AC/DC Album: “Highway to Hell”

"Highway To Hell", released in 1979 was lead singer Bonn Scott's last album with AC/DC due to his untimely death. The album was a landmark for AC/DC and included their first ever radio hit (in the U.S.) in "Highway To Hell". The album is a hard rock lover's dream, with big power chords, lead breaks and powerful vocals. The songs that standout on this release (which make up for more than half the album) are the title track "Highway To Hell", "Girls Got Rhythm", "Shot Down In Flames", "Get It Hot", "If You Want Blood (You've Got It)", "Walk All Over You", and "Touch Too Much". This newly remastered cd which is now under the Epic label sounds much better than the older 1994 remastered version. The bottom end, mid-range and output level have all been increased dramatically. I've actually compared them and found this new release to be the superior of the two. The digipak that holds the cd is very attractive and includes a booklet with colorful photos, etc. If you enjoy groups such as Judas Priest, UFO, Def Leppard, Krokus, Scorpions, etc. than you'll won't be disappointed with "Highway To Hell".

Guilty pleasures aplenty populate this hard-rock classic, the last AC/DC album featuring Bon Scott. And here the band is at its peak on all fronts -- catchy songwriting, insatiable riffing, deep-grooved and confident, Bon Scott singing better than ever, a marriage between raspy-throated goblin and starry-eyed sex symbol. The first four songs of the album swing like mad -- the classic title track, featuring one of the most famous guitar riffs in rock; the sexy grind of "Girls Got Rhythm"; Scott's soaring growl on "Walk All Over You"; the libidinous interplay of racy lyrics and chiming guitars on "Touch Too Much". And "Beating around the Bush" sends those famous Young fingers a-flying with one of AC/DC's speediest, most jittery riffs. It all boils down to a damned catchy pot of hard-rock classics, purely enjoyable, once and for all beating past my inhibitions about this band's juvenile lyrics and sexism. It's just too much of a good time to miss.

"Highway To Hell" is a great rock & roll album. It has a famous 1-2-3-4 punch ("Highway To Hell", "Girls Got Rhythm", "Walk All Over You", "Touch Too Much"), not to mention the title song from their first live album "If You Want Blood (You've Got It)", as well as the blues classic "Night Prowler". The tiresome argument - as to whether this is the best AC/DC album, or 1980's "Back In Black" with Brian Johnson - is moot. They are BOTH classic and they sit on the same high pedestal. You can't say that Bon Scott is better or worse than Brian Johnson... they're simply different in their own right. It's like saying Sammy Hagar was better with Van Halen than David Lee Roth. Sure it's hard to replace an original, but the successors can grow to be classic rock Gods as well. Such is the case here with AC/DC. This delux digipak has fantastic remastered digital sound along with a 16-page booklet complete with original album artwork and various assorted photos (dig the picture of Angus standing in front of the band throwing the can full of paint). "Highway To Hell" is full of catchy hooks and driving intense songs for serious head bangers. Bon Scott's last album is a timeless piece of music that still sounds incredible today.

This is one of the best rock n roll records ever. My personal faves are "Walk Over You" "Night Prowler" and "Shot Down In Flames" Bon Scott made this the best AC/DC album and it is easily better than Back In Black.

The last of the '70's Bon Scott albums, "Highway to Hell" is arguably the best AC/DC CD, save for "Back in Black". What Bon had that his successor does not is an authentic bluesy swagger, and wolf- like howl. When Bon sang it, you believed it. This is real bar brawl music and requires a swig of whiskey and some Camels to thoroughly enjoy. These songs rock from start to finish, and with no dogs, this is just about as good as AC/DC gets. Highly recommended, especially "Night Prowler", one of the best ending songs ever recorded. Nanu-Nanu