Review Summary: 42,39,56...you could say she's got it all!!!
I love AC/DC. I can remember them being one of, if not THE first band I really got into (except for maybe The Beatles). I can remember wanting to play and perform exactly like Angus Young when i was younger. I even wanted to wear the shorts above my knees like him! I dig AC/DC, but i REALLY dig Bon Scott-era AC/DC. In my opinion, you'd be hard pressed to find a string of three great rock albums like Let There Be Rock, Powerage, and Highway To Hell. There's something really powerful and anthemic about this trio that I just can't put my finger on. The band had started to come into their comfort zone on this one, and it really shows.
"Go Down" isn't the best AC/DC opener, but the again it surely isn't the worst. Bon sings a tale of falling in love with more than one woman, and who can't relate to that? That's only the start of hard-hitting rockers with great stories to back them up. "Bad Boy Boogie" tells of Bon's life growing up as...well, a bad boy. With lyrics like "Well being a bad boy ain't so bad/I had more dirty women than most guys ever had!" this one sure is a lot of fun. But the fun doesn't stop there. Its predecessor, the famous title track, takes the Bible story of how God created the Earth and turns it into a sweaty, foot-stomping anthem that never lets up once. "In the beginning", Bon sings. "Back in 1955. Man didn't know about a rock n roll show/And all that jive." Guitar solos galore as Angus lets loose on his fretboard, while the Malcolm and the gang keep a solid rhythm behind. Heck, this epic is so monstrous that legend says Angus' amplifier caught fire in the studio, but he kept shredding through like nothing was going on. Pretty crazy, hm?
If that doesn't impress you, the grand finale surely will. And boy do I mean GRANDE. "Whole Lotta Rosie" has a simple, but catchy A-C-D guitar riff and just blistering solo after solo that leaves you wanting more. Bon delivers probably his funniest lyrics, which deal with a big fat woman who "gives it all she got, weighing in at nineteen stone". Nowadays the band even put a giant inflatable Rosie on stage when they perform the song, which is hilarious to see.
"Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be", despite its controversial title, and "Dog Eat Dog" are basically average rockers, but still provide some good head-bobbing and toe-tapping. Sadly, the original "Crabsody in Blue" could not be put on this album for "explicit meaning" or something crazy, so "Problem Child" is reused. Not necessarily a bad thing, just a repeat from the past isn't my top choice for an album. Still a pretty good song though. "Overdose" could have more (or less) to it, since a six-minute slow filler song isn't really that satisfying. It's far too long and can get repetitive, but hey it's AC/DC. Ya can't complain too much can you?
While LTBR is probably my least favorite of the last three Scott-era albums, it still beats anything the band has released since Bon's passing and will always have a special spot in my collection. AC/DC really took a giant leap from Dirty Deeds to this and came into their own skin. The guitars are loud and crunching, the vocals are top-notch, and the lyrics are fun to listen and sing along to. All in all, one of the best Bon Scott albums and easily one of the greatest AC/DC albums ever made by them bad boys from Australia.
KEY TRACKS:
-Let There Be Rock
-Bad Boy Boogie
-Whole Lotta Rosie
~Pros~
-Great guitarwork
-Good and funny storytelling
-Bon Scott
~Cons~
-Repeat of Problem Child
-Overdose can get repetitive
