When an intoxicated Bon Scott died by choking on his own vomit in February 1980, no one envisaged a future for AC/DC. However, the Anglo-Australian band succeeded in finding a replacement for their legendary lead singer. Brian Johnson from the band Geordie rose to the challenge against all odds and imposed a strong, primarily high-pitched singing style different to his predecessor.
With its legendary, grieving black sleeve, Back in Black marked the birth of a new AC/DC and contains a series of incredible compositions. On guitars the Young brothers - Malcolm with his Gretsch and Angus with his irreplaceable Gibson SG - outdo each other’s genius as much through the effectiveness of their riffs as the precision of their solos (notably on Back in Black and You Shook Me All Night Long). They do pure AC/DC (What Do You Do for Money Honey), but also add some thick ZZ Top boogy elements (Have a Drink on Me), theatrical hard rock à la Led Zep (Shake a Leg) and let us not forget the ode to the God of Blues (Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution). Cliff Williams and Phil Rudd finish the job by providing the record with concrete rhythmic foundations of most effective and polished quality.
AC/DC - Hells Bells (Official Video)
acdcVEVOUpon the release of Back in Black on the 15th of July 1980, fans were, without surprise, torn on the case of Brian Johnson. Could the band go on without Bon Scott? The record’s success and the world tour that followed quelled any debate and, forty years later, no one questions the decision for a second. With 50 million units sold, Back in Black is the second best-selling album of all time, just behind a certain Thriller by Michael Jackson…
AC/DC - Back In Black (Official Video)
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