Review Summary: A great album flawed by its execution
Having endured the loss of a brother in arms on Back in Black, AC/DC then had the equally arduous task of following up one of the highest selling albums ever released with For Those About to Rock. The band understandably opted to stay the course with Mutt Lange producing for the third time, new guy Brian Johnson getting a little more acclimated with his role, and the cover art even using a similarly minimalist image in that totally-not-phallic canon. They may not be one for drastic changes in general but this feels like the first time they were consciously playing it safe.
At any rate, the opening title track is pretty damn awesome. The introduction’s gradually escalating guitar fanfare and climactic drum hits are a glorious combination and the verse/chorus set rides out a hefty mid-tempo stomp, culminating in an epic finish where the faster beats and flailing leads are supplemented by bombardments of cannon fire. It’s easily the most triumphant AC/DC song ever released and perhaps the greatest concert closer that a hard rock group could ever ask for.
Did you notice I specifically said “closer” in that last sentence?
Unfortunately, the album’s biggest strength ends up becoming a crippling setback as starting off with the title track just causes the other songs to get blown right out of the water. When the smoke clears and “Put the Finger on You” comes trickling in, the steady beat and slapdash vocals come off as limp compared to the onslaught that just transpired. It’s an otherwise good song with a memorable chorus but the momentum has noticeably faltered. Is this why Let There Be Rock didn’t open with its title track?
The power never quite reaches that level again, but there are some enjoyable songs once you get adjusted. “Let’s Get It Up” and “Inject the Venom” inject some dumb fun attitude, the former getting some flimsy pirate imagery on a catchy groove and the latter digs into a particularly heavy crunch. I must admit a couple other tracks come off like Back in Black rewrites as ”Evil Walks” shares sinister DNA with “Hell’s Bells,” ”C.O.D.” attempts some acronym wordplay on top of a light ”You Shook Me All Night Long” beat, and the closing “Spellbound” plays like “Let Me Put My Love Into You” is a disorienting haze. Not too many classics but certainly some tight deep cuts.
Overall, For Those About to Rock is ultimately a great album flawed by its execution. Overlooking the jumbled track order and somewhat safe composition, the album sees AC/DC settling into their new role as seasoned veterans with plenty of those tried and true riffs and catchy hooks to go around. Perhaps the songs could’ve been restructured or a punchier production job would’ve made for a more cohesive listen, but it was strong enough to keep the band’s commercial momentum going. At the end of the day, it’s a success worth saluting.
