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Author Topic: Black Ice  (Read 10502 times)

Ratrod

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Black Ice
« on: October 20, 2008, 04:27:22 PM »
For the last couple of days I’ve been listening to AC/DC’s latest studio album. Time to share my thoughts about it.

It’s a packed album, 15 songs no less.

While some songs are typical AC/DC, such as Rock N’ Roll Train, most of them are quite different from what you may be used to from the Young brothers. They have matured and breaking out of their box so it seems. All songs are well worked out and well arranged. A lot of effort went into the songs and the recording. Maybe even too polished.

Most of the songs are pretty complex for AC/DC standards. Playing along to this is harder than it seems, it used to be:  “Find the A and the rest of the song comes naturally.”  There’s more going on than meets the eye.

But there’s even more going on. This album is filled with the sound of the Australian landscape. You can hear the big skies and endless horizons not dissimilar to Australian pop bands like INXS and Men At Work. You’ll find big chords and droning notes that make the songs float above Phil Rudd’s super tight drums. Malcolm has put the Burns trem tailpiece and the floating Space Control bridge back on his Gretsch, giving the guitar it’s original jangle back wich really helps with creating this atmosphere. It’s a relatively mellow album but not as mellow as Stiff Upper Lip wich was an intimate blues album.

Now don’t get me wrong here. This album couldn’t be anything else than an AC/DC album. It’s still a freight train but it’s a freight train traveling through the Australian landscape. Anyone with half a musical ear will say it’s a good album. It gets better every time I hear it. It doesn’t look like this album will bore you out anytime soon. There’s plenty to discover here.

Some highlights:

Rock N’ Roll Train: A classic AC/DC rocker.

Anything Goes: Could have been an old Springsteen song.

Stormy May Day: Angus on slide guitar, finally! Hard ass blues with great vocals.

She Likes Rock N’ Roll: What’s this? Playfull bass riffs. Pretty funky song.

Money Made: A blues song with a ‘running machine’ riff and again, great vocals.

Rock N’ Roll Dream: A ballad of a quality we haven’t heard in a long time. (And I don’t mean just AC/DC.)


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Philly Q

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Re: Black Ice
« Reply #1 on: October 20, 2008, 04:48:10 PM »
Playing along to this is harder than it seems, it used to be:  “Find the A and the rest of the song comes naturally.” 

Not for me it didn't, nothing on guitar comes naturally to me....  :(


But anyway.  Sounds... interesting.  I've been saying for ages I hoped they'd do something different, but now I'm worried I won't like it.  :roll:

Just got my copy, but not sure I'll have time to listen to it tonight.
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Ratrod

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Re: Black Ice
« Reply #2 on: October 20, 2008, 04:53:07 PM »
Don't worry. It's still AC/DC.
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AndyR

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Re: Black Ice
« Reply #3 on: October 20, 2008, 06:28:10 PM »
This is starting to interest me - last AC/DC album I bought (apart from getting all the Bonn albums on CD) was Back in Black when it came out... :roll:

I got the Plug me In DVD set for christmas last year, so I'm a little bit more used to Mr Johnson now. He seems a lovely guy, but I just don't like his voice :(

Thanks for that :D
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rohlfo

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Re: Black Ice
« Reply #4 on: October 20, 2008, 07:04:54 PM »
Damn you, I haven't got it yet! Hopefully I'll find time tomorrow to go out and buy it, am so excited and read many things on it, the main review I keep hearing is "It's the best AC/DC album since the one after the black album" (Which was 'For Those About to Rock We Salute You')
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Crazy_Joe

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Re: Black Ice
« Reply #5 on: October 20, 2008, 09:21:24 PM »
It just sounds like AC/DC to me haha.
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Simon D

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Re: Black Ice
« Reply #6 on: October 20, 2008, 09:36:48 PM »
Bought it today, haven't really had much of a chance to listen to it yet, but what I have heard so far, I approve of. Off work tomorrow, so will be putting it on repeat!
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SG Thrasher

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Re: Black Ice
« Reply #7 on: October 20, 2008, 10:13:40 PM »
Damn you, I haven't got it yet! Hopefully I'll find time tomorrow to go out and buy it, am so excited and read many things on it, the main review I keep hearing is "It's the best AC/DC album since the one after the black album" (Which was 'For Those About to Rock We Salute You')
It's not that good, but it's a nice solid album.
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rohlfo

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Re: Black Ice
« Reply #8 on: October 21, 2008, 06:46:17 PM »
Damn you, I haven't got it yet! Hopefully I'll find time tomorrow to go out and buy it, am so excited and read many things on it, the main review I keep hearing is "It's the best AC/DC album since the one after the black album" (Which was 'For Those About to Rock We Salute You')
It's not that good, but it's a nice solid album.
Well, still worth it I hope! I think the big deal is that in the past the albums (apart from the obvious few) have been bland excpet a couple of songs, and that this one has a few more of those 'couple of songs' that you enjoy listening too....
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SG Thrasher

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Re: Black Ice
« Reply #9 on: October 21, 2008, 06:53:27 PM »
The thing this album lacks is those really fast songs which make you duck-walk about and make a tit of yourself at parties.
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Woogie

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Re: Black Ice
« Reply #10 on: October 21, 2008, 07:48:40 PM »
The thing this album lacks is those really fast songs which make you duck-walk about and make a tit of yourself at parties.

Let there be rock!

Ratrod

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Re: Black Ice
« Reply #11 on: October 22, 2008, 10:14:05 AM »
The thing this album lacks is those really fast songs which make you duck-walk about and make a tit of yourself at parties.

True. They could have put at least one of those on the album. I've read they had over 50 songs before they settled on these final 15.

I guess their age is catching up on them. I've also read this might be their final album and tour.

C'mon AC/DC, the Stones can do it too.
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HTH AMPS

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Re: Black Ice
« Reply #12 on: October 22, 2008, 07:55:03 PM »
It's not a bad album and I especially like the song with Angus playing slide.  The production is good too - the guitars really sound like they're cranking out in a room (which they are).  Angus' tone seems darker than usual and less crunchy - JTM45 all the way then.  Mal's tone is much darker too - where's that twang?

To put it in perspective, theres nothing on there as good as 'Heatseeker', 'Money Talks' or 'Thats The Way I Wanna Rock & Roll'.


Ratrod

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Re: Black Ice
« Reply #13 on: October 23, 2008, 11:46:40 AM »
I think Malcolm is using his custom Wizard amp on this album. Mal's tone is a bit dirtier on this album. As you use more overdrive, a Gretsch Filtertron loses a bit of twang.
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Philly Q

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Re: Black Ice
« Reply #14 on: October 23, 2008, 01:23:21 PM »
To put it in perspective, theres nothing on there as good as 'Heatseeker', 'Money Talks' or 'Thats The Way I Wanna Rock & Roll'.

Never actually liked any of those songs :oops: , so could be a good or a bad thing for me. 

In fact none of the albums since For Those About to Rock have really knocked me out, although I keep buying them.  Still haven't had a chance to listen to Black Ice.
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