AC/DC
HIGHWAY TO HELL
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When Highway To Hell was released in 1979, a much wider audience felt the power of AC/DC, especially in mainstream America where the LP became the band’s biggest seller. As fate would have it, though, Highway To Hell would also be the final AC/DC record with inimitable lead vocalist Bon Scott, who died tragically less than a year later.
High-profile English rock producer Eddie Kramer was originally tapped for the project. But during the early stages, AC/DC and Kramer couldn’t reach a meeting of the minds about recording methods. A relative novice, ‘70s “new wave” producer Robert John “Mutt” Lange, was soon recruited, and the ultimate success of Highway To Hell led to it being the first of three consecutive major AC/DC long players produced by Lange.
AC/DC’s organic attack, lift and locomotion still fueled Highway To Hell, but Lange added a bit of spit and polish, boosting the mid-range decibels a bit, which was most evident in Phil Rudd’s drum sound. Lange’s primary contribution, however, was furnishing more presence to both Bon Scott’s lead vocals and the hearty “gang” choruses sung by rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young and bassist Cliff Williams.
“Shot Down In Flames” to this day an overpowering concert staple, captured the late frontman at his best. Bon’s sly phrasing and subjective lyrics vicariously transport the listener into the scorned advances of a bloke “out on the town, lookin’ for a woman, gonna give me good love.” Galvanizing lead guitarist and performer Angus Young crown this quite amazing track with a fret fired solo, as he does on so many other indelible AC/DC songs.
“If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It),” a frenetic rocker, and the randy “Touch Too Much” (released as the album’s second single after the title track) are both AC/DC jewels that build to exclamatory closing choruses. When Bon sings “If you want blood,” followed by Mal and Cliff’s “you’ve got it,” the tune really comes to a head. With “Touch Too Much,” the robust, isolated refrain transforms a few voices into a throng, a nice “Mutt” Lange production stroke. Bon also drops one of his wittiest paeans to pulchritude, “She had the body of Venus, with arms.”
“Girls Got Rhythm” is coaxed by Angus’ cocky transition licks, and in a somewhat more suggestive way, (“she’s got the backseat rhythm”), Bon’s verse continues the timeless car/girl sentiments first expressed in mid-‘50s rock ‘n’ roll. The dark imagery of “Night Prowler” embodies slow-drag blues, but in a much heavier, oddly humorous manner. Bon’s foreboding lyrics are perfectly complimented by Angus’ menacing, emotive solos. Immediately after the song ends, however, Bon breaks the sinister spell, closing the album with the out-of-character line, “Shazboz nano-nano,” an “extraterrestrial” phrase from actor/comedian Robin Williams’ TV show “Mork and Mindy.”
With its manic tempo shifts, “Walk All Over You” is consummate AC/DC, a full throttled romp paced by the innate heavy swing of Malcolm Young’s incomparable rhythm guitar playing. As the song pushes past the red line, Angus’ virtuoso runs melt notes as Bon keeps pace with a melodic rant. In the concert movie “Let The Be Rock,” filmed during the subsequent Highway To Hell tour, a live version of “Walk All Over You” accompanied a scene in which drummer Phil Rudd maneuvered a Porsche over a frozen French airfield. Enough said.
“Love Hungry Man” is an effective breath catcher, linking “If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It)” and “Night Prowler.” “Get It Hot” is a topnotch dance tune – one can hoof to almost any AC/DC song – the band pulled out of the hat and played in concert some 20 years after Highway To Hell was recorded. “Beating Around The Bush” seduces the listener with Bon’s lyrical pearls only to have the instrumental juggernaut that is AC/DC stomp you happily into submission. Which in a random way brings us to the album’s opening song – Highway To Hell’s title track.
Hardcore AC/DC devotees insist, rightfully so, that the band has recorded dozens of definitive tunes. But for many people who discovered the quintessential quintet with this album, “Highway To Hell” is indeed AC/DC’s signature song. It’s been said that the title is just a metaphor for the band’s first major United States tour, though the naïve and unenlightened have branded the song an ode to the devil. Taken at face value (not necessarily the best tact when analyzing a lyricist as bright and fastidious as Bon Scott), “Highway To Hell” is simply a song by rock musicians of the highest order, jubilant in their life’s work. It’s also one of the many songs which has earned AC/DC the respect and admiration of other musicians from diverse genres and both genders.
– Ernie Welch
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1. HIGHWAY TO HELL (3:26)
2. GIRLS GOT RHYTHM (3:23)
3. WALK ALL OVER YOU (5:08)
4. TOUCH TOO MUCH (4:24)
5. BEATING AROUND THE BUSH (3:55)
6. SHOT DOWN IN FLAMES (3:21)
7. GET IT HOT (2:24)
8. IF YOU WANT BLOOD (You’ve Got It) (4:32)
9. LOVE HUNGRY MAN (4:14)
10. NIGHT PROWLER (6:13)
All titles A. Young-M. Young-B. Scott
All titles published by J. Albert & Son (USA) Inc. (ASCAP)
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ANGUS YOUNG: GUITAR
MALCOLM YOUNG: GUITAR
BON SCOTT: VOCALS
PHIL RUDD: DRUMS
CLIFF WILLIAMS: BASS
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PRODUCED BY ROBERT JOHN “MUTT” LANGE
Recorded at Roundhouse Studios, London
Recording Engineer: Mark Dearnley
Mixed at Basing Street Studios, London
Mixing Engineer: Tony Platt
Assistant Engineer: Kevin Dallimore
Originally Released as Atlantic 19244 on August 3, 1979
Digitally Remastered from the original master tapes by George Marino at Sterling Sound
Mastering Supervision: Mike Fraser and Al Quaglieri
Digital Assembly: UE Nastasi
Original Art Direction: Bob Defrin
Original Photography: Jim Houghton
Reissue Booklet Design: SMAY Vision
Photography: Bob King/Redferns: digipak inside left panel;
London Features: digipak inside right panel;
Fin Costello/Redferns: pages 2-3, 9 (Left);
Philip Morris: pages 4-5;
Mike Prior/Redferns: page 7;
Paul Canty/London Features: page 8;
Steve Joester/Star File: pages 9 (right), 10;
Barry Plummer: page 11 (bottom left);
Neil Zlozower: page 11 (top & bottom right);
Bob Alford/Star File: page 12 (right);
Larry Hulst/Retna: page 13;
GAB Archives/Shooting Star: page 15;
Photos courtesy of Albert Productions: page 12 (left)
Additional artifacts courtesy Albert Productions and Arnaud Durieux.
This CD takes advantage of ConnecteD technology and will work as a key to unlock exclusive bonus music, videos, photos and more at www.acdcrocks.com
www.acdcrocks.com
www.epicrecords.com
EPIC
ALBERT PRODUCTIONS
© 1979, 2003 J. Albert & Son (Pty.) Ltd./ (P) 1979 J. Albert & Son (Pty.) Ltd./ Manufactured by Epic, A Division of Sony Music/ 550 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022-3211/ “Epic” Reg. U.S. Pat. & Tm. Off. Marca Registrada/ WARNING: All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized duplication is a violation of applicable laws.
EPIC EK 80206
This package consists of previously released material.
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