Probably got pulled over for a DUI by Satan's super troopers
Written: Feb 14 '07 (Updated Feb 14 '07)
Product Rating:
Pros: Maybe half the album is a grooving ode to hedonism.
Cons: I'd say four or five tracks are kinda dull, but I can't remember them.
The Bottom Line: I'm not a huge Bon Scott fan, but this is as good as they got with his drunk butt planted in the driver's seat. The title track alone is indispensable.
pyfr's Full Review: Highway To Hell [Remaster] by AC/DC
Like a good rock tragic hero oughta, Bon Scott died just as AC/DC was reaching its creative high-water mark. Thank God he chose to poison himself with alcohol afterHighway To Hell was in the can (I just learned that, contrary to urban legend, he did not actually asphyxiate on his vomit). For me, it stands as the greatest achievement of the Bon Scott years.
Ive never been all that nuts about his voice, but on Highway Bon sounds mysteriously appealing. AC/DCs style has changed about as much as Stonehenge over the years (which means that everything on here is the same bluesy power chord festival they did before and since), but for the first time, I actually like hearing Scotts barroom tales of fighting, effing, and self-abuse.
Mutt Langes big and booming production skills give this album much of its charm (same for the first two post-Bon efforts as well). The title track sounds like its about to beat a hole through someones crewcut with that simple drum line and no-brainer guitar part. Same goes for the others as well, from the almost dancey pair of Love Hungry Man and Touch Too Much to the creeping blueser Night Prowler, which was curiously cited by serial killer Richard Night Stalker Ramirez as one of his inspirations. It just makes me want to explore the depths of randiness with a bathrobe-wearing housewife.
The problem with this album (and every thing else the band manufactures) is that it consists of a few good moments buried in an otherwise faceless wall of formulaic mid-tempo rockers. Beating Around The Bush jams out in an uncharacteristically fast manner and Girls Got Rhythm is catchy enough, but nearly half the album is entirely forgettable. Maybe you dont feel the same, but I couldnt describe Walk All Over You, Get It Hot, Shot Down In Flames, or If You Want Blood (Youve Got It) if it held up me and my fifty most observant friends without so much as a ski mask on.
But hey, one does not shop at AC/DC Mart expecting neck-breaking diversity, so you just gotta take it for what it is. Bon squeals in that high-pitched wacky voice of his about all manner of sin (mostly of the truck driver variety- their obsession with evil of a metaphysical nature was solely confined to the goofy album cover). These guys were just whiskey-swilling party nuts who picked up instruments instead of applications at the nearest factory, and Highway To Hell stands out as their most glorious achievement with a man Id never wanna face in a drinking contest.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.