Come on, admit that you're an AC/DC fan. No other band in metal (or hard rock) quite pulls down the groove, good times and dirty fun that AC/DC has for the past twenty some years. Though their music is basic, the lyrics base, and the singing a bit cheesey (well, maybe after Bon Scott died and was replaced by Brian Johnson), there is nothing like driving down the freeway at night, windows down, and AC/DC blasting on the car stereo. And of course screaming along and causing other drivers to lock their doors and roll up their windows and fear. That, my friend, is what rock is all about and this album is one of the stellar examples of why AC/DC understood what rock (the pure form, not that hybrid, laboratory-created stuff passed off these days) is all about. Admit it, the title track is one of your favorite AC/DC songs. And of course you've enjoyed the double entendre of "Big Balls" (it's about fancy parties, right?) And don't forget their one "ballad" song "Ride On". Certainly somewhere in your town there is a record store that carries this album, if you don't already have it. You need it more than you need oxygen to breathe.

Review by John Chedsey

Review date: 08/1997

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Overall, this is one of my favorite AC/DC albums as it was more based in blues than anything else they have ever done. Not to say that they could have shared a stage with John Lee Hooker, but there's a lot more anthems that would appeal to the down and out. In "Down Payment Blues", singer Bon Scott laments that he "Can't afford to feed my cat". Elsewhere, Superman and Lois Lane make an appearance on the excellent "What's Next to the Moon". While not packed with the hits that most people think of when thinking of AC/DC, Powerage is a very fulfilling member of the band's extensive catalogue and one that should be in your mandatory AC/DC collection.

Review by John Chedsey

Review date: 06/1997

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Apparently around 1979, Satan himself lent AC/DC just a little extra moxie and allowed the band to first write one of their best and most consisently hard rockin' albums as well as find massive sales a year later, in exchange for Bon Scott (who would pass away in 1980 from tipping the bottle extra hard one night). Regardless of possible demonic help, Highway to Hell is one exciting roadtrip, one of the most solidly paved thoroughfares for AC/DC. Scott's vocals are their fiercest and most aggressive yet, especially on "Girls Got Rhythm". The band naturally remains firmly planted in typical rock cliches of fast girls and hot times. But if AC/DC ever wrote a song on preserving the environment, the United Nations would quite possibly decree that an international task force would need to take away the guitars from the Young brothers and ask them to become harmless farmers somewhere. Anyhoo, even though the cliches are in full force, the band has captured them in their three chord, predictable glory that also meant catchy and timeless rock songs. Face it. Rock is a simplistic genre for the most part and AC/DC merely were more appealing and fun than most. Highway to Hell is the sort of album that air guitars were made for. Excellently produced, energetically performed and devastatingly rocking, get into your convertible carriage and tear down this road.

Review by John Chedsey

Review date: 01/2000

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A quickie stopgap EP of early AC/DC tracks, some of which represent the band at their best. Sounding quite raw but still from the gut, there isn't a weak track among the bunch. The title track is the semi-dramatic tale of a man caught in a passionate struggle (well, not quite, but it sounds good from a literary perspective). "Show Business" describes the seedier side of their pursuit, "Baby Please Don't Go" is a cover of the blues classic (exceptionally done, I might add), and "You Don't Got a Hold" on me is also excellent. Since the album features Bon Scott, you must have it.

Review by John Chedsey

Review date: 08/1997

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Modern AC/DC (namely everything after For Those About to Rock We Salute You) hasn't been the prettiest thing in the world. Each album has contained a few good songs, but a lot of the material is just ho-hum filler. This particular specimen is great when they're on and pretty boring when they're not. "Heatseeker" (which may have been one of my favorite songs when I was 14) is completely in tune with AC/DC's best stuff: jamming guitars, high-pitched screaming about sexual innuendo, and all that. "That's the Way I Wanna Rock n Roll" is homage to their lifestyle and it does rock. "Meanstreak", one of the most unique AC/DC songs (considering their lack of change over the past couple decades, this song is monumental) ever, as it has a down n dirty feel of a hustler. Well, maybe it's not ALL that different, but it's a keeper. Then you have to suffer through a side and a half of drivel and riffs that sound like they were discarded from Powerage sessions before getting to the awesome "This Means War", which ruled my 14 year old world. After this album, AC/DC went straight downhill as their good song quotient dropped dramatically. And besides, Brian Johnson never did fully fill Bon Scott's shoes, but could any mere mortal?

Review by John Chedsey

Review date: 08/1997

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