Customer Reviews

Black Ice by AC/DC (Audio CD - October 20th, 2008)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Could it be that AC/DC has created the most consistently reliably rocking album mixes over the last 20-30 years? Personally, I think the guitars have mellowed just a wee bit over the years ... either that, or it's my failing hearing from listening to this stuff way too loud. I've chatted with others who cyberspace who certainly think that the group is one of the best rock bands ever, and I have to admit that -- after listening to BLACK ICE -- I come away with nothing but fond reflections and set of toes tingling from having tapped constantly thru the entire spin. And at 15 tracks to the disc, it looks like Christmas has come early for head-bangers.

Runaway Train (5 out of 5) - Bang, zoom, and we're off with a terrific rockin' track that sets a solid tone for almost everything that's going to follow. "Give it what you got ..." is a great metaphor of what AC/DC has always done for its fans. These guys sound as fresh here as they did with almost anything from BACK IN BLACK or DIRTY DEEDS as far as I'm concerned.

Skies on Fire (3 out of 5) - A strong take-it-or-leave-it middle-of-the-road track. I've heard better; I've heard worse.

Big Jack (3 out of 5) - again, a take-it-or-leave-it middle-of-the-road track. Not the worst thing you'll find here but far from the best.

Anything Goes (4 out of 5) - Thankfully, 'Anything Goes' rescues the disc from the previous two tracks, kicking up the tempo just right and setting the pace for a series of solid rockers to get your headbang on. Lyrics? Not so great, but that's forgiven.

War Machine (5 out of 5) - Exactly the kind of drivin' guitar track that AC/DC is best known for. You can't miss this one. Cruise the streets with the windows down, and get ready to see how far you can get that speed pedal to the floor. One of the best on this disk, without a doubt.

Smash 'n Grab (4 out of 5) - A celebration of bad behavior. Is that so awful? It's arguably what rock'n'roll was all about even from its infancy.

Spoilin' for a Fight (5 out of 5) - Another celebration of potential bad behavior. Again, I ask you ... is that so bad ... especially when it sounds so good? Rock is primal, so why not celebrate some of that primalcy?

Wheels (4 out of 5) - Weird. For some reason, I had to listen to this one twice to figure out what I thought. It didn't stand out the first time thru, and, in retrospect, that could be b/c the highwater marks set by 'Anything Goes,' 'War Machine,' 'Smash'n'Grab,' and 'Spoilin' for a Fight' felt like it was coming to an end. Upon 2nd listen, I enjoyed the track much more. Another solid outing. Enjoy.

Decibel (4 out of 5) - a faintly bluesy, subversive backbeat set apart with some solid grinding riffs shows that even AC/DC can twist their sound just a bit to get something creatively distinct from much of what they've done before. A bit of a surprise to me -- a laid back rocker -- not a favorite, but worth inclusion here.

Stormy May Day (2 out of 5) - The only track that suffers from an overwhelming sense of sameness ("been there, done that"). Concludes with an unusually mellow refrain that seemed out-of-place. I wouldn't dropped the track from the disk, but that's me.

She Likes Rock'n'Roll (4 out of 5) - Great sing-a-long interlude at the 2 and 1/2 minute mark that comes back after the 3 minute mark. Fun tune that could've raised the house a bit more for my tastes; had it done so, it would've competed with the likes of 'War Machine' and 'Money Made.'

Money Made (5 out of 5) - another bluesy backbeat gives this track a bump as one of the stronger ones of the disc. Absolutely killer baseline. Load it in your MP3 player and I dare you to listen to this and not start strutting like a rock star. This is what AC/DC does best. Work, work, work ... it eventually kills all of us, even when it's sinfully fun. "Shake, baby, shake ..."

Rock'n'Roll Dream (4 out of 5) - and, yet, another bluesy sounding surprise from the bad boys. Starts mellow, builds just a bit for the refrain, but then kicks back again into the original groove. Probably the best drum work on the album to my tastes. Surprisingly introspective. Rockers celebrating rocking ... does it get any better than that?

Rocking All the Way (4 out of 5) - The singing sounds a bit too like Aerosmith's Steven Tyler for an AC/DC track. Still, it's reliable, at best. Bad girls leading bad boys to behave even badder. That's a form of feminism I can get behind ... or in front of ... or on top of! LOL!

Black Ice (3 out of 5) - I'm not sure what to make of this track. It certainly wasn't what I expected from AC/DC mostly b/c it sounded like it could almost be on any group's album. A bit of a creative stretch for the boys -- a nice diversion -- but not a favorite.

In the end, music reviews are always a matter of personal taste. What I like, you may dislike, and vice versa. But BLACK ICE plays out like a disk intended to please longtime fans as well as inspire new fans to track AC/DC's history backward from this point in time -- album by album -- to see how they arrived where they are today ... still near the top of the rock pantheon producing music that pleases any rocker's ear and giving new talent a run for their money. Keep it up, boys ... keep it up.

Well - for one they appear to be getting better with age.

I had a chance to hear this album before it's official release and man I am blown away. This album is a Rock Anthem that belongs in their line-up. The tracks are strong and solid AC/DC. This reminds of what it was like to hear Back in Black or FTATR for the first time.

The boys are back!

If you're one of those people who think all AC/DC albums are the same or that they were no good after Bon Scott died, then you should move to a new web page now - you just won't like this album. for the rest of us, AC/DC have delivered a hard slab of rock with Black Ice that ticks all the boxes for those people - like me - who love the band and their music. And better still, many of these songs will feel right at home played live alongside classics from Back In Black, Highway To Hell etc.
The first single, Rock N Roll Train, sets the template - that seemingly unstoppable ryhthm of Cliff Williams, Phil Rudd and Malcolm Young, a chorus as catchy as the Jack itself and Brian Johnson and Angus trading screams for guitar licks. Other standouts for me are Big Jack, War Machine (both absolute monsters), Spoilin' For A Fight and Wheels. Adding variety to the entertainment is Decibel - a heavy blues stomper and Money Made - a sleazy ballad (dont worry - no strings or pianos in sight). More variety comes from Angus picking up a T-bone for some slide guitar on Stormy May Day to good effect. [In My Time of Rocking!]
Unfortunately, it does fall away at the end, which shaves off a star. Rock N Roll Dream has what sounds to my ears like an 80s pop-metal feel (also evident in Anything Goes), which I found unsettling. And everything about Rocking All The Way spells l-a-z-y. Why they left it on is a mystery! Black Ice itself is a bit flat to end proceedings - not a bad song, but not great. So just chop out a few fillers and I'd say the rest is 45 minutes of killer. It should be a great tour - and maybe their last, who knows. If so, this would be a brilliant way to bow out.

When you're a band that releases to of the all-time greatest rock n roll albums in Highway to Hell and Back in Black, back-to-back I might add, then all other albums after that are going to be hard acts to follow and overly scrutinized by critics and fans alike. It's 2008 and nothing has changed with the way people judge AC/DC's latest album "Black Ice" (love the title). It seems like if the band doesn't release the next "Back in Black" then they've failed somehow. Bottom line, "Black Ice" is a solid rock n roll album. If you hate the current music scene like I do, and you're wondering where good time rock n roll went, here's your chance to finally get some. "Black Ice", while it's missing that one classic track like "Back in Black" or "Thunderstruck" the album contains 15 rock solid tracks that may not go down as classics, but they will revive your faith in rock n roll!

For me, the stand out track is "Anything Goes". From the moment it started, I was hooked. Imagine if AC/DC merged their brand of rock with a pop song, that's "Anything Goes". Simply a great song! The lyrics keep it from being classic, but it's a powerhouse track nonetheless. Other stand outs include "War Machine", "Rock n Roll Train", "Big Jack", "Decibel", "She Likes Rock n Roll" and the gritty title track "Black Ice".

I hate to compare albums, but this one reminds me a lot of "Fly on the Wall". Actually, the title track "Black Ice" would fit nicely on "Fly on the Wall". So, if you enjoyed that album, than you'll be pleased with this new release. I will say that "Black Ice" easily surpasses the band's two previous efforts: Stiff Upper Lip and Ballbreaker.

Personally, I love the new album and I think any AC/DC fan will be thrilled to add it to their collection. It's amazing with Angus pushing sixty, and some of the other band members possibly there already, that they can still rock like they did back in the 70s, and I think it's great.

Wow ! AC/DC really did it this time. To me, this is their best release since 'Back in Black'. I have to admit, that some of the lyrics are a bit 'dull' at times, but the music is so good, that this really don't matter.
They keep all the tracks at 'mid tempo', but the songs and the production are outstanding. And having a bit of 'slide guitar' added here and there is an extra bonus !
A great album from a great band - for me, this is THE album of 2008.

Ok, let me get the record straight, this album is AC/DC's best since BACK IN BLACK. If you don't concur with me, go ahead and disagree with me if you want, but I'm just being honest and candid. This album conveys many things, one that classic rock isn't dead, and secondly that AC/DC should be on your hot bands list because this is a brillent album. Put it in prespective, they produced BALL BREAKER in the year 1995 and STIFF UPPER LIP in 2000, and would your even think about placing those album above Black Ice? No, I hope would be the answer from you.

The only album this album can really compeet with is HIGH VOLTAGE, POWERAGE and THE RAZORS EDGE (that are really close to being classics.) You have to be surpised because this album isn't one of those fan-based albums or one of those really meaningless albums. This album is a good example of a fanomonal AC/DC record! "Rock'N Roll Trian" is certainly a classic, so is "Big Jack" and "Anything Goes." There's more to the table this time, Angus Young hasn't pulled out his slide-guitar since FLICK OF THE SWICH. "Stormy May," "Money Made," "Rock'N Roll Dream," "Rocking all the way," and "Black Ice" complete a great ending. But wait... how about "Wheel" and the rest? Well, they are kind of filler, but they aren't bad... I would rate majority of those middle tracks 7 out of 10, but look at the big picture.

Overall this is a great AC/DC album. Here's my ranking of all their albums:

1. BACK IN BLACK (1980)
2. Highway to Hell (1979)
3. High Voltage (1975)
4. Powerage (1978)
5. Black Ice (2008)
6. The Razors Edge (1990)
7. Flick of the swich (1983)
8. Let there be Rock (1977)
9. For those About to Rock (1981)
10. Dirty Deeds (1976)
11. Stiff Upper Lip (2000)
12. Ball Breaker (1995)
13. Fly on the Wall (1985)
14. 74 Jail Break (1974)
15. Blow up your Video (1987)

Please consider buying this album, because if you aren't...your missing a ride on the Rock'N Roll Train!

I've always appreciated AC/DC because with them, I always know what I'm going to get, and this CD is no exception. They do not break new ground, and they do not "mix things up" like so many other bands. There are countless bands that I loved at first, but then they got bored or were pressured to change, just to keep up with the Joneses, and lost what attracted me to them in the first place.

There is just something easy and listenable about these guys. My perfect example is commercial radio. There are some bands I absolutely despise because they are played over and over and over and over and over again on the radio. It's like Chinese water torture. However, there are a few of those bands that they use in this same torture method, but I don't get sick of them. AC/DC is the best example. I don't just like them, I love their sound enough that I am immune to the overplaying done on the radio.

As for this gem, there is not a bad song on it. I've listened to it all the way through more than a dozen times, and I find something new each time. Some of the songs remind me of earlier AC/DC songs, but that's to be expected. "Big Jack" is one example. It reminds me of "The Jack" though the songs are totally different.

Too bad more bands don't have this magic. Highly recommended.

The boys are back in town! I guess this is preaching to the choir, you know what your getting with AC/DC. Good old, no frills, hard driving Rock N Roll. No suprises here. When your in the mood put on AC/DC crank it up, do your best air guitar/drums your all set!! This is like comfort food, a good hamburger/fries/shake you always know it will be good and when you crave it, it's the best!

Johnson's voice always sounds like he needs a cough drop, but the levels on this CD are lot more tolerable than Metallica's latest....at the $12 price tag, with 15 tracks it's not a bad price for a bucket of rock...Edward Lee's review is pretty much spot on, song for song...thanks bud..

I bought it and found alot to like but some of the songs do not belong on the album. Also the bass seems to be kind of put in the background alot. Maybe it is just me but it seems to be a bit to hissy sounding at times. It is hard to resist the charms of the old school rockers. This album is good but not great. The guys sound like father time has caught up with them somewhat. To me 15 songs was too much for the album. Even with these minor gripes it beats the heck out of alot of the stuff being called rock and roll nowadays. It is worth picking up and giving some love. You will want to crank up songs 1 and 5 especially. They are what real hard rock should sound like. Not some namby pamby music like Dave Mathews masqurading as rockers. Enjoy these guys while they are still around.