AC/DC - Powerage (Dlx)
|
List Price: Our Price: $7.22 You Save: $2.73 (27%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $4.82 (click here) Category: Music CD See more new music releases 
|
|---|
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
Free Music Notes for Powerage (Dlx)
Free Music Review: Genius comes in different forms.........
Hit: 5 Stars
.....And this is one of them. It's simply astonishing what this band can do with anywhere from 2 to, at absolute most, 4 power chords. I mean, they take a couple of chords......literally two or so notes.....and create unforgettable, compulsively listenable, great music.
Powerage is one of those albums whose music is almost an 'ah ha' experience. What I mean is, it's as if these riffs, their rhythm and sound, just deserve to exist. To me, great music is something that is there waiting to be uncovered and exposed to the world. Obviously the Young Brothers and Bon Scott created this music....but it's as if these are tunes that were meant to be....and through their creation.....they were brought into the world.
I grew up on AC/DC.....my teenage years totally encompassed within the decade of the 80's. My first of their albums was purchased with a $ 10 bill I found in a K&B Drugs parking lot while going back to the car with my mom. I was 12. I used that $ 10 to buy Back in Black ( record of course )
A short time later, my aunt asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I said " an AC/DC album" still not knowing enough about the band to be specific. Well, on Christmas morning at my relative's, I opened up the record for Powerage. I'd never heard of it and only knew the band with Brian Johnson. I was a bit confused because the letters 'AC DC' were written in a different way on the album's cover than the 'new' way, which is that angular, geometric presentation with the lightining bolt in the middle that everyone is familiar with. Anyway, once I got home and listened to it, I was blown away.
Only recently, did I start listening to them again. I lost interest for the last 15 or more years. Now, I realize why I'm so picky about music. I now realize why I don't really care for 80 percent or so of the junk that passes for music these days. The reason: I was brought up on real music. I listened to actual talented musicians who created serious meaningful riffs as a young person. Being exposed to AC/DC basically spoiled me and , as a result, music has to really be good for me to like it. Don't get me wrong - I'm not some kind of snob, I have everything in my CD collection now from Hank Williams, The Beatles, some choice modern pop-rock, 70s and 80s classics, all the way to Mozart. That being said, I also have AC/DC and they have the most of any to do with the way I look at and enjoy music these days.
Enough for my history, as for the album....it's an incredibe virtuoso of hard rock with tinges of blues intermingled. From the steady rhythmic cadence of "Gone Shootin'" to the almost Westernish, yet also hard rock- wailing guitair of "What's Next to the Moon", this collection of songs represents an iconic band at the peak of their talent.
I'd forgotten how much Bon Scott puts himself into the songs. I mean, he gives everything he's got into the vocals. I'm not talking about being loud and screaming. What I mean, is the emotion and the "I've lived what I'm singing about here" presentation. His lyrics are sometimes sarcastic, sometimes humorous, but always the perfect compliment to the hard-edged music that thrums along. Speaking of humorous, and there are frequent examples on Powerage, Here's one : " Riff Rafff....it's good for a laugh....(then he adds ) "haw haw haw" in a kind of sarcastic manner. I was driving around the other day listening to this line, not having heard the song in over a decade, just laughing out loud in my truck. I'm sure other songs had me smiling stupidly as I made my way to my destination, but that's what quality music does. It engrosses you and makes you feel good.
I know it's a bit of nostalgia.....but more than that, it's true talent and a special form of musical genius on display. That's what Powerage is. It's Hard Rock par excellence
Free Music Review: A Power Surge
Hit: 5 Stars
Before I start, I am 13, but I have not created an account on here yet. Perhaps one of AC/DC's most overlooked and underratted albums, Powerage shows one of the Aussie's greatest lyrics. Here's my quick rundown of Powerage, volt by volt.
1. Rock 'n' Roll Damnation- 5/5- A great way to kick off an album, "Rock 'n' Roll Damnation" includes one of AC/DC's most catchy choruses. And don't forget the claps and maracas!
2. Down Payment Blues- 5/5- Bon Scott's take on wanting a little more wallet fillers, this is a medium tempo song, with a stomping guitar riff. One of the greatest songs on the album.
3. Gimme A Bullet- 4/5- In my opinion, a step down from the last two songs, but still a great one. The song is one about the loved and lost. Great lyrics, backed up by guitar and the beat-beat-boom drums of the one and only Phil Rudd. I wish the song was a little harder, though.
4. Riff Raff- 5/5- YEAH!!! "Riff Raff" is pretty much 90% instrumental and 10% of singing. My favorite of the song is the fast and furious guitar riff, shredded out by the Almighty Angus Young. Lyrically, it's behind, but an essential song nontheless.
5. Sin City- 5/5- One of AC/DC's classic tunes, "Sin City" talks about a gambler trying to win. The fury takes a break in the middle, moved by Cliff Williams' bass line, Bon mutters, "ladders and snakes, ladders give, snakes take. Rich man poor man, beggar man, thief, ain't got a hope in hell, that's my belief." Then it comes back into rock and roll fury! You must have this one!
6. What's Next to the Moon- 4.5/5- Originally titled Next to the Moon on early Aussie pressings of Powerage, "What's Next to the Moon" is an odd one. Lyrically, the words make no sense, but once you put it into AC/DC's classic double endentres, it all fits together. A little weak, but a great one.
7. Gone Shootin'- 4/5- This is kind of an AC/DC take on R&B, meaning it makes you dance and groove. The true star of this song is the bass line that keeps the song rocking on and on. Like "What's Next to the Moon" and "Gimme A Bullet", "Gone Shootin'" seems a little weak.
8. Up to My Neck In You- 5/5- Despite what its' sightly double endentre tite may suggest, "Up to My Neck In You" has almost noting to do with sex, except that Bon Scott descibes his girl as a life saver of all the bad things that's happened to him. A thrashing guitar riff blows through the whole song.
9. Kicked In The Teeth- 5/5- Explaining being cheated on by a woman, "Kicked In The Teeth" includes the thrashing riff, much like the one on "Up to My Neck In You". Like "Down Payment Blues", you will find yourself singing the chorus at unexpected times. This song closes Powerage out with a lighting bolt of rock and roll.
Buy this album, I repeat BUY THIS ALBUM. You will not regret it.
Free Music Review: Not Just AC/DC's Best Album....
Hit: 5 Stars
Ah, how far to go here? Well, I'm older now, and I'm as 'zen' on this subject as any other. Sooo...
Powerage is the best rock 'n roll of album of all time. Not the most important or most influential; not with the widest variety nor highest reach(although this IS AC/DC's widest & highest album); not the most seductive or inspiring; but the best.
Sgt Pepper, Exile On Main Street, and Physical Grafitti are all timeless masterpieces too, but whatever Elvis, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Little Richard & Jerry Lee Lewis were aiming at all those years ago, Powerage hit dead center.
An amazingly raw, blistering sound, but at the same time incredibly tight grooves. Hard rock you can headbang AND dance to, indeed. Like someone once said, AC/DC does what no one else can do, better than anyone else.
This was the first album w/Cliff Williams and he kicked the band up to a whole new level. Fantastic production by Vanda/Young, the last one they did before Mutt Lange took over. The remastering is indescribably brilliant, showcasing the equally brilliant interplay between Angus & Malcolm. The lead & rhythm guitars are distinct, loud, and powerful. No way you'd believe this album was released in 1978 if you didn't already know.
And what rhythms and leads they are. Nine incredible riffs, instantly memorable. Easy to play(the riffs NOT the solos, of course), perhaps, but almost impossible to write. And the seven solos are among Angus' best, especially on Gone Shootin'. Fast solos, medium solos, slow solos, and on Damnation & Bullet no solo at all.
There is simply not a wasted or extraneous second here. Yngwie, Satriani, Vai, and all the rest of the shredders never wrote anything close to Sin City or Riff Raff. This album is the one that clearly places Angus alongside Hendrix, Page, & Gibbons.
Bon's best lyrics, devastating beats from Cliff & Phil. Highway To Hell's production sounds thin & poppy(despite the great songs), and Back In Black's writing seems somewhat uninspired and derivative in comparison. Imagine the best qualities of Overdose, Touch Too Much, and Shoot To Thrill wrapped together and you have Powerage.
Back In Black has a great sound and all the legendary anthems, no question, but this is the real apex of the "cooler than a body on ice, hotter than the rolling dice, wilder than a drunken fight" ideal. And all topped off by Bon giving you a wink/nudge and offering you another beer after each track.
I have friends that aren't into heavy music at all, but I always tell them that like Miles Davis' Kind Of Blue is to jazz, Powerage is the hard rock album for people that don't like hard rock.
Buy this album and you WILL burn tonight.
Free Music Review: ATOMIC CHAOS RYTHYM AND BLUES
Hit: 5 Stars
I've reviewed this album before, but I feel I did not do it enough justice. Everybody knows that all AC/DC albums rock the roof off, but one has to determine which are the BEST ones, if he really wants to blow up some heads, and this, my friends, is easily one of the best...
BETTER THAN HIGHWAY TO HELL!!!! ABSOLUTELY!
This would be the last of the raw, rude AC/DC with Bon, before they went high class with producer Mutt Lange. Most people thought Lange did wonders for the band, but I always thought Bon sounded a helluvalot better without the polish...
As underated as this album is, it seems that many agree that this is one of the bands best achievements. What I don't quite understand is why everyone automatically brings up how cool of a song SIN CITY is, right off the bat? It's the weakest song in the mix... ROCK AND ROLL DAMNATION, the opener is amazingly cool. You can tell that the band was trying to click a little with a radio sound on this tune, but its still straight up evil. "You say that you want respect? Honey for what?"
From here we go into the somewhat lengthy, but never dull DOWN PAYMENT BLUES... many refer to this as a bluesy album in general, but I think that has mainly to do with this song, and the closer KICKED IN THE TEETH... if anything the band gets a little more sophisticated in their song writing abilities, making this album probably their most versatile.
The next song GIMME A BULLET has a classic rock/top 40 radio sound, while RIFF RAFF is just some insane Angus/Malcom riffing. WHATS NEXT TO THE MOON, is one of my favorite songs of all time... starts out slow but builds and builds until you are pumping your fists in the air... the rest of the songs are great AC/DC too, I just don't want to make this review too long!
Basically, this is an AC/DC album that requires repeated listens. It's not as trashy as some of the previous albums, but it is still rude, crude, Bon Scott at some of his creative best, and he just sounds so much more free-spirited without all the glitz that would be found on his next and final album Highway To Hell.
This album goes un-noticed if you ain't as tight on AC/DC as I am, but if you like their brand of rock (if you don't WHATS WRONG WITH YOU, I outta bust your nog) you should know this is one of the top shelf classics.
Free Music Review: An Album With TRUE "Staying Power"!
Hit: 5 Stars
you're looking for a cd, not necessarily the best in the band's catalogue, but one that you can pop in the cd player at almost any given time and still enjoy it, then here it is! "Powerage" not only captures AC/DC in their prime, but it also showcases some of Angus' catchiest and most complex guitar work (both in his soloing and in his riffs), some of Malcolm's best rhythm guitar duties, and of course, all Bon has to offer, because that's all he ever gives to his fans. While not as popular as other AC/DC classics such as "Highway to Hell" or "Black in Black", it still is probably my third favorite album from the "Thunder from Down-Under." This cd just has IT. I don't know quite exactly what IT is, but IT got me hooked in right away, gave me countless and memorable listening experiences, and still gives me enjoyment to this day. In reality, it's so hard to describe, I don't know where to start.
the new and fresh gem that is the track "What's Next to the Moon"; the gang-vocals on the last couple of verses, the new and creative tom-beat from Rudd, or the nice, simple riff delivered by our favorite schoolboy. Take the classic "Sin City" (my personal favorite on Powerage), with the creative bass-guitar interlude and simply delicious solo from Angus (my fav on the cd), the live-friendly hits "Riff Raff" or "Rock n Roll Damnation" both containing vintage-AC/DC riffs, catchy chorus', and Angus' trademark solos, or the underrated and memorable "Downpayment Blues" and "Gimme' a Bullet" both amazing songs with creativity and freshness shroudding their glory. And those are only a few of the goods. The WHOLE album is full of nine great rockers, not one of them being bad. In short, "Powerage" is literally a flawless recording, production-wise...in musicianship... in the whole attitide and atmosphere of the cd really.
-So, if you want an album that won't displease you, won't leave you scratching your head in dissapointment (asking yourself where the band went wrong), but that will leave you with appreciative ears and a black-toothed grin on your face, for God's sake get this classic!