I managed to get my hands on Black Ice one week before its original release and it seems to grow on me more and more. Been listening to it for a couple of days, so I decided to make an in-depth album review, featuring each song (excuse my shitty English where necessary).
Rock ‘n Roll Train – You probably already heard this one. Great album opener, kind of Highway to Hell-like riff. It’s like listening to Brian 20 years ago, and the chorus just ‘sets my balls on fire’. Nice video too! Definitely a concert song!
Skies On Fire – I know that Brian worked his voice for this album, but man, the chorus part when he screams is just mind-blowing. And when Ang begins his solo, that skies are literally on fire!
Big Jack – After hearing the intro I expected a For Those About To Rock kind of song. Wasn’t that much alike, but it gets close! Sounds a bit like Night Of The Long Knives (which is great, IMO), with a more up-beat tempo. Anyhow, the chorus doesn’t kick so much ass! And by the way, it doesn’t have anything from the good, old The Jack song.
Anything Goes – Now this is the song that many people hate (or don’t like that much like the rest of the album). It’s more of a country song, doesn’t exactly follow the AC/DC formula, but I still think it’s pretty good (growing on me). The bridge riff reminded me of the one from FTATR song. It’s not the anthem FTATR was, but as I said, I think many people will find it…at least interesting.
War Machine – Probably heard this one too. Didn’t pay too much attention to the lyrics, but seems that it has some political stuff in it (which is not AC/DC-like). One of the best and heaviest songs from the album with a simple, but killer riff.
Smash ‘N Grab – Come on and blow your mind / You’re outta time. This one is pretty much typical AC/DC, with really nice vocals, but it’s not that outstanding. A good song, anyway. Take it while you can!
Spoilin’ For a Fight – Now this one is a song from the AC/DC we all know. Angus fires up some solos up and down the fretboard, with those pinch harmonics we love. He is pretty busy on his Gibson this time!
Wheels – This is rock ‘n roll! I personally love this song, Brian screams great on this one (I wonder if he can pull out this one live). Along with War Machine, a pretty heavy song for this album. Angus’ solo sounds very familiar and explosive. I don’t know why the intro reminded me of Day Tripper. Anyway, this song stuck in my head for some time. Another one for ‘The best stuff on Black Ice’!
Decibel – This one has a bluesy feel, sounds a bit like Gone Shootin’ from Powerage. Some people seem to love this song, some don’t like it at all. I actually think it’s very, very good (me likes bluesy stuff). It’s a really toe-tapping song and I love those guitar bits Angus does towards the end of the song (more like his Bon-era stuff).
Stormy May Day – The slide guitar stuff everyone’s been talking about. Led Zeppelin fans will recognize this one pretty quick. I was kind of skeptical about this song, but it turned out as one of the best ones on the album. Sounds like Badlands as well. Again a bluesy feel with a great chorus, and that bit (end of the song) when Brian has the soft singing part is pure awesomeness. Unfortunately, it’s too short (3:12) and it does not feature a solo.
She Likes Rock ‘N Roll – This one sounds so much like Brian! Cliff has a nice bass part here. Not that outstanding, but it has AC/DC-ish lyrics and, again, a mind-blowing chorus.
Money Made – The intro is similar to Decibel, but slowed down a bit. It will probably become a radio hit. It has a great feel and it definitely sounds like AC/DC !
Rock ‘N Roll Dream – This one is that controversial ballad. The guitar, drums and bass, all fall in their places along with the vocals, making a great song (it’s in my Top 5 songs from this album). The drums part when the chorus begins gives me chills. IMO, they tried to use the same formula as for Ride On. I would have been disappointed actually if this album didn’t have a song like this one.
Rocking All The Way – The chorus and solo are kind of similar to the ones from Highway To Hell. Well, RATW it’s not that kind of anthem, but it still better than some songs on this album.
Black Ice - …and when I thought it couldn’t get any better, Black Ice kicks in. This is both heavy and bluesy, with a ferocious chorus and with angry solos. This may be the last song from the band’s last album, so take a good listen!
All in all, Black Ice is one of AC/DC’s best albums and it will probably sell millions of copies. As someone stated on a forum, Black Ice is Powerage 2008.
Brian’s voice improved a lot, Angus is eager to ‘blow your mind’ (as the song goes), and the band is more tight than ever! The boys were really inspired and came up with great tunes, and, as Brian said, this album shows the versatility of this band.
When they were 17, they wrote songs from 17 years old kids. When they’re in their 50’s, even in their 60’s (Happy Birthday Brian!) they still write songs for 17 years old kids.
Great job, AC/DC ! Keep on rockin’!
Showing posts with label album. Show all posts
Showing posts with label album. Show all posts
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Exclusive BW&BK: Producer Mike Fraser Talks About New AC/DC Album
“I Think It’s Back More In The Direction Of The Razor’s Edge”
Special report by "Metal" Tim Henderson:
BW&BK had the opportunity recently to speak to a true icon in the Canadian music business, one that “hangs out” in circles we can only dream of, populated by the likes of METALLICA, JIMMY PAGE, AEROSMITH, VAN HALEN, RUSH, WHITESNAKE, MOTLEY CRUE and THE CULT. Well, maybe not actually hanging out, but his magical hands have been on the boards, mixing, mastering and producing these giants. And that’s just the hard rock/heavy metal portion of his career. Some of his recent clients include ELVIS COSTELLO and NORAH JONES. And we can’t forget some of his Canadian content - LOVERBOY, KIM MITCHELL, TOM COCHRANE, CHILLIWACK and of course BRYAN ADAMS’ monster, Reckless.
At this juncture, Vancouver-based Mike Fraser - who calls home Warehouse Studio - is being talked about in AC/DC circles, as he’s one of the masterminds behind the sonics of the Aussie band’s more than eagerly anticipated new album, Black Ice, due out on October 20th. You may recall he’s worked with the boys before on 2000’s Stiff Upper Lip, 1995’s Ballbreaker and 1990’s The Razor’s Edge, as well as having remastered the band’s entire catalog in 2003.
Here are a few excerpts from the chat - more will be online soon!
BW&BK: It’s been pretty quiet in the AC/DC camp since the spring. As news slowly trickles out to the masses, how far into this process are you? Fraser: “Well, Black Ice has been done since April. So it’s been sitting there waiting to hit the airwaves since then.”
BW&BK: How much pressure is there knowing that Black Ice is easily one of the most anticipated rock/hard rock records over the past few years? Do you guys feel it inside? Fraser: “Oh sure, I do. I’m not sure if the band does. They are pretty low-key, easy-going guys. They don’t think about any of this kind of stuff. They just come in and get it done. As Malcolm (Young) says, when they are writing songs, if you can thump your foot to it, it’s worth a go. I don’t think they think in terms of that. For sure Brendan (O’Brien) and I did. It’s been nine years since Stiff Upper Lip and at one point there I was thinking, is there ever going to be another AC/DC record, because that’s a long time. Finally they gave me a call. We started March 3rd on the record and I was like, ‘Somebody pinch me; we’re actually sitting here listening to new AC/DC!’”
BW&BK: Is there any particular reason for the nine years? You take a look at any number of high profile artists - it may be years between records due to touring commitments, label delays, marketing set-up etc. But why did it take nearly a decade to return? Fraser: “I think it’s a combination of things, and you’re right, so much of the world has opened up for touring, they are often out on the road for three years almost solid. So that’s gotta take a pretty heavy toll on things, including your personal lives. And once they’re done with that, they want to take some time off. Time seems to go fast - they probably took a couple of years until they started writing again. I know the writing process for this took quite a while. They have a little studio in London, so Malcolm and Angus (Young) are holed up there for quite a while, sitting there going through ideas. At one point Malcolm had told me that they had about 60 or 70 song ideas on the back-burner. Then they had to sort through all those and pick the best ones. I think they took their time on this - they aren’t in any rush. I’m sure the world is waiting for AC/DC, but they don’t necessarily need to be making more money! I’m sure they have everything they want and they’ve sorta ‘been-there-done-that’ several times. So where is the inspiration to get out there? I know they love playing and they love getting out in front of people, but really, what’s their rush? They like to wait until it’s right. And now was the time it felt right... ‘Let’s go do it.’”
BW&BK: Over the past week, the entire world has only heard the first single. You’ve been listening to and building this record for almost half a year! What is your opinion? Obviously you are a fan and you’ve leaned pretty heavy music-wise in your career. And AC/DC must rank pretty high as one of your favourites with all the work you’ve done with them in the past. Fraser: “I think it’s back more in the direction of The Razor’s Edge. The band only does records that they want to do, and what they’re into. For instance, on Stiff Upper Lip, what they wanted was a really dry, bluesy-type record - not so rip in your face rock. And that’s what they did and delivered. This one they wanted to kick it up another notch and rock. And I would say as a fan, it’s back towards The Razor’s Edge era, a little bit more up-tempo stuff.”
ultimateacdc.blogspot.com salutes you!
BW&BK (joking): Aren’t these guys too old to be up-tempo?! Fraser: “(Laughs) You tell them that! They are never going to get back to that Flick Of The Switch or High Voltage sound, because they aren’t the 20-year-old kids anymore either. Your whole persona kind of changes. How do you write about getting laid and drunk every night if you’re not doing it, if you know what I mean (laughs). There are a lot of bands that have been around for a while, and I think they have a harder and harder time to stay street-connected with the kids, when you aren’t really a kid yourself. I have kids that are teenagers now, but I keep in the loop through them, and not through my own personal experiences anymore. I think a band that has such a long life like ‘DC, Metallica, Aerosmith, it’s really hard to keep coming up with those cool things that are now going to connect with kids that could almost be your grandkids.”
BW&BK: Very few bands can say they have such a wide demographic... Fraser: “The cool thing about AC/DC - everybody has got their genre of music that they love, but no matter what genre you are talking about, everybody loves AC/DC. They seem to cross over so many boundaries. You go to their shows and you see grandparents with dusted-off leather jackets and they are there with their grandkids in leather jackets. It’s just amazing that they appeal to such a broad range of people. It’s a testament to their hard work.”
Source
Special report by "Metal" Tim Henderson:
BW&BK had the opportunity recently to speak to a true icon in the Canadian music business, one that “hangs out” in circles we can only dream of, populated by the likes of METALLICA, JIMMY PAGE, AEROSMITH, VAN HALEN, RUSH, WHITESNAKE, MOTLEY CRUE and THE CULT. Well, maybe not actually hanging out, but his magical hands have been on the boards, mixing, mastering and producing these giants. And that’s just the hard rock/heavy metal portion of his career. Some of his recent clients include ELVIS COSTELLO and NORAH JONES. And we can’t forget some of his Canadian content - LOVERBOY, KIM MITCHELL, TOM COCHRANE, CHILLIWACK and of course BRYAN ADAMS’ monster, Reckless.
At this juncture, Vancouver-based Mike Fraser - who calls home Warehouse Studio - is being talked about in AC/DC circles, as he’s one of the masterminds behind the sonics of the Aussie band’s more than eagerly anticipated new album, Black Ice, due out on October 20th. You may recall he’s worked with the boys before on 2000’s Stiff Upper Lip, 1995’s Ballbreaker and 1990’s The Razor’s Edge, as well as having remastered the band’s entire catalog in 2003.
Here are a few excerpts from the chat - more will be online soon!
BW&BK: It’s been pretty quiet in the AC/DC camp since the spring. As news slowly trickles out to the masses, how far into this process are you? Fraser: “Well, Black Ice has been done since April. So it’s been sitting there waiting to hit the airwaves since then.”
BW&BK: How much pressure is there knowing that Black Ice is easily one of the most anticipated rock/hard rock records over the past few years? Do you guys feel it inside? Fraser: “Oh sure, I do. I’m not sure if the band does. They are pretty low-key, easy-going guys. They don’t think about any of this kind of stuff. They just come in and get it done. As Malcolm (Young) says, when they are writing songs, if you can thump your foot to it, it’s worth a go. I don’t think they think in terms of that. For sure Brendan (O’Brien) and I did. It’s been nine years since Stiff Upper Lip and at one point there I was thinking, is there ever going to be another AC/DC record, because that’s a long time. Finally they gave me a call. We started March 3rd on the record and I was like, ‘Somebody pinch me; we’re actually sitting here listening to new AC/DC!’”
BW&BK: Is there any particular reason for the nine years? You take a look at any number of high profile artists - it may be years between records due to touring commitments, label delays, marketing set-up etc. But why did it take nearly a decade to return? Fraser: “I think it’s a combination of things, and you’re right, so much of the world has opened up for touring, they are often out on the road for three years almost solid. So that’s gotta take a pretty heavy toll on things, including your personal lives. And once they’re done with that, they want to take some time off. Time seems to go fast - they probably took a couple of years until they started writing again. I know the writing process for this took quite a while. They have a little studio in London, so Malcolm and Angus (Young) are holed up there for quite a while, sitting there going through ideas. At one point Malcolm had told me that they had about 60 or 70 song ideas on the back-burner. Then they had to sort through all those and pick the best ones. I think they took their time on this - they aren’t in any rush. I’m sure the world is waiting for AC/DC, but they don’t necessarily need to be making more money! I’m sure they have everything they want and they’ve sorta ‘been-there-done-that’ several times. So where is the inspiration to get out there? I know they love playing and they love getting out in front of people, but really, what’s their rush? They like to wait until it’s right. And now was the time it felt right... ‘Let’s go do it.’”
BW&BK: Over the past week, the entire world has only heard the first single. You’ve been listening to and building this record for almost half a year! What is your opinion? Obviously you are a fan and you’ve leaned pretty heavy music-wise in your career. And AC/DC must rank pretty high as one of your favourites with all the work you’ve done with them in the past. Fraser: “I think it’s back more in the direction of The Razor’s Edge. The band only does records that they want to do, and what they’re into. For instance, on Stiff Upper Lip, what they wanted was a really dry, bluesy-type record - not so rip in your face rock. And that’s what they did and delivered. This one they wanted to kick it up another notch and rock. And I would say as a fan, it’s back towards The Razor’s Edge era, a little bit more up-tempo stuff.”
ultimateacdc.blogspot.com salutes you!
BW&BK (joking): Aren’t these guys too old to be up-tempo?! Fraser: “(Laughs) You tell them that! They are never going to get back to that Flick Of The Switch or High Voltage sound, because they aren’t the 20-year-old kids anymore either. Your whole persona kind of changes. How do you write about getting laid and drunk every night if you’re not doing it, if you know what I mean (laughs). There are a lot of bands that have been around for a while, and I think they have a harder and harder time to stay street-connected with the kids, when you aren’t really a kid yourself. I have kids that are teenagers now, but I keep in the loop through them, and not through my own personal experiences anymore. I think a band that has such a long life like ‘DC, Metallica, Aerosmith, it’s really hard to keep coming up with those cool things that are now going to connect with kids that could almost be your grandkids.”
BW&BK: Very few bands can say they have such a wide demographic... Fraser: “The cool thing about AC/DC - everybody has got their genre of music that they love, but no matter what genre you are talking about, everybody loves AC/DC. They seem to cross over so many boundaries. You go to their shows and you see grandparents with dusted-off leather jackets and they are there with their grandkids in leather jackets. It’s just amazing that they appeal to such a broad range of people. It’s a testament to their hard work.”
Source
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Reactions
So far, it looks like people's reaction are pretty good regarding the new single. Fans seem now even more excited about the new album (including me). I think it's gonna be one hell of a song to play in a concert. The chorus at least kicks major ass!High expectations for the forthcoming album!
Listen to the song one more time:
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