The Cavern
Rock & Words
DIRTY DEEDS DONE DIRT CHEAP (AC/DC, 1976)
Artist: AC/DC (C+)
Recording Dates: Jan – Jul 1976
Release Date: September 20, 1976, AUS
Record Label: Albert
Producers: Harry Vanda & George Young
Rating: 7.5
Era: Hard Rock (1968-???)
Subgenre: Hard Rock
Best Song: Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
Songs: 1) Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap; 2) Love At First Feel; 3) Big Balls; 4) Rocker; 5) Problem Child; 6) There's Gonna Be Some Rockin'; 7) Ain't No Fun (Waiting Round To Be A Millionnaire); 8) Ride On; 9) Squealer.
Bonus Tracks: 10) Jailbreak; 11) R.I.P. (Rock in Peace).
1976 was a banner year for AC/DC. After releasing their second album, T.N.T., in Australia, the band's popularity skyrocketed throughout 1975. So much so, that in early '76 Atlantic Records signed them for worldwide distribution, while maintaining their contract with the Australian label Albert for distribution in their home country. At the beginning of '76, the band embarked on a European tour, sharing the stage with bands like Black Sabbath, Aerosmith, Kiss, Styx, UFO, and Blue Öyster Cult. The Young brothers and company not only gained a new legion of fans but also grew in experience and confidence on stage, igniting the audience with their fiery personalities. Legend has it that for much of the tour they overshadowed the headliners, so much so that by the end, nobody wanted to share the stage with them.
Their first global release with Atlantic was a compilation album called High Voltage, the same as their Australian debut album, and which, consequently, caused quite a stir in their discography. Well, it turns out the album sold 3 million copies. And it turns out it was particularly popular with punks in England, perhaps because AC/DC is the most punk non-punk band on the planet… uh, what did I say? Well, you get the picture? British punks loved the simplistic, fast sound, rooted in 50s rock and roll, Bon's attitude, and they even forgave Angus's frenetic solos because of his endearing personality and swagger. So Atlantic Records urged them to release a new album, and they went into the studio.
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, then, was somewhat rushed, and it shows. I don't know if it was due to the tight deadline or if that's what the record company asked for, but it feels like a kind of déjà vu with respect to T.N.T. It's not a carbon copy, but several tracks seem to follow the exact same pattern: The title track follows more or less the same line as "T.N.T."; “Big Balls” is a slow, mocking song for strippers, very similar to “The Jack,” but inferior; “Rocker” is a repeat, to my surprise, since it's not one of the best tracks on the previous album; the riff in the verses of “Ain’t No Fun” vaguely resembles that of “I Sit Next To You Girl.” On the other hand, they surprise with “Ride On,” a bluesy ballad that deviates somewhat from the band's usual style. The album was released in two versions, adding to the confusion surrounding the group's discography. The Australian version includes “R.I.P.” and “Jailbreak,” while the European version replaces those tracks with “Rocker,” which had already appeared on the Australian version of T.N.T., and the previously unreleased “Love At First Feel.” In a very strange and unclear turn of events, DDDDC wasn't released in the USA until 1981, by which time Bon Jovi had already died and the band was practically a lost cause.
The version I have is the European one, which falls a bit short without "Jailbreak." The album is a slight step backward compared to T.N.T. It's a bit generic, and that's saying something for AC/DC. On this album, the three-chord, staccato riff formula becomes too obvious, precisely like in the song "T.N.T." And well, it manages to work in that track, and in its younger sibling, the title track of this album, which is the only truly kick-ass song, but in other tracks it starts to sound cliché.
The album doesn't fall apart simply because these guys are crazy. You can't deny the energy and enthusiasm they exude with every song. They remain completely carefree despite starting to gain massive exposure outside their country. Unlike many of their contemporaries, they weren't afraid to play fast, really fast. There are still tons of Chuck Berry-era rock and roll influences, there's still blues, but both in the attitude and the simplicity of the sound, a touch of British punk is starting to seep in. Many hard rock and proto-metal bands (Zep, Sabbath, Purple) were more into mid-tempo songs with complex riffs at that time. AC/DC maintained the simplicity of their origins and seemed to be playing faster and simpler, which was very appealing to punks, but without betraying their roots and without sounding like a pathetic imitation of the Sex Pistols. For example, "Ain't No Fun" has a two-tone riff (of the T.N.T. type) that nevertheless works very well and is enough to sustain more than seven minutes of the song, combining with the power chord and the cascade of notes in the chorus, which is practically the only change until the acceleration. Most of the songs are extraordinarily simple, two or three chords that any idiot could play, but which absolutely no one can match thanks to Angus's powerful guitar and Bon's overwhelming charisma.
The album's bizarre title is a reference to a Beany & Cecil cartoon that Angus watched as a child. One character was named Dishonest John and carried a business card that read "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, Holidays, Sundays and Special Rates."
The album kicks off with "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" featuring an immortal guitar intro. Angus gets into it, adding the perfect fuzz, playing the Power Chord, and then finishing with two whip-like riffs. Many criticize these riffs for being simplistic. It's true, but no one had thought of them before, and their simplicity doesn't detract from their greatness. Bon sings tremendously, wildly, with phrasing closer to spoken word during the verses. The lyrics are hilarious; Bon offers himself as a "problem solver" for everything from annoying ex-girlfriends to stalker teacher girlfriends, and presents his catalog to help you with any of them: concrete shoes, cyanide, TNT, high voltage (the references to previous songs are brilliant), "ties," and more. Scott sings with total abandon, someone gasps in the background while Phil Rudd maintains the relentless beat. The rest of the band joins in, providing backing vocals in response to the choruses. Bon sings “Dirty Deeds” and the rest reply “Done Dirt Cheap!” The phone number our problem solver uses, 36-24-36, is the equivalent in inches of the mythical 90-60-90, which needs no further explanation. Curiously, at the end of the song they shout a “Hey!” that sounds like “Eight,” which caused a bunch of idiots in the USA to call the number in question to beat someone up. The owners of the line, a couple from Chicago, ended up suing AC/DC and winning $250,000. Anyway, the song is very good. It has a certain festive feel, but more menacing than “T.N.T.” Angus’s guitar solo at the two-minute mark is out of this world, with rhythm changes, breakneck speed, and that tremendous ascending tapping scale that ends in a long high note, before returning to the Power Chords of the coda. The only song on this album that truly achieves classic status, and by far the best.
Next up is “Love at First Feel” which wasn't included on the Australian edition. The intro riff is a copy of the first song. It's simply slower in tempo and a higher key. This is actually the Young brothers' formula, only sometimes the self-plagiarism is more noticeable. Here it starts to sound cliché, though it's not bad on its own. The song is about a fling with a stranger, a “One Night Stand” kind of song where Bon didn't even ask her name, and the line “I didn't know if you were legal tender” is still fun. The chorus is catchy, punchy, and Scott's shout at the end of the refrain, “The first touch was too much!” is brilliant. At 1:35 comes another great solo from Angus, showcasing his now-distinctive technique, switching to the blues and then back to his tremendous fingertapping. It's not bad, but I insist that you can already see the formulaic approach to songwriting.
I know "Big Balls" is a joke. I know the band is making fun of me. I know I should be amused. But I'm not. This song is a kind of remake of "The Jack," which I'm not as fascinated by as everyone else, but at least I acknowledge its clever wordplay. Here they repeat the slow tempo, make another upbeat song, and try to replicate the cleverness of the pun. Bon sings with an affected (exaggerated) accent about owning a big ballroom, and that's where the double entendre comes in, making the play on words between balls and dancing, and getting a children's choir to sing with him at the end of the chorus, "But we've got the biggest balls of them all." It's not that I'm a prude and dislike double entendres; you all know I appreciate clever lyrics, and this one is undeniably a joke, at least in Bon's delivery. But the song itself is what I find unnecessary, considering we already have "The Jack," and the double entendre is too easy and obvious, which makes it vulgar, unlike "The Jack." Wow, it doesn't even have a guitar solo! At least I imagine it must be good for pole dancing…
Next up is a track we'd already heard on T.N.T. "Rocker", a super-fast, high-energy rock and roll number. It's a kind of parody of rock and roll, with its scales, provocative stops and starts, a brief but fiery solo that still captures the essence of the '50s, and a false ending... 3 minutes of absurd fun where the band mocks their '50s idols and is clearly having a blast. Just follow the lyrics to see how seriously they took it. I don't know if they recorded it again because it also has a certain punk vibe due to its speed and unbridled energy. In 1975, when T.N.T. was released, punk was just starting to take shape in England, but by 1976 it was a sweeping movement. That's the only justification I can see for including it, because although it's fun, it's hardly one of the band's greatest tracks.
Then there's "Problem Child", which is an example of a very simple two-note riff, where the notes are interspersed before changing to close out the 4/4 time signature. I insist, it's incredibly simple, but nobody had explored it, or at least not as well as these adopted sons of the koala. It's an incredibly catchy, wild, and powerful song. Bon plays the bad boy. Well, I don't think he's faking it for too long. He threatens to finish with the catchy chorus "I'm a problem child, I'm a problem child, and I'm wild." It's still the E.I.D. style, but it's no longer a carbon copy of some T.N.T. song, and at times it even has a touch of red.
We continue with "There's Gonna Be Some Rockin'", a generic, somewhat slow blues, where even the solos sound sleepy. The band simply plays with the most obvious blues patterns, ironically speaking, in the context of rock. I have no doubt it's a banger at concerts and that it's good for getting the crowd going at the beginning or end, but it seems specifically made for that, for sing-alongs, and doesn't really offer anything else. If the previous song could be painted red, this one could be painted blue.
Fortunately, then comes "Ain't No Fun (Waiting Round To Be A Millionaire)", which threatens to repeat the choppy riff, but halfway through, Malcolm changes and delivers an exquisite cascade of descending notes that give it a unique and very cool touch. It's practically the only change in the entire song, but it's enough to sustain it for 3:50, until the false ending, since for the coda they simply use the accelerated riff. Here, the Young brothers weave their guitars together to create a great effect while Bon sings the verses (narrending his hardships and the immense effort on his path to the top of Rock & Roll, a profound theme they'd never previously explored), before launching into that spectacular Power Chord with the subsequent arpeggio, while Scott sings the chorus. Around the three-minute mark, the trick starts to sound tiresome and repetitive, but then comes the false ending, and they return even more frenetic, Bon screaming, and the coda kicks in with the band responding in chorus and a huge party, complete with a double solo towards the end. It drags on a bit, but hearing the two brothers make their respective guitars scream is worth it, and this is another one of those songs with its own unique personality that deserves to be highlighted.
Then we have "Ride On", controversial and odd for being another ballad. But "Love Song" at least has the excuse of being on their debut album and being a rookie effort, although I still think it's worse. Is "Ride On" really so bad that many say it's the worst in their catalog (or at least a contender?). It doesn't bother me. I agree that Angus isn't Clapton when it comes to these kinds of ballads, and Bon isn't Karen Carpenter. They sound out of place and uncomfortable, but not catastrophically like on "Love Song." Even the lyrics are more bluesy and relatively serious (among the few they have). The solo isn't bad, and it even speeds up tremendously. No, I'm not going to say it's a great song, but I don't think it's bad. What it is, though, is certainly proof that AC/DC has a very limited sound and they don't feel comfortable when they try to break out of it. It's not bad, but it's not their strong suit.
We close the international version of the album with “Squealer”, which is an inferior rework of “Soul Stripper,” slower and without the colossal intro… in fact, it might have been better as an instrumental. The lyrics are worthy of one of Bon's worst drunken stupors. They're repetitive to the point of exhaustion, and Malcolm simply changes the tone, but uses the same riff over and over, while Angus unleashes his bursts of energy. Not entirely bad, which is why I seriously think a slightly shorter instrumental might have been better. Angus is the only redeeming feature here, but it's a rather dreadful, repetitive, and lengthy closing track with sexist lyrics worthy of any '80s glam metal band.
And well, the bonus tracks, which don't affect the album's rating. “Jailbreak”, with a dark riff, slightly deeper than those Malcolm or Angus usually play. It's absolutely cool, with something that vaguely recalls “Misty Mountain Hop.” Scott once again sings (or recites) the lyrics with a ton of attitude, narrating how “a friend” was sentenced to 16 years in prison for killing his girlfriend and her lover, whom he caught red-handed. And well, the guy thinks it's unfair to spend the rest of his life locked up for leaving them like Swiss cheese, so he plans his escape, lamenting not having wings. It's impossible not to shout the incredibly catchy chorus with the title. Angus engages in a ferocious guitar solo at 2:48. The real gem comes immediately after, in the bridge where Rudd holds the song together with the bass drum, and Bon begins to narrate “the escape.” Angus replicates every sound Bon describes with his guitar, and the effect is out of this world, creating tremendous tension until Bon explains how his friend finally got out, before returning to the massive riff and closing with another lightning-fast solo from Young.
“R.I.P. (Rock in Peace)” was also on the Australian version, but it doesn't add much, being another generic bluesy tune, too much for my taste, and with an uninspired guitar. It's a mess, and good for a party, but it doesn't contribute much, either musically or lyrically, and it gets a bit repetitive with so much “rock in peace” (what was the song called again?).
In short, it's a slight step backward compared to what they showed on T.N.T. It's generally considered the weakest album of the Bon Scott era because people aren't familiar with the Australian version of High Voltage. For me, it's somewhere in between. A relatively weak overall introduction, with some generic tracks, a ballad that feels out of place, and a certain sense of déjà vu with the band plagiarizing themselves. Even so, there are two or three good songs, and Angus's masterful guitar work is never wasted… after all, none of us listen to AC/DC for their progressive complexity or the philosophy of their lyrics… or do we? Ultimately, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap is just that: a dirty, rushed album with a… cheap result.
By Corvan
Jul/29/2013
Letras de El Traductor de Rock
