Fly on the Wall (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: B00009MGR3
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (71 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,716 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Fly on the Wall

2. Shake Your Foundations

3. First Blood

4. Danger

5. Sink the Pink

6. Playing with Girls

7. Stand Up

8. Hell or High Water

9. Back in Business

10. Send for the Man

Editorial Reviews

Music Audio CD

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Fly"-ing Colors., July 15, 2003

By 

The Groove (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fly on the Wall (Dlx) (Audio CD)

If memory serves me, the mid 1980s weren't too kind to AC/DC. After a string of million selling albums, the band saw its sales decline, and it lost much of its thunder to more polished, radio-friendly groups (Van Halen, Motley Crue, Def Leppard). AC/DC could have jumped on a bandwagon, done the USA for Africa thing, and dabble with synths to be more "relevant" and "current" with the times. Instead, they released in 1985 "Fly on the Wall," which stubbornly follows the same formula these Aussies have been using since the early 1970s. This release seems to get a bad rap in some circles, and let's be honest: it won't make anyone forget about "Highway to Hell." Even so, it's 40 minutes of pure dumb fun that makes for a wild ride. The singles "Danger" and "Sink the Pink" are obnoxiously loud anthems that have singer Brian Johnson and guitarist Angus Young doing what they do best: create catchy and head-banging rockers. Johnson's voice always sounded like he swallowed a box of nails, but it sounds even more mangled on this CD. And the music, remastered with care by Sony, projects with aggressive force and sounds best when played at maximum volume. In retrospect, I think "Fly on the Wall" is one of AC/DC's more underrated albums. While it ain't no classic, it's still a fun trip from one of the most consistent and likable bands around.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AC/DC in a slump? definitely NOT! an underrated classic!, September 13, 2005

By 

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

This review is from: Fly on the Wall (Dlx) (Audio CD)

Don't let anyone fool you into thinking that AC/DC were in the midst of a slump while recording the "Fly On The Wall" album which was originally released in June of 1985. The band had taken over the production reins for their 1983 predecessor "Flick of the Switch", and they elected once again to not bring in an outside producer for "Fly..." which was produced by Angus & Malcolm. And as strong of an album as "Flick..." is, this one is even better.

Yes, Brian Johnson's voice had lost something by this point--his vocals here just don't soar and rattle off the walls the way they do on the previous couple albums. Angus and Malcolm seemingly realized this, and responded by burying it in the mix somewhat, as well as using a lot of echo effects, and although Johnson's screams are occasionally a bit grating, it's a very minor quibble--he still adds greatly to the excitement level of the album.

The album opening title track doesn't get the record off to a promising start--it's a real messy bashfest of a song. Once it passes though, you're in for a hell of an exciting ride.

Angus and Malcolm did a great job producing this--the guitars smoke, and the crisp-yet-booming drum sound works great. Sure, Simon Wright's drumming is about as no-frills as it can get, but come on--fancy drumming has never exactly been a key factor with AC/DC.

Mid-tempo hard rockers really don't come any better than "Sink The Pink"--the intro has a great eighth-note guitar line from Angus that makes the arrivial of the chorus riff all the more thrilling, and the whole tune is brilliantly structured for maximum ass-kicking impact. "Hell Or High Water" and "Back In Business" are also mid-tempo ass-kickers with irresistible riffs. "Shake Your Foundations" has that ultra-catchy singalong chorus. The stomping "First Blood" has an irresistibly 'dumb' core riff that'll get you banging your head in no time. The slow-paced "Danger" has an amusingly threatening vibe and is a ton of fun. The whomping "Playing With Girls" is an explosive funked-up boogie with a perfectly placed and gloriously unhinged Johnson scream at 1:58 of the track. The bluesy "Stand Up" is cleverly constructed and has an intoxicating, anthemic chorus. The album closes with the irresistibly moody stomper "Send For The Man".

In short, I'm really blown away by this album--it's definitely one of AC/DC's best. I certainly wasn't expecting it to be this great, but it is. Angus and Malcolm clearly didn't give a damn about the trends in hard rock/ heavy metal at the time, and more power to them. "Fly..." has none of the lame, commercialized cockrock sound that turns up on the "Highway To Hell" and "Back In Black" albums. If you're a hard rock lover, you can't go wrong with "Fly On The Wall".

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Decent AC/DC album still beats most of the music out there, May 31, 2006

By 

Hamer Player "Hamer Player" (Philadelphia, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fly on the Wall (Dlx) (Audio CD)

AC/DC's 1985 Fly On The Wall album isn't quite in the same league as the classic Johnson-era releases Back In Black or For Those About To Rock (and nothing can compete with any Bon Scott material), but it's still a good rocker. In my opinion this is the last effort that falls within the "classic AC/DC" period. If you like AC/DC, Fly On The Wall carries on their traditional 3-chords and pentatonic-solo formula. Solid rhythm section lays the groundwork for Angus' antics and Brian Johnson's gravel-growl. Standout tracks include Shake Your Foundations, Sink The Pink, Hell Or High Water, Back In Business, and Send For The Man. Even a "bad" AC/DC album is still "great" in my opinion, and this album is no different (literally!) than any other from the Young brothers and crew. I give it 2 stars because it's far from the masterpieces they did with Bon and the first two Johnson records... however if you are an AC/DC fan I still consider this an essential part of their discography.