The Cavern
Rock & Words
T.N.T. (AC/DC, 1975)
Artist: AC/DC (C+)
Recording Date: July 1975
Release Date: December 1975, AUS
Record Label: Albert
Producers: Harry Vanda and George Young
Rating: 8
Era: Hard Rock (1968-???)
Subgenre: Hard Rock
Best Song: It's A Long Way To The Top o T.N.T.
Songs: 1) It's A Long Way To The Top; 2) The Jack; 3) T.N.T.; 4) Live Wire; 5) High Voltage; 6) Rocker; 7) Can I Sit Next To You Girl; 8) Rock & Roll Singer; 9) School Days.
It might sound cliché, but this album is a huge improvement over their rather lackluster debut. Here, the Australians sound much more confident and powerful, with riffs that are more polished and bear the unmistakable mark of Angus and Malcolm Young. Falling into the eternal cliché, we can say that with this album, AC/DC finds their definitive sound. And, if we're being a bit demanding, we could say that this is the benchmark they'll be copying for the next 30 years, hahahaha.
Seriously though, it's true. When people say that AC/DC made the same album over and over again, we shouldn't take it literally. There are slight changes, evolutions, and albums that are much better than others in their extensive discography. But in all of them, there's that raw sound, based on powerful, distortion-laden riffs, with incendiary solos based on Angus's machine-gun virtuosity. There's that carefree attitude and that party-like, fun-loving vibe that makes it impossible to take them seriously, and that's what makes them so great and makes you want to hop on a Harley and head to the nearest biker bar to raise hell, get drunk, and kick some ass… And generally, all their albums have these ingredients. The quality depends on how inspired Angus and Malcolm were, and of course Bon, or failing that, Brian. The evolution and differences are noticeable when you really listen closely, but in AC/DC it's not as obvious at first glance (or to the ear) as the different phases of other bands, like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Doors, etc., etc., etc.
So, after paying their dues with their debut album, this would be the first album from the group that shows us the pattern they would follow and the average standard of their albums. Some will be better and some worse, but they all have the ingredients found here to a greater or lesser degree.
After the relative success of their debut album earlier in the year, the band spent their time touring their native island, refining their sound and securing a drummer who would stay for at least a few years (until 1983), Phil Rudd, and a bassist who also remained with them for a couple of years, Mark Evans. Both were more professional than the makeshift drummers and bassists used for the debut, so the improved rhythm section also gave much greater confidence to the Young brothers' guitars and Bon's charismatic vocals.
The improvement over the previous album is more than evident. Anyway, with the positive reception of their debut album, released only in Australia and New Zealand, AC/DC released a couple of singles. In July, they released "High Voltage," the title track from their debut album, which, curiously, wasn't included on the album, as it was written after its release. The other single was "It's A Long Way To The Top," released towards the end of the year. The success of the songs led the band into the studio to complete an album with these two killer tracks as its cornerstones. With a stable rhythm section, the band took a turn from their debut, which in some ways felt more immature and leaned towards glam and a more diffuse rock sound. Here, they fully embraced hard rock with expertly crafted riffs, pyrotechnic solos, Bon's tremendous attitude, and that kind of self-parody and self-deprecation that makes AC/DC so entertaining.
This album features four great songs: “…To The Top,” where the band, for the first and only time, ventures beyond their typical instrumentation, adding bagpipes played by none other than Bon; “T.N.T.,” “Live Wire,” and “High Voltage,” which can be considered the group's first true classics. Then there's a silly, simple, but incredibly fun song, a staple at their concerts: “The Jack.” The rest are more average and not as memorable, with a decent level of quality and a few highlights. But there's no filler, and no truly bad songs!
The album was also released as their debut, exclusively in Australia and New Zealand, without subsequent reissues, which is why not many people know it as such. Atlantic reissued it in 1976 as an international version of High Voltage, a compilation of the best tracks from their first two albums. Therefore, while few people know the LP as it is, many are familiar with its best songs. In Australia, many consider it the band's best album, and it holds particular affection because it was the one that cemented their status as THE quintessential Australian band (just when the world was blaming them for the Bee Gees) and also because the subsequent re-release of High Voltage would catapult them to global stardom. So, to a certain extent, with this album they were still exclusive to the land of kangaroos, the best-kept secret of "Downunder."
Finally, it's worth noting the sheer audacity and tremendous irreverence they possess on this album. This would also set a precedent for future albums. It's impossible not to notice that at least 60% of the album is Bon's tremendous attitude, which, despite the excellent guitar work of the Young brothers, ultimately gives the songs a hilarious edge. And it's simply impossible to take him seriously when, on a rock and roll album, he starts belting out "It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock and roll" with a mock-arrogance that just makes you grin from ear to ear. A few tracks later, he comes out with "Gonna be a rock and roll singer, gonna be a rock and roll star…" with overwhelming confidence. But it's arrogance in a good way, not the reggaeton kind. And then there's "The Jack," barely a bluesy base where Bon does everything for a very simple song, with minimal instrumentation, but with lyrics full of a magnificent double entendre that makes you burst out laughing when you realize that "The Jack" refers both to a playing card and to some kind of sexually transmitted disease! That's why AC/DC is so good. Because if you take them seriously, they're worthless and, at best, just a drunken bar band. But if you pay attention to them, you realize they're making fun of you, of me, of themselves, and of anything that gets in their way. And in 30 years, they never changed that attitude.
The album opens with “It's A Long Way To The Top”, Malcolm's raspy guitar, Angus's licks delivering a simple yet overwhelming power, and that beat that sets the stage for Bon's triumphant entrance: “Ridin' down the highway…”. Perhaps it sounds a bit clownish to say that. Scott begins narrating the hardships he's endured on the arduous road to fame, from broken bones and robberies to being so high he doesn't know where he is, before confessing, “I tell you folks, it's harder than it looks.” And just when you start to think that a wannabe rockstar is finally confessing the truth like that, opening his heart or something, the chorus hits, and he delivers, “If you think it's easy doin' one night stands…” Don't you just love it? Meanwhile, Bon sings with enormous passion, brimming with energy, stealing the show with a badass attitude that few vocalists have been able to match. The guitars are monumental, and from the very beginning, the brothers intertwine their playing with different effects on their guitars (one with a more eroded and distant sound, the other with a cleaner, yet still crunchy, overdrive) to forge a powerful riff that immediately transforms the song into a timeless classic. In the choruses, they add power chords that enhance Scott's incredibly catchy refrain, and it's impossible not to end up singing along to its intoxicating chorus. But the song's real twist comes later, with a spectacular bagpipe arrangement, as unexpected as it is effective. It's just three or four notes that Scott manages to coax from the bagpipes—he'd never even touched one in his life—but it fits wonderfully into the song, giving it a colossal and epic feel, and even intertwining with Angus's solo throughout the middle section. Wow! What a brilliant and spectacular touch. Everything works perfectly in this song: simple, catchy, well-crafted, flawlessly performed, and even 35 years later it still sounds fresh, incredibly powerful, and still makes you want to punch the first guy you see. The band's first great classic. The only downside is that they never used bagpipes again.
Next up is "The Jack", which is hilarious. It's a monumental joke. Strictly speaking, it's repetitive garbage with a very simple blues-based riff, full of all the genre's clichés… Music for strippers that, structurally speaking, is repetitive, sedating, and even mind-numbing. But Scott pulls off his genius and turns it into a hilarious song thanks to his charisma and the lyrics. If you take the poker game with the girl literally, it gets downright annoying, and the chorus is excessively repetitive. But with that double entendre about the venereal disease that "The Jack" represents, the whole song changes and becomes a hilarious track. Notice how Bon changes his intonation, raises the tension, starts confidentially, gets depressed and then angry, reaches the point of barely containing his laughter, and overall, he could sing it a cappella and the song would still work. You can almost see old Bon putting on his show while he performs it. The riff is very simple, as is the solo, but despite being a seemingly stupid song, it has all the ingredients to be memorable. It's one of those songs so simple that anyone thinks they could have written it, but nobody did it before. And bang! We have the second AC/DC classic. The best part is that, even if you absolutely don't like it, you still have the best song ever for a striptease.
Immediately and without pause, we have another bombshell. “T.N.T.” lives up to its name and is pure dynamite. It's a strong contender against “It’s A Long Way To The Top” as the best song on the album. And it's perhaps the one that best summarizes the band's sound and attitude, with an abrasive, swaggering, and fun sound. A tremendous rocker, with a power chord that sounds like a piano fell from 20 stories, then the riff and the driving beat, and the whole band shouting “oi, oi, oi, oi, oi, oi,” as if Bon were chugging a bottle of vodka right before launching into the song. On the second take, the bass comes in with sharp bursts, but you can already feel that more solid connection in the rhythm section, which does a great job on this track. The chorus is delightful, with a brief pause from the band that leaves the guitar vibrating for a few seconds, almost suspended, and just before we raise our eyebrows, the chorus explodes with those emphatic "TI-EN-TI!!!!" lyrics that are impossible not to sing along to. Bon becomes a delight singing "I'm Dynamite, And I'll win the fight, I'm a power-load, Watch me Exploooooooooooode!!!!" In the following verses, he even threatens: "Lock up you daughter, Lock up your wife. Lock up your back door and run for your life…" At 2:10, we have an excellent solo, in which Angus shows himself to be a master of timing in just a few seconds, drawing out the notes at the beginning and then unleashing his machine gun of energy. Then comes another hilarious section of "Oi, Oi, Oi" interspersed with the chorus, and it even makes you want to run to the nearest pub and try to down a whole bottle in one gulp. At 2:50, an ascending coda begins, a duel between the two guitars, until they finally lose their minds, becoming a dissonant and utterly chaotic noise, ending in complete mayhem. An example of their later self-plagiarism is that they would rewrite this same song as "Dirty Deeds Done Dirty Cheap" on their very next album, with a very similar riff and the same kick-ass chorus. But for me, "T.N.T." is much better, and for me, it's one of the clearest and most explosive examples of AC/DC's power and ability at their best.
Next up is "Live Wire", another top-notch track, in which the band creates a menacing tension in the slow crescendo of the intro. The song begins with a bass riff. And then a guitar, almost timidly playing the three notes that make up the riff, gradually increasing in volume and distortion, until the drums kick in with their offbeats. Then the second guitar enters, the beat kicks in, and the song really takes shape. Scott comes in singing softly, and it builds spectacularly; the band keeps building tension, and you feel like the song is about to explode until the chorus erupts with the final scream. Wow! A true sonic assault. The song lasts over 5 minutes, but it's perfectly constructed so as not to sound excessive, repetitive, tiresome, or lacking in resources. On the contrary, it's an arsenal full of surprises, from that spectacular one-minute intro, the explosive backing vocals sung by Bon with an intensity that will never be matched, the great solo at 2:50 that starts as a deviation from the riff and then explodes following the structure of the chorus, before sustaining the song with pure guitar work, with its breaks and bursts at 3:20. Just when it seems like it's all over, with a false ending at 3:50 and a lingering note, the rhythm section kicks in again, the note lingers in the background, and the incredibly powerful riff returns. The ending is also surprising, with a new solo, sharper and more technical, the rhythm section playing like there's no tomorrow, the cymbals crashing like explosions, the bass drum pounding frantically, the song accelerating, Bon going wild… And it's all so perfect that the only way to end it is with a fade-out, which would be my only complaint about the song. What a way to construct a song, create tension, make it explode, and keep us on the edge of our seats. Truly impressive.
Then comes “High Voltage” to round off the tremendous punch of the album's opening. The guitars are simple, but they intertwine with just the right amount of distortion. Bon Jovial once again contributes a significant portion to the song, but I think Phil Rudd steals the show with his phenomenal drumming, especially towards the end, where he seems to completely lose it. Marc Evans also does a great job. It's not like the Young brothers are just relaxing; the guitar work is good, but it's simple, with a double-guitar riff that doesn't vary much, and the backing vocals are again the Power Chords, speeding up and adding electricity to the song. Where Angus really shines is in the guitar solo at 2:35, once again delivering a memorable, fast, and effective performance. Another gem, a fan favorite, with a super catchy chorus, and slightly simpler than the previous tracks, though still outstanding.
After that, the album dips a little, but nothing alarming. Following that impressive string of classics, we have “I’m A Rocker", a super-fast rock and roll number. If “The Jack” is a kind of parody of all the blues clichés, this would be the same for rock and roll, with its scales, provocative breaks and bursts, the fiery and brief solo that still maintains the essence of the 50s, a false ending... 3 minutes of absurd fun where the band pokes fun at their 50s idols, and undoubtedly has a blast. You only need to read the lyrics to see how seriously they took it.
“Can I Sit Next To You Girl” is another very rocking, fresh, and harmless little tune, where Malcolm adds the spark with those lightning-fast scales up and down between verses, or to mark the key change. The band tries again to build tension, but somehow it doesn't work as well as "Live Wire." All in all, it's not bad; it maintains a good level and includes nice touches to highlight the changes in tone.
Then comes "Rock N' Roll Singer", which is a close cousin of "I'm A Rocker." Hahaha. It's also a song with a rock and roll structure, but slower. Even though the riff is very simple, it's still quite powerful and manages to work. Bon clowns around the whole song again, prophesying: "Gonna be a rock'n'roll singer, gonna be a rock'n'roll star, I hear it pays well..." Of course, despite all this, the band couldn't have imagined that a year later they would actually be global stars. They were simply bluffing, and that's what makes the song fun. Furthermore, the AC/DC songwriting tricks work brilliantly this time, with another guitar solo where every note is perfectly placed, riffs interwoven throughout the track, another catchy chorus, breaks and bursts of energy… But above all, it's the self-parody and self-deprecation. It's Scott's vocal attitude that I love!
The album closes with "School Days", a Chuck Berry cover, of which only the lyrics remain, along with a very subtle, barely perceptible trace in the melody and riff. They change the rhythm, and Bon doesn't seem as comfortable as he does with his own songs. It's not bad enough to be a standout, but it's perhaps the weakest track on the album, and while it's not Berry's best song, I much prefer the original. Anyway, at least on this album it shows that filler tracks can still be salvaged, and in the end, Angus delivers a masterclass in tapping on the final guitar solo.
T.N.T. is a great album, with AC/DC approaching their peak. Of course, they would improve further after a slight setback with Dirty Deeds, but here the formula for success was already established. Many of these songs would become classics, and it's undoubtedly one of the most beloved albums among the band's Australian fans. Above all, it's a true masterclass in uncompromising, unpretentious Rock & Roll, showcasing guitar virtuosity, but it's clear that the Young brothers never try to emulate the attitude of icons like Jimmy Page or Dave Gilmour. Incidentally, this album marked the passing of the torch, with Led Zeppelin in freefall after their best years, handing the reins to AC/DC as the most powerful and badass band of the second half of the 70s. A good album recommended not only to fans of the band, but also as a great starting point for those who want to discover the group. I can't give it a higher rating considering the amazing albums that came later… After all, Bon Scott himself said it: It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock & roll!!!!!
ByCorvan
Oct/7/2011
Letras de El Traductor de Rock
