Flick of the Switch (Dlx) [Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered]

AC/DC | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 1, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00009MGR1
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (75 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,226 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Rising Power

2. This House Is on Fire

3. Flick of the Switch

4. Nervous Shakedown

5. Landslide

6. Guns for Hire

7. Deep in the Hole

8. Bedlam in Belgium

9. Badlands

10. Brain Shake

Editorial Reviews

Flick of the Switch (Deluxe Edition, Remastered) AC/DC Label: Sony Release Date: 7/1/2003 1 Rising Power - 3:43 2 This House Is on Fire - 3:23 3 Flick of the Switch - 3:13 4 Nervous Shakedown - 4:27 5 Landslide - 3:57 6 Guns for Hire - 3:24 7 Deep in the Hole - 3:19 8 Bedlam in Belgium - 3:52 9 Badlands - 3:38 10 Brain Shake - 4:09

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars really solid--doesn't reach classic status, but comes pretty close, September 12, 2005

By 

Dave "missing person" (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Flick of the Switch (Dlx) (Audio CD)

Originally released in August of 1983, "Flick of the Switch" is a damn fine AC/DC record, and if you love the band, I really can't understand not digging it.

In the liner notes for this 2003 remastered version of "Flick..." (which sounds great, by the way), Malcolm Young explains that the band wanted to get back-to-basics with this record, which they produced themselves, and you can see what he means--the album has a real live-in-the-studio sound to it, with guitars exploding out of the speakers, plus all but two of the tracks are under 4 minutes, and they've completely ditched the special effects a la the bell tolls on "Hells Bells" or the cannons on "For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)". Also, Brian Johnson's vocals are at their gloriously piercing best throughout.

The liner notes also state that the album is "remarkably varied". Is this a joke or what? One thing that there sure as hell isn't a lot of on this album is variety. The boys do a nice job of mixing up the tempos--you have your slower paced tunes ("Rising Power", "Nervous Shakedown", "Deep In The Hole"), medium-fast tunes (title track, "Guns For Hire", "Bedlam In Belgium"), and fast tunes ("Landslide", "Brain Shake")--but that hardly makes for a "remarkably varied" batch of songs. One thing I won't argue about though is that the album is indeed very consistent.

The album starts off with "Rising Power" which is one of those great AC/DC stompers, with a brilliant sequence of kickass riffs. Likewise, "Nervous Shakedown" has another great sequence of riffs and builds spellbinding tension before breaking into the call-and-response chorus. The title track, with its sly guitar licks, is a ton of fun. The boogying "Landslide" is one of the most wildly exciting rock songs ever--it's a furious, fast-paced thrill ride with an ultra-catchy rapid-fire vocal hook leading into the chorus, and blistering guitar soloing from Angus; if this song doesn't get your heart racing, I don't know what the hell will. Also irresistible are "Deep In The Hole", with its cry-of-desperation chorus; and "Bedlam In Belgium", with its clever almost-but-not-quite-synchronized rhythm guitar parts and its spiritedly malevolent chorus.

As solid as the album is, it's not a bonafide classic. "This House Is On Fire" is a middling rewrite of "Hells Bells". "Guns For Hire" sounds a bit rushed-through and underwritten, although there's no denying that it's got a hell of a main riff. The bluesy "Badlands" lazily recycles the "Bad Boy Boogie" riff, although there is an ear-catching bit in the riff just before the guitar solo. The album closing "Brain Shake" is a really cool tune that seems to borrow some of its riffery straight from the Beatles "Helter Skelter", but the repetitive "joy to ride" 'hook' gets to be a little annoying, as does the heavy repetition of the title.

You've got to be nuts to think that this album marks the beginning of a major artistic decline for AC/DC. If you actually enjoy the watered-down, Foreigner-style arena-rock of songs like "Touch Too Much" and "You Shook Me All Night Long", then it makes sense that you'd find this album disappointing. But the true AC/DC aren't about lame cockrock; they're about ass-kicking hard rock, and "Flick of the Switch" does a very fine job of capturing the true essence of the band--this album is a must for any true AC/DC fan.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BACK IN WHITE!, May 11, 2005

By 

Teletran One (The Arc) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Flick of the Switch (Dlx) (Audio CD)

A classic, powerful cover that is white hot.

I can't tell you how much i adore this album, it never leaves my stereo! it's been that way for a long time. My FLICK OF THE SWITCH cassette tape literaly melted into the tape deck from being overplayed.I own the whole AC/DC catalog and this is king of the mountain. When listeing, one can not help to recall the classic Bon Scott days, this is best described as BACK IN BLACK and POWERAGE thrown in a blender. One can not help but resist the high energy of RISING POWER or simpley keeping oneself from bursting out in flames over THIS HOUSE IS ON FIRE. Or what about the raw guitar assault of GUNS FOR HIRE? or the Elvis like boogie of BRAINSHAKE?

Anyone getting sick of BACK IN BLACK being played for the 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000th time? go throw on the switch and find out about this overlooked classic.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Under-rated, and misunderstood., May 7, 2006

By 

Shawn D. Vinson "AC/DC's Biggest Fan" (Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Flick of the Switch (Dlx) (Audio CD)

When this particular album came out, many pretty much gave up on AC/DC right there; if it wasn't bells and cannons, those "fans" would have nothing to do with it. While definitely under produced and probably in need of more work than was put into it, Flick of the Switch is a back to basics, no-nonsense type of album. It was meant to be pure, raw, hard rock, so raw in fact, the album cover even gives the feeling of a bootleg.
Again, it needs work. But they honestly, did not have the time; the record label basically said, "Ok, the tour starts on such-and-such-a-date; when do you think you can have an album ready to tour with?" Not only is that alot of pressure, but it doesn't even give alot of time to come up with new material, let alone perfect it. When one understands both this factor, and the idea behind the album, one can begin to truly appeciate what it's supposed to be.
Trust me. The album's worth the $10 it'll cost you.