Review Summary: “Hey, nice set, bro.”
If Flick of the Switch was AC/DC scaling back, then 1985’s Fly on the Wall was an outright downgrade. For starters, the production job is straight up the worst they’ve ever had. The vocals are hit especially hard, driven as far back in the mix as possible and lathered in enough echo effects to make them even more indecipherable than usual. The guitars also come off hollow compared to previous releases while Simon Wright’s drums threaten to overpower the proceedings.
It’s honestly hard to tell what the Young brothers were going for, but one can assume that they might’ve been trying for that live feel again. If Let There Be Rock was the sound of a sweaty packed club, then this album is the gig with where the sound guy stopped paying attention and maybe ten people are just kinda standing there waiting for when they’re supposed to pity-clap.
This haphazard attitude also applies to the songwriting as the filler ratio is at its most pronounced yet. Tracks like “First Blood” and “Hell or High Water” are middle of the road rockers that feel like the band went off the first idea somebody thought of topped off by whatever lyrics Johnson could pull out of his ass (“Some like it hot/Some like it quite not so hot”). Others like “Stand Up” and “Back in Business” have promising ideas that either get undermined by the production or lack the spark to really push through. I find myself torn on “Danger” as its stomping beat and borderline nursery line singalongs are a pendulum of stupid-fun and just plain stupid.
Fortunately they are still a couple great songs on here, even if you have to squint to see them. The title track isn’t quite a top tier anthem, but I can appreciate how that building verses and solid chorus set the stage for the barroom atmosphere throughout. “Shake Your Foundations” and ”Sink the Pink” are the album’s genuine winners with fuller structures and the most impactful choruses on display, the former putting in a goofy sea shanty hook and the latter striking up some dynamic guitar interplay. It’s no wonder these two tracks were poached when the band started getting things together for an upcoming collaboration with Stephen King…
It’s pretty easy to see why Fly on the Wall is often regarded as AC/DC’s lowest point. The production will be an understandable dealbreaker for most from the onset and the songwriting is some of their most inconsistent. However, there are a couple songs that make me wonder how they could’ve fared under more presentable circumstances and there are moments where I can get into the cartoony dive bar vibes. It’s the sort of album where you’d be more forgiving if it was some local group that’ll get better to practice but looks rough coming from a band as experienced as AC/DC.
