Number 54 - High Voltage by AC/DC

 Number 54: High Voltage by AC/DC

More electric than Edison

Release: May 14th, 1976
Genre: Rock
Favorite Tracks: T.N.T., It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'N' Roll), The Jack

 

Where I heard it: 

I'll never forget the day that I embarked upon my special relationship with AC/DC. It was early 2009, and I was attending the birthday party of a friend of mine a grade above me. When the time to open gifts rolled around, my buddy uncovered a new copy of the Rock Band expansion AC/DC: Live for the Playstation 2. Wasting no time, us small group of four boys ran upstairs and popped in the game, jamming out to live renditions of AC/DC staples like You Shook Me All Night Long and Thunderstruck. In fact, we played it all through the night until my friend's mom had to pull the plug around 5 AM because the plastic drums were too loud. My friends and I all truly felt like rock stars the next morning as we sobered up from an intoxicating sugar rush and severe lack of sleep. We often found ourselves clamoring to return to my friend's house in subsequent months to relive that glorious night, venturing off to the nearby convenience store in search of Monster energy drinks and two-liter bottles of Coke. It must have been the electrifying energy of AC/DC that brought out the party animals in us kids. As their name implies, the rock and roll lifestyle the band portrays isn't for the faint of heart.

Ridin' down the highway
Goin' to a show
Stop in all the byways
Playin' rock 'n' roll
Gettin' robbed
Gettin' stoned
Gettin' beat up
Broken-boned
Gettin' had
Gettin' took
I tell you folks
It's harder than it looks
~ It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'N' Roll)

 

What to expect:

For those unfamiliar with the history of AC/DC, their catalog is split between current frontman Brian Johnson's gritty vocal timbre featured on albums like Back in Black and The Razor's Edge, and former frontman Bon Scott's prolific attitude that put the band on the map with Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap and Highway to Hell. Founded by sibling duo Malcom and Angus Young, Bon Scott was recruited as AC/DC's new vocalist in an effort to better suit the group's shift from glam rock to blues rock.  AC/DC yearned for an edgier sound to accompany their eccentric stage presence, and Scott brought that energy with provocative behavior and promiscuous lyrics learned from his time as the vocalist of Fraternity. Scott's unmistakable singing voice is drenched with personality and sex appeal, pushing it to the absolute limit with squeals and shouts in songs like High Voltage and The Jack. If that wasn't enough talent for you, he also plays the bagpipe solo in It's a Long Way to the Top. That's just the kind of range that AC/DC has to offer on this album. Speaking of which, it's hard to discuss the heart and soul of the band without mentioning Angus Young, pictured on the cover of High Voltage. Famous for his use of Gibson's SG guitar, Angus is perhaps one of rock and roll's greatest soloists to ever pick the strings. His remarkable guitar fluency makes solos in Live Wire and T.N.T. flow so naturally with their respective tracks. Perhaps more impressive than his playing are his galvanic live performances, where Angus makes an absolute fool of himself on stage while simultaneously shredding some of music's most iconic riffs. These two larger-than-life stars personified AC/DC's supercharged style of rock and roll, capturing the attention of their native Australia before setting their sights on the international markets of the UK and America. There are major track list disparities between the Australian and international releases of High Voltage, but the format we received here in the U.S. contains a wealth of AC/DC's hallmark songs. High Voltage was the first of many releases to shock its listeners with explicit content wrapped in hard-hitting guitar chords.

She was holding a pair
But I had to try
Her deuce was wild

 But my ace was high

But how was I to know

That she'd been dealt with before?

Said she'd never had a full house

But I should have known

From the tattoo on her left leg

And the garter on her right

She'd have the card to bring me down

If she played it right

~ The Jack

Why it's my favorite: 

It seems as if AC/DC has been receiving a lot of flack in recent years for their lack of originality and dependence on formulaic songwriting. I find that odd, considering the AC/DC formula has cultivated one of the most devoted fanbases of any musical group through their historic longevity. Not even the death of vital members can stop the rock and roll train, from Bon Scott's passing in 1980 to the recent loss of founder Malcom Young in 2017. AC/DC has shown unwavering faith in the system they've developed over the decades, favoring a straightforward, no-frills approach that boils down rock music to its core essence. Fresh off of their seventeenth studio release, it's flooring to hear concepts that were first utilized on High Voltage be recycled in the modern age to a successful degree. It conveys just how far ahead of their time AC/DC were when this album initially hit the market in 1970's. It wasn't quite Sabbath-levels of Earth shattering, but there certainly was a public reaction to the image AC/DC embodies. I feel fortunate enough to have lived even but a taste of that extravagant lifestyle as a kid, and I couldn't imagine a better soundtrack than the robust tones of AC/DC.