By the release of their fifth album 'Powerage,' Australia-based, mostly-Scottish hard rock band AC/DC truly defined their famous sound for the first time, and produced the first of their classic albums that's also perhaps the least well-known. The same old issues remain of the international versions being re-mixed and re-ordered, but for the first time both versions feature the same cover art: lead guitarist Angus Young being electrocuted (by alternating or direct current?) and fixing the buyer with a steely glare as if daring them to play this lethal record. Despite my better judgement, this band comes next on my A-Z of album reviews and I am forced to enter.

Of course, equally important to the guitars is the vocal performance of the late Bon Scott who would record one more album with the band before dying after a bout of heavy drinking in Camden. This is a real shame, as I have infinitely more tolerance for his traditional and highly energised rock singing than the irritating gargly warbling of his more famous successor, who my friend Dan ingeniously and accurately described as sounding like he's gargling with a throatful of those hard chip-ends you get at the bottom of the bag. Thankfully, there's none of that here, and Scott is free to dance around the repeating instruments to convey tales of broken relationships, drug overdoses, life on the road and escapism through alcohol. Rock 'n' roll.

Despite the repetitive sound, which took some getting used to now I've grown accustomed to more experimental works, this album boasts a reasonable variety of songs, from short and simple angry hard rock to lengthier and more laid-back blues-based compositions, and admirably seems to improve with each track before peaking at 'What's Next to the Moon,' an amusing tale of a man's desire to top his lover in all manner of exciting ways before being apprehended by a police officer and revealing/pretending that she died disappointingly of a heart attack. Featuring a brief harmonica, great guitar solo and the album's most energetic riffs, particularly in the chorus, this is probably the album's defining moment, but that doesn't mean the rest pales in comparison. 'Gimme a Bullet,' despite its depressing subject matter, rocks along at an enjoyable pace and shares a distinct vocal melody with Judas Priest's later, lesser song 'Troubleshooter,' while the album's concluding songs up the ante to deliver Scott and the Youngs' most energetic performances of the lot, yelling and pounding their way through 'Up to My Neck in You' and the suitably aggressive 'Kicked in the Teeth' to ensure the album ends on a high and leaves a lasting impression.

As someone who's been put off by Brian Johnson's rubbish chip-end-throated voice in the past, it was great to discover an earlier period of AC/DC where this wouldn't prove a drawback, and Bon Scott is excellent here, even if he ultimately sounds a little bit like every other rock singer of the time. I've never understood the need to sound American when playing this type of music; would people really be put off by full-blooded Scottish hard rock? And what type of Scot calls it a 'railroad track' anyway? Just one of many problems I have with the music business and the stupid general consumers. 'Powerage' is a great album of easily approachable rock songs towards the grittier end of the spectrum, but remaining catchy and melodic enough to keep it from deterring people who might be a little wary of the subject matter. 'Highway to Hell' is more famous, but this is where it all really started. And just try listening to the whole thing in the morning without the riffs playing through your head for the rest of the day.