly addictive rhythm; a killer tune!
Up To My Neck In You continues the rhythmically charged attack on the senses and while Up To My Neck In You was never going to be a standout song, Angus’ lead guitar licks are exceptionally good here and in some ways it could be considered a hidden gem.
Kicked In The Teeth has a killer, primarily, vocal-only introduction that is incredible. From a vocal perspective, I’d suggest that this is one of the best vocal performances of Bon Scott’s career. If nothing else, it is certainly a perfect closer for Powerage, thereby encouraging me to play the album again and stay within AC/DC’s extraordinary catalogue of music.
Overall, Powerage, while underrated, is arguably amongst AC/DC’s best recordings and is pure blues-based rock and roll with absolutely no filler.
Subjective Sounds website
