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At the end of '78, AC/DC were on the brink of an unstoppable rise: their last great album "Powerage," thanks to the single "Rock N' Roll Damnation", had been the first to break into the UK and US charts and had led to a triumphant tour that saw them play everywhere to enthusiastic crowds alongside, among others, Thin Lizzy (a memorable episode with an almost-brawl), Van Halen, Aerosmith, and other sacred monsters who were literally scared to play after the Australian giants, a tour that culminated with the historic performance on April 30th at the Apollo Theatre in Glasgow, which would be the main source for "If You Want Blood (You Got It)," a future live album that would become their best-selling work up to that moment.
They were ready for the definitive assault on the world and wanted to release the album that would silence everyone, skeptical record executives in particular. However, their road to hell immediately became uphill: under pressure from Atlantic, AC/DC found themselves forced to change producer for the first time, relying on an external figure, unlike the familiar George Young and Henry Vanda. The separation from George was particularly traumatic because George was more than just a producer: he was the sixth effective member (he had also been a bassist in the early days and during the first sessions of "Powerage"), the band's putative father. While Malcolm had always been the more or less silent leader, the elder brother and former Easybeats member had always been the acknowledged leader and the true inspirer and architect of the entire AC/DC saga.
For the first time, the band found themselves facing a different situation, and the record company immediately proposed the prestigious Eddie Kramer, the historical producer and sound engineer of, among others (Who, Kinks, Small Faces...), Jimi Hendrix, as the new man behind the console. Problems quickly emerged, however: serious disagreements on artistic direction, working hours, and methods resulted in an immediate break-up in the midst of unprecedented sessions in Miami, a brand-new place for the boys used to recording in Sydney. The band then moved to cold London to start over working on the pieces and ideas that were the fruit of the previous sessions, this time with Mutt Lange, a name and character much appreciated by the group, who then began working on the new album "Highway To Hell".
The working methods were nonetheless very different from those used for their previous works. Previously, they would enter the studio with simple sketches and develop them at the piano together with George; now, they entered with more complete pieces that they found themselves elaborating on with the new producer. Lange's first moves were immediately to highlight and enhance Bon's vocal harmonies and technique, the fruits of which can be best heard in the absolute masterpiece of the album and the group: "Touch Too Much", an authentic gem of the band, was a piece already circulating from the previous sessions.
But the work previously started with the famous title track inspired by the US Highway 666, a road said to bring a terrible curse just by mentioning it. The idea was for it to be their "All Right Now", in terms of impact, and the historic riff stood out "like a dog's balls," to use Malcolm's always refined words. "Girls Got A Rhythm" and "Walk All Over You" (with an amazing instrumental moment in the middle) complete the incredible initial quartet; there is little to say about these fantastic and indefinable tracks.
"Beating Around The Bush" with its unmistakable riff is one of the lesser-known tracks of the album, along with "Get It Hot" and the great blues "Love Hungry Man", the other two less famous but not less worthy, although the best comes from the others. From "Shot Down In Flames" for example, from "If You Want Blood (You Got It)", and especially from the wonderful closure of "Night Prowler": a long hard blues ballad, one of the only ballads from the five little devil kangaroos, not the only one ("Ride On", "Love Song") but certainly the most beautiful, intense, and emotional with those spine-chilling initial breaths, with the incredible Angus giving his best.
The album was a continuation of the group's mentality, always a damn aggressive rock n' roll, but this time less raw and more refined, partly due to the major's requirements for more radio-friendly pieces and partly due to a true artistic maturation. Also, the lyrics differed from those of the previous record, which, at Bon's will, appeared this time less dark and serious compared to, for example, "Gone Shootin'".
This closes what would be the last album of the great, never too much mourned Bon Scott, who would die of asphyxiation, choked on his own vomit like Hendrix and John Bonham, following a controversial night and a controversial binge (well below his standards) with the newly-acquainted Alister Kinear, a former roommate of his ex-girlfriend, when they say fate, but that's another story. I know there are obviously already many reviews of this epochal album, you already know my thoughts on it but this time I also wanted to pay homage to the great Bon 30 years after his passing, with his greatest masterpiece, the absolute pinnacle of AC/DC, better than "Let There Be Rock," better than "Back In Black," the album that would bring them to the top of every chart before definitively cementing their legend status with the aforementioned successor.
The album that would lead them to play almost always as headliners except with friends Cheap Trick, Thin Lizzy again, Who (memorable anecdotes of banter between Bon and Pete Townshend), and Stranglers at Wembley, Def Leppard, Judas Priest, and others (they should have also played at the historic '79 Knebworth edition but they weren't much liked by the influential Robert Plant); besides the recording of the historic documentary "Let There Be Rock" in France, the ultimate testament to the greatness of that formation, always great afterwards but never like that historic lineup. AC/DC at their best, sealed by one of the greatest albums in rock history.
Tracklist Lyrics and Samples
01 Highway to Hell (03:27)
Living easy, loving free
Season ticket on a one-way ride
Asking nothing, leave me be
Taking everything in my stride
Don't need reason, don't need rhyme
Ain't nothing that I'd rather do
Going down, party time
My friends are gonna be there too
I'm on the highway to hell
On the highway to hell
Highway to hell
I'm on the highway to hell
No stop signs, speed limit
Nobody's gonna slow me down
Like a wheel, gonna spin it
Nobody's gonna mess me around
Hey Satan, paid my dues
Playing in a rocking band
Hey momma, look at me
I'm on my way to the promised land
I'm on the highway to hell
Highway to hell
I'm on the highway to hell
Highway to hell
Don't stop me!
I'm on the highway to hell
On the highway to hell
I'm on the highway to hell
On the highway to hell
Highway to hell
I'm on the highway to hell
Highway to hell
I'm on the highway to hell
Highway to hell
I'm on the highway to hell
Highway to hell
And I'm going down all the way
We're on the highway to hell
02 Girls Got Rhythm (03:23)
I've been around the world
I've seen a million girls
Ain't one of them got
What my lady she's got
She steals the spotlight
Knocks me off my feet
She's enough to start a landslide
Just a walkin down the street
Wearing dresses so tight
And looking dynamite
Enough to blow me out
No doubt about it can't live without it
(CHORUS)
The girl's got rhythm (girl's got rhythm)
The girl's got rhythm (girl's got rhythm)
She's got the backseat rhythm (backseat rhythm)
The girl's got rhythm
She's like a lethal brand
Too much for any man
She gives me first degree
She really satisfies me
Love me till I'm legless
Aching and sore
Enough to stop a freight train
Or start the Third World War
You know I'm losin sleep
I'm in too deep
Like a body needs blood
No doubt about it can't live without it
(CHORUS)
You know she moves like sin
And when she lets me in
It's like liquid love
No doubt about it can't live without it
The girl's got rhythm (girl's got rhythm)
The girl's got rhythm (girl's got rhythm)
She's got the backseat rhythm (backseat rhythm)
The girl's got rhythm (girl's got rhythm)
You know she really got the rhythm (girl's got rhythm)
She's got the backseat rhythm (backseat rhythm)
Rock n roll rhythm (rock n roll rhythm)
The girl's got rhythm
03 Walk All Over You (05:09)
Outta my way I'm a runnin high
Take your chance with me and I'll give it a try
Ain't no woman in the world I know
Cause I ain't looking for an overflow
Oh baby I ain't got much
Resistance to your touch
Take off the high heels, let down your hair
Paradise ain't far from there
I wanna walk all over you
I wanna walk all over you
Do anything you want me to, baby
I wanna walk all over you
Reflections on the bedroom wall
And girl you thought you'd seen it all
We're rising, falling like the sea
You're looking so good under me
I'm gonna walk all over you
I'm gonna walk all over you
Do anything you want me to do to you
I'm gonna walk all over you
Moanin, groanin stereo
Said gimme the stage, I'm gonna steal the show
Leave on the lace and turn off the light
Tonight is gonna be the night
I'm gonna walk all over you
I'm gonna walk all over you
Do anything you want me to
I'm gonna walk all over you
Ow, I'm gonna walk all over you
04 Touch Too Much (04:26)
It was one of those nights when you turn out the lights
And everything comes into view
She was taking her time, I was loosing my mind
There was nothing that she wouldn't do
It wasn't the first, wasn't the last
She knew we was making love
I was so satisfied deep down inside
Like a hand in a velvet glove
Seems like a touch, a touch too much
Seems like a touch, a touch too much
Too much for my body, too much for my brain
This damn woman's gonna drive me insane
She's got a touch, a touch too much
She had the face of an angel, smiling with sin
The body of venus with arms
Dealin' with danger, strokin' my skin
Like a thunder and lightening storm
It wasn't the first, wasn't the last
It wasn't that she didn't care
She wanted it hard, wanted it fast
She liked it done medium rare
Seems like a touch, a touch too much
Seems like a touch, a touch too much
Too much for my body, too much for my brain
This damn woman's gonna drive me insane
She has a touch, a touch too much
Touch me!
Seems like a touch (touch too much)
You know it's much too much (much too much)
I really wanna feel ya (touch too much)
Girl, you know you're givin' me (much too much)
Seems like a touch
Just a dirty little touch
I really need your touch
'Cause you're much too much too much too much
Seems like a touch
A touch too much
Seems like a touch
A touch too much
Give me your touch
A touch too much
Baby you've got a touch
A touch too much
Seems like a touch
A touch too much
A touch too much
A touch too much
A touch too much
Touch, come on and touch me!
Yeah! ahh!
05 Beating Around the Bush (03:56)
Smilin' face and laughin' eyes
But ya can't keep on tellin' me all those lies
How'd you expect me to believe
Honey I ain't that naive
Baby I got my eye on you
Cause you do all the things I want you to
Stop your cryin' and dry your tears
I ain't that wet behind the ears
You can throw me lefts, you can throw me rights
But where was you last night
Beatin' around the bush
Wish I knew what was on your mind
Why you bein' so unkind
Remember those nights we spent alone
Talkin' on the telephone
Thoughts of you goin' through my brain
You told me that you felt the same
You said that you loved me too
But tell me who was there with you
I was talkin' birds, and you was talkin' bees
And was he down on his knees
Beatin' around the bush
You're the meanest woman I've ever known
Sticks and stones won't break my bones
I know what you're looking for
You've eaten your cake you want some more
I'm gonna give you just a one more change
Try to save our romance
I've done everything I'm gonna do
The rest is up to you
And you can chew it up, you can spit it out
You can let it all hang out
Beatin' around the bush
And you can chew it up, you can spit it out
You can let it all hang out
Beatin' around the bush
07 Get It Hot (02:34)
Going on over time
Just a me and you
Going to have ourselves-a party
Tonight I guess will do
No bodes play
Another note
No bodes playing slow
And now owns playing hard tonight
To get on rock and roll
Get it hot
Get it hot
Come on baby
Get it hot
Get it hot
Get it hot
Alright
Moving up and down everywhere
Got a whole lot of booze
Got myself a sweet little lady
Whose got nothing to lose
Nobody going to go straight
For nothing like the fife
So leave your body in the white place
Cause we can roll it by
Get it hot
Get it hot
Come on baby
Get it hot
Get it hot
Get it hot
Alright
(Guitar Solo)
Get it hot
Get it hot
Come on baby
Get it hot
Get it hot
Oh get hot
Oh you did it
Get it hot
Come on baby
Get it hot
Make me fell good
Get it hot
Come on baby
Get it hot
Look out
08 If You Want Blood (You've Got It) (04:36)
It's criminal
There ought to be a law
Criminal
There ought to be a whole lot more
You get nothin' for nothin'
Tell me who can you trust
We got what you want
And you got the lust
If you want blood, you got it
If you want blood, you got it
Blood on the streets
Blood on the rocks
Blood in the gutter
Every last drop
You want blood, you got it
Yes ya have
It's animal
Livin' in a human zoo
Animal
The shit that they toss to you
Feelin' like a Christian
Locked in a cage
Thrown to the lions
On a second's rage
If you want blood, you got it
If you want blood, you got it
Blood on the street
Blood on the rocks
Blood in the gutter
Every last drop
You want blood, you got it
Got to you
Blood on the rocks
Blood on the streets
Blood in the sky
Blood on the seats
If you want blood
You got it
I want you to bleed for me
If you want blood, you got it (until fade out)
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Other reviews
By JaymezHetfield86
We are talking about Highway To Hell, one of the most representative albums by AC/DC, certainly one of the best three or four produced by the Australian band.
An album that ABSOLUTELY must be included in the collection of anyone who listens to Rock 'n' Roll and Rock in general.
By metallicaliveshit88
The characteristic of this CD is that it exudes energy from every pore, and the band was in extraordinary shape.
It represents the creative pinnacle of the band (thanks especially to the inimitable Bon Scott).
By S.I.A.P.
The masterpiece is "Highway to Hell" and the band is the Australian group AC/DC.
This is a record that all hard rock enthusiasts should have on their shelf.
By kain3325
What strikes one about their music is the simplicity, the brute force of a guitar solo aptly unleashed, the incredibly beautiful and powerful voice, and a tidy and clean rhythm section.
Highway to Hell opens with the title track and it’s immediately great music: a classic rock’n’roll where Malcom’s strumming draws an appealing and nervous riff.
By paolofreddie
Most likely for this reason! I don’t deny that they have been one of the most influential bands of all time.
A bit like with Queen! Their commercial component has elevated them to the pinnacle of the world, but skill is not just about crafting hits and filling stadiums.
