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keefriffhard4life
... the razor's edge is the most critically acclaimed johnson era AC/DC album after back in black, stiff upper lip and black ice while voodoo lounge is the highest rated stones album since 1982 and a bigger bang also got better ratings than steel wheels by critics

First off, the critics are not one to go by. Second off, The Razors Edge just isn't that good of an album period. Sure, it's better than the previous one or two but it's like saying Dirty Work really is a good album when everyone knows it isn't and never will be.

Of course Voodoo and Bang got better reviews than Steel Wheels. By then the whole machine had changed. Steel Wheels was the Stones' "miracle" album, while Voodoo was the first album since Steel Wheels and production wise was a thousand times better. Bang was just the critics giving the Stones lip service as it was obviously looking to be their last album. Which by no means makes it 'great' or a 'classic' album by rote.

The one thing I will gleefully acknowledge is that AC/DC, unlike The Rolling Stones, recently tend to have singles (and non-singles) that stick better than anything the Stones have released on the radio. Afterall, when was the last time you heard a Stones single that was post-1981 on the radio or used for some promotional thing? And what is my point? The two Razors singles still get a decent amount of airplay. That's always meant something, that kind of sonic fortitude.

the razor's edge was better than flick of the switch, blow up your video, fly of the wall and ballbreaker. that would automatically make it directly in the middle of a ranking of johnson era AC/DC albums

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keefriffhard4life
the razor's edge was better than flick of the switch, blow up your video, fly of the wall and ballbreaker. that would automatically make it directly in the middle of a ranking of johnson era AC/DC albums

Don't talk daft!

For a start Flick Of The Switch is the second best Brian Johnson era album, just behind Back In Black

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andy js

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keefriffhard4life
the razor's edge was better than flick of the switch, blow up your video, fly of the wall and ballbreaker. that would automatically make it directly in the middle of a ranking of johnson era AC/DC albums

Don't talk daft!

For a start Flick Of The Switch is the second best Brian Johnson era album, just behind Back In Black

no its not. it was the start of the bands decline and the last decent album they released until the razor's edge came out

My problem with Flick is that the Young brothers decided to produce it themselves. They got a very raw sound, similar to Let There Be Rock. Compared to the previous 3 (Highway To Hell, BIB, Those About To Rock) produced by Mutt Lange which gave them their very polished sound. Didn't receive much airplay at the time and the album didn't sell very well, relative to the previous 3.
I saw them on their opening show of the tour in Vancouver in October 83 and the show wasn't even sold out. Regardless, several good songs on it like Guns For Hire, Nervous Shakedown and the title track.
Remastered CD's sound alot better than the originals released in the mid 80's. Next album, Fly On The Wall, was also self produced and Brian's vocals were buried on that album. Again, not a huge seller. Didn't care for the album at the time and rarely listen to it now. They brought back Vanda/Young to produce for the next album Blow Up Your Video, which was a better album overall than Fly. Two singles, Heatseeker and That's The Way... got good airplay and the album sold well.
I'm sure we'll see one more album/ world tour from them. The Black Ice tour was huge and was really the first tour where they played alot of stadium shows.

plus the album black ice sold over 2 million albums in the USA when was the last time another classic rock band did that?

I didn't buy/listen to Black Ice until 2011 because of my disappointment in Stiff Upper Lip and to a lesser extent Ballbreaker, Razor's Edge and the majority of their output since For Those About To Rock (all of which had one or two strong songs plus a bunch of average songs IMO)

But I must say - I'm am still blown away by the quality of the Black Ice album - both sonically and songwriting wise. Plus Brian's voice somehow recovered (it sounded completely blown on the last couple of albums)

R'n'R Train, Black Ice, Spoilin for a Fight, Wheels and most of the other songs are incredibly strong....

That's hilarious, anchorman. I think Stiff Upper Lip is excellent. Black Ice is pretty damn good LP too. Almost as good as SUL.

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WeLoveToPlayTheBlues
That's hilarious, anchorman. I think Stiff Upper Lip is excellent. Black Ice is pretty damn good LP too. Almost as good as SUL.

Stiff Upper Lip only had a few decent songs and Brian's voice was shot at that point....

Just my opinion of course.

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theanchorman

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WeLoveToPlayTheBlues
That's hilarious, anchorman. I think Stiff Upper Lip is excellent. Black Ice is pretty damn good LP too. Almost as good as SUL.

Stiff Upper Lip only had a few decent songs and Brian's voice was shot at that point....

Just my opinion of course.

What do you mean Brian's voice was shot on Stiff Upper Lip? It was shot back in 1980!

I have already told you. They are at a dwarfs congress in Canberra.

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keefriffhard4life
no its not. it was the start of the bands decline and the last decent album they released until the razor's edge came out

Your off your head man, i'd say 90% of AC/DC diehards would take Flick over Razors every single time

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WeLoveToPlayTheBlues
What do you mean Brian's voice was shot on Stiff Upper Lip? It was shot back in 1980!

I much prefer Brian's blusier growl of now to the daft high pitched shreek. And i'm sure he feels the same

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andy js

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WeLoveToPlayTheBlues
What do you mean Brian's voice was shot on Stiff Upper Lip? It was shot back in 1980!

I much prefer Brian's blusier growl of now to the daft high pitched shreek. And i'm sure he feels the same

Ah ha hahahahahaha! Is that what it's called!? A "daft high pitched shreek"!!?? You could hear that a mile down in a coal mine!

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andy js

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keefriffhard4life
the razor's edge was better than flick of the switch, blow up your video, fly of the wall and ballbreaker. that would automatically make it directly in the middle of a ranking of johnson era AC/DC albums

Don't talk daft!

For a start Flick Of The Switch is the second best Brian Johnson era album, just behind Back In Black

It has a similar sound to it, like the Mutt production carried over to that one, as well as the overall performance and writing. I don't think it's their second best Brian Johnson era LP, that would be...I dunno. I think Back In Black is over rated. I think Stiff Upper Lip is their best Johnson era LP. It's the most consistent album. Yeah, BIB has the big hits and the LP track hit songs on radio, FTATR is a pretty damn good LP too, but SUL is just rock solid.

Ball Breaker is a good album I think its way better than stiff upper Lip

Feel The Fear
And Do It Anyway

Brian was on Howard Stern earlier this year and said they will do another album. I am sure the interview is on youtube

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WeLoveToPlayTheBlues
SUL is just rock solid.

It's loaded with filler. U could cut it in half and it still couldn't hold Black Ice's jockstrap...

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oldschool
Brian was on Howard Stern earlier this year and said they will do another album. I am sure the interview is on youtube

Old interview

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WeLoveToPlayTheBlues

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andy js

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keefriffhard4life
the razor's edge was better than flick of the switch, blow up your video, fly of the wall and ballbreaker. that would automatically make it directly in the middle of a ranking of johnson era AC/DC albums

Don't talk daft!

For a start Flick Of The Switch is the second best Brian Johnson era album, just behind Back In Black

It has a similar sound to it, like the Mutt production carried over to that one,

You for real ?

Flick sounds NOTHING like Back In Black ... Flick is as raw as a prossies knees. I think that's why the yanks didn't take to it. But for a diehard 'DC fan it was a godsend after the awfully weak and over produced bloater that was FTATR

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mandu
Ball Breaker is a good album I think its way better than stiff upper Lip

The only good thing about Ballbreaker was the return of Phil Rudd, and therefore the AC/DC swing

But song wise it's mainly piss poor

I'm a huge fan of the underrated Flick of the switch. Bring back Guns for hire as an opener in the setlist.

I also enjoy the A-side of Fly on the wall, but I hardly ever listen to The Razors edge.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-08-20 13:17 by folke.

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folke
I'm a huge fan of the underrated Flick of the switch. Bring back Guns for hire as an opener in the setlist.

I also enjoy the A-side of Fly on the wall, but I hardly ever listen to The Razors edge.

While Fly On The Wall may have a few good songs on it, I couldn't stand the recording technique used, especially on Johnson's voice. It seemed like they were going for a rougher sound, but it just didn't work.

Like andy js, I prefer Flick Of The Switch to FTATR

if they released "playing with Girls" now people would go nuts for it. that is a killer riff. I thought Fly had some great songs and the guitars are razor sharp. they would never do it, but they should strip out the drums, vocals and bass and re-do them. it would be immense.

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andy js

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WeLoveToPlayTheBlues

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andy js

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keefriffhard4life
the razor's edge was better than flick of the switch, blow up your video, fly of the wall and ballbreaker. that would automatically make it directly in the middle of a ranking of johnson era AC/DC albums

Don't talk daft!

For a start Flick Of The Switch is the second best Brian Johnson era album, just behind Back In Black

It has a similar sound to it, like the Mutt production carried over to that one,

You for real ?

Flick sounds NOTHING like Back In Black ... Flick is as raw as a prossies knees. I think that's why the yanks didn't take to it. But for a diehard 'DC fan it was a godsend after the awfully weak and over produced bloater that was FTATR

What part of "similar" reminds you of "sounds like"? I was very clear. Perhaps I could have said 'It has a essence somewhat like the muscle of BIB and FTATR in spirit.' There is a sonic carry over from the Mutt records that they obviously blended in with what they did. FTATR is a big sounding record. I like it.

FTATR has one of the best AC/DC songs in "evil walks"

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keefriffhard4life
FTATR has one of the best AC/DC songs in "evil walks"

I agree, and I don't think they ever played it live.

If I recall, I think the only two new songs they played on the 81-82 tour were the title track and Let's Get It Up. I remember buying an import KERRANG magazine which had a review of the North American tour.

80's AC/DC songs (apart from the standards on Back in Black and FTATR) are sadly missed in the setlists. But I don't understand how Heatseaker and That's the way I wanna rock'n'roll could survive into the Razor's Edge tour setlist in 1991. I actually enjoyed That's the way at the time (but no more), but Heatseeker I could never stand.

And I also don't understand why Sin City isn't a standard in the setlist. It's been dropped since 1991.

I'd like to hear them play more Bon era songs like Live Wire, Long Way To The Top, Can I Sit Next To You, Go Down, Night Prowler, Ain't No Fun Waiting Round...