The song describes the sound impeccably - “ High voltage, Rock ‘n’ Roll”. The markedly upbeat High Voltage continues the cheek and attitude of the album in one of the band’s most popular and enduring songs. The slow and the heavy are interwoven seamlessly here. Scott’s vocals are at their most effective, ranging from subdued, almost spoken-word, to full-blooded, ballsy cries of “ I’m a live wire… I’m a live wire”. The chorus is certainly one of the catchiest on the album. The brooding, menacing Live Wire builds supremely with the crisp guitar chords introducing the drums, bass and eventually the vocals. This is probably the highlight of the album. As its name suggests, this is an explosive Hard Rock song and AC/DC at their finest. It gives off the ocker (an Aussie term) attitude from the first few bars, and the larrikin spirit that so embodies AC/DC is unmistakable. Lock up your back door and run for your life…” The infamous “ Oi!” is brilliant. “ Lock up you daughter, Lock up your wife. The lyrics are full of confidence and conviction, with Scott’s undeniable sense of nonchalance. It’s abrasive, provocative and full of attitude. At less than three minutes, this rockabilly number is the shortest song on the album by some distance, and as hectic, energetic and bustling as AC/DC get. The drumming is furious and Angus breaks out into solos several times. Rocker is one of the fastest AC/DC songs and Scott’s raspy, rapid-fire vocals lead the line of attack. Both are solid, rockin’ tracks and reinforce the theme of a band emerging from the shadow of anonymity on to the national (at the time, soon to be international) stage. This is kind of the subdued, mellow big cousin of Rocker. The lingering power chords interact adeptly with the drums and the simple guitar intro is textbook AC/DC. Then we move on to Rock ‘n’ Roll Singer with Scott as aggressive and forceful as ever. It’s one of the most widely-known and loved AC/DC songs ever. This is one of the iconic AC/DC songs, and the thumping beat is relentless for five minutes. The bagpipe is used to great effect throughout. The guitar work is heavy and loud but simple as you like and the drums and bass are unnoticed. The lyrics read like a journal-come-confession and are delivered with the passion and forcefulness that went on to become Scott’s trademark. I mean it is a bit arrogant saying “ It’s a long way to the top if you want to rock ‘n’ roll” on a Rock ‘n’ Roll album! But that is the playful cheek that is so alluring. But arrogance in a good way, not the Rap way. The now iconic band- and rock-anthem It’s A Long Way To The Top (If You Want To Rock ‘N’ Roll) opens the album in appropriately arrogant style. And his attitude sets the tone for, and is arguably the focal point of, T.N.T. The singlet-wearing, mullet-sporting Scotsman is as compelling a front-man as there’s just about ever been. Not to say AC/DC died with him, but from ’74-’80, he was the man. He leads the way with his irrepressible cheek and flamboyant attitude. The brazen, captivating, coarse front-man Bon Scott was 29. Angus was just a wee pup at 20 and all the other members were in their early 20s or late teens. The age of the members plays an important role in the approach of this album.
The guitars are hard and heavy, the swagger is as prominent as ever and this is genuine Rock ‘n’ Roll. Released only 10 months after their debut - the Australian version of High Voltage - this album marked an important shift in the AC/DC sound. High Voltage’s international release essentially covers this album, but the international audience has somewhat missed out. This is the only album in the band’s catalogue never to have been released internationally. But as an album, this has kept a relatively low profile. Most of it’s contents were included on the international release of High Voltage, explaining why many of these songs are familiar to AC/DC fans. was only released in Australia, and was the band’s second album. And their influence on “Rock” worldwide shouldn’t be overlooked either. They are one of the most important bands in my country’s musical history. Going by the rating system of this site there is no other option but to rate this 5.ĪC/DC’s influence on Australian music shouldn’t be understated. Review Summary: This is one of the best Hard Rock albums out there, and an iconic Australian album.
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