ROCKNROLL MONDAY: Powerage - AC/DC

 The first thing I should mention is I do not really enjoy AC/DC. They are not exactly my cup of tea. I respect their icon status, but I prefer to keep the music at a distance from me. Regardless, it is in my best interest to understand roots and try everything. Even this. 

For starters, I had no idea AC/DC is actually Australian. This here is their 1978 fifth release. This is one of their least liked releases. Despite this, it is beloved by other classic rockers. Some acclaim it the most underrated release of their catalog. 

I had no idea that AC/DC in fact, had two lead singers (three if you count the one before the band really got an album out). Original lead Bon Scott sadly died of "misadventure" around the beginnings of the writing for Back in Black. Brian Johnson became the lead singer from then on.

In typical AC/DC fashion, the starter song is "Rock 'N Roll Damnation". Definitely discussing the time that good old fashion rock n roll was considered an evil to society. 

Well the title is at least relatable. I think everyone has felt some "Down Payment Blues". The guitar work on this is pretty strong. Seems to discuss the downside of living as a musician if you have not made it yet.

"Gimme a Bullet" starts reminding me what tends to bother me about AC/DC beyond the screamy vocals, which actually aren't as grating with the older singer. The songs begin to sound a bit recycled consistently. I do understand being cohesive but I always have this thing that there's a such thing as "too cohesive". This sounds a lot like the first song in places.

"Riff Raff" keeps you interested in the riffs but I'm less interested in the lyrical content. Sometimes I feel like they are just jam rocking and maybe it would be better without the vocals. 

Probably what it feels like to be lost in the splendor of vices, "Sin City" is a song you just get kind of lost in and forget it has been playing. 

"What's Next to the Moon" is, admittably, a strange sort of love loss song. Crashing back to earth because he can't have the love he is wanting. I haven't heard such a strong analogy related to superman in music before.

"Gone Shootin" sounds like some more jam rock. It is kind of cool how this album is actually a bit bluesier in the rock than I know from them usually.

"Up to My Neck in You" sounds too much like other songs on the album to me, but it is not inherently a bad song. I will say AC/DC has some solid guitar work. 

The most unique song closes the album? "Kicked in the Teeth" really leaves with quite the impression. That is cool though. If this were my kind of music, I'd immediately want to throw this back on. 

LYRICS: 7/10 - The lyrics actually aren't too bad for a blues rock band. They make some points and I think melodically they fit in. Nothing so bizarre that I'm wondering what the hell happened.

MUSIC: 6/10 - AC/DC falls flat to me on musical originality. If you listen to their albums, it feels like they recycle a lot of what they've made. It is not inherently bad, and I may not care if it was the kind of music I actually was more inclined towards. I think they get a bit too much credit for being "innovators" though by this.

OVERALL: 7/10 - While I will, respectfully, never play this again, for what it is and what genre it is in there's absolutely nothing wrong with this album. I actually do like despite the strong guitar and melodies that lyrically they stayed true to the roots of what blues kind of is. A lot of these songs could have been straight blues. I do think AC/DC made room for other genres with the way they stylized. They are just not my personal cup of tea. That does not make an album bad however. If you like a cohesive album, maybe too much sometimes, of hard hitting guitars. This, this is your cup of tea. You can get absolutely lost in the music and forget someone is even singing at times. Take your pick.