Razor's Edge, The [Digipak] [Remastered] - AC/DC

From the sun kissed beaches of Oz, the Scottish bums turned surfer dudes returned to London to explode into our brains with the sweaty smell of good old rock and roll. From one loud album after another, AC/DC has become, undoubtedly, the Gods of British rock.

Yet, after the death of wild vocalist Bon Scott in February 1980, there we many of us who thought that the end was nigh for the masters of rock. Acquiring the forty a day tones ...
...the pun, a new voice. With mop of fuzzy hair sprouting from under a flat cap, AC/DC found the image that they had, all this time represented - long haul truckers.

From the days of Bon Scot, they had developed a style which when fans were drawn in, they became fans for life, although by the time the mid Eighties rolled around, it was the sons and daughters of the original followers who found the 'school boy stage outfit' fitted like ... more

From the sun kissed beaches of Oz, the Scottish bums turned surfer dudes returned to London to explode into our brains with the sweaty smell of good old rock and roll. From one loud album after another, AC/DC has become, undoubtedly, the Gods of British rock.

Yet, after the death of wild vocalist Bon Scott in February 1980, there we many of us who thought that the end was nigh for the masters of rock. Acquiring the forty a day tones of Brain Johnson, the band found, if you pardon the pun, a new voice. With mop of fuzzy hair sprouting from under a flat cap, AC/DC found the image that they had, all this time represented - long haul truckers.

From the days of Bon Scot, they had developed a style which when fans were drawn in, they became fans for life, although by the time the mid Eighties rolled around, it was the sons and daughters of the original followers who found the 'school boy stage outfit' fitted like a glove. For anyone who now sits at a desk, worrying about being in their mid thirties (author included) the better years of this band started with their number one album soon after Scots death, the metal mournful, 'Back In Black,' an album that just about got off the ground and out of the studio door. The albums got tighter, stronger and dare I say it, more commercial, yet top fives continued to stack up for one album after another.

Perhaps their flying list of greatness, dipped into a downward spiral towards the end of the Eighties decade. Since the madness of 'Flick Of The Switch,' (1983), the band saw a surprising drop to number 11 for the Maximum Overdrive soundtrack, 'Who Made Who,' notably one of their best albums post Scot, yet failed the top ten in May 1986. This 1990 album, 'The Razors Edge,' heralded the mark of a difficult time for the band who could only rely heavily on their faithful fan base. Music had changed dramatically over the Eighties and into the Nineties and there seemed no pigeon hole for an aging pure rock band whose sound never swayed from middle aged reassurance.

Still riding high on commercialism, it appeared that AC/DC had settled comfortably into the pop charts and felt it the best and safest way to make their living. The public enjoyed the diversity of this sturdy band sitting amongst the dance ditties and swoonfull love operas floating around the charts at this time. Since the fans could not distinguish one album from another, it didn't make any difference to the band who was behind it all. Who cared that 'Blow Up Your Video,'(1988) sounded identical to 'The Razors Edge?' It meant nothing to the head banging, old and new rockers revelling in the idea of tour tee shirts and dirty trainers. After all, all the best bands stand firm along side a style forever more, and it is this policy that fans adore the most.

So, what can we say about 'The Razors Edge,' that hasn't already been said before? This distinctly polished performance by band and producer, still is a cut above the messiness of rock bands knocking around in the Nineties. AC/DC were always tuneful, non offensive and never once annoyed certain religious sects or nationalities. No one in their right mind is going to feel threatened by the racy 'Rock Your Heart Out,' or the equally fuelled dragster feel to 'Shot Of Love.' It is with these good old fashioned rock song subjects that they never once felt the need to put anyone down and always expressed their desires for womankind (the latter probably goes without saying,) so to an avid AC/DC follower like myself, this album was just as much welcomed into my record collection as all the others were. No hidden surprises, no gimmicks, no special guest stars to rely on pumping up a flat album, no, none of that. Just a tremendous opening of drums, chanting and a quick riff loop to keep us excited from 'Thunderstruck.'

So long as we can still smile a reflective smile when we notice a track on the album that refers to either 'balls' or 'guns' then we can breathe a sigh of relief and knowing that what we have in our little mitts, is another stunningly loud album. We can almost hear it before we've even got the wrapper off.

The packaging of this thunder filled album is still, what you would expect from a true rock album. It is, as usual, not short of references to strong headed women and ammunition that doesn't work. Ever known as the band that delivers 'high voltage' hard rock, they still pack out stadium after stadium to the point that from the stage, all Johnson can see visible is a sea of shaking hair.

The photographs in the note book have been carefully selected to show all the ugliest faces a rock band can pull. As pictures that the rest of mankind would happily take back to Boots, here they are, proudly on show in this album, you can almost smell from here. A little anecdote flicks casually through the pages of this one dimensional rock tour, that gives us enough time to reflect upon spinal injuries from Donnington and Knebworth (for those of us who were there and who vaguely remember.)

In every aspect, this album doesn't fail us. The visual impact is there when the band in the flesh are not. The sounds of a band, heavily giving everything that their wrinkles can in a studio that will only let them bounce around so much, is here to entertain and delight.

We are not usually impressed by how much a band works on an album, or at least, its an aspect that passes us clean by, yet, after 'The Razors Edge,' I will guarantee you, that you too, will feel just as knackered at the end of it, as they were from recording it.

AC/DC, again, we still salute you.

Tracks include;

Thunderstruck
Fire Your Guns
Moneytalks
The Razors edge
Mistress For Christmas
Rock Your Heart Out
Are Your Ready?
Got You By The Balls
Shot Of Love
Let's Make It
Goodbye And Good Riddance To Bad Luck
If You Dare.

AC/DC will always be;

Angus Young - lead guitar
Malcolm young - rhythm guitar
Brian Johnson - vocals
Cliff Williams - bass guitar
Chris Slade - drums

All songs written by the Young brothers
HMV - £9
Epic records 1990
©sam1942 2007

Ciao and dooyoo and outer space
www.acdcrocks.com

 

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