Customer Reviews

Stiff Upper Lip

5 star:		(140)
4 star:		(69)
3 star:		(36)
2 star:		(25)
1 star:		(30)

 

 

It is a very difficult thing to say that any particular AC/DC album is their "best." They have so much high quality material. But suffice to say the Stiff Upper Lip delivers the hard-rocking' goods on every track, just like Highway to Hell, Back in Black, and High Voltage. It suffers from none of the muddy production problems that plagued their post-Mutt Lange albums, in fact it sounds better than any of their albums, in terms of production, except the remastered Back in Black. AC/DC's previous two albums (Razor's Edge & Ballbreaker), to me anyways, signifigantly improved over the majority of mid-late 80's material (Fly on the Wall, Blow Up Your Video), but SUL absolutely demolishes The Razor's Edge and Ballbreaker in terms of power, riffage, and Brian fixed-up vocals sound better than he has in a long, long time. Every song has that indefinable "timeless" rock sound that pours out from a lot of their late 70's material. Each song has you wondering "How can they not release this as a single?" Songs alternate between Back In Black evil rock (Safe in New York City, House of Jazz, Damned(my fav) and Powerage-style funky blues licks (Meltdown, Hold Me Back, Can't Stand Still). You absolutely cannot go wrong with record. Easily on par with your favorite AC/DC album, and easily better than the rest.

I read in a magazine recently that rock music is dead. I also read in another magazine that Korn is the future of rock. Well, as long as AC/DC is around, neither of those statements are true! Stiff Upper Lip is a great album; better than The Razor's Edge, and better than Who Made Who. In fact, it ranks up there with Highway To Hell and Back In Black as one of their best ever! As Angus Young said in a recent interview in Toronto, what we need is some of that good old, toe-tapping rock'n'roll, and that's what we get, and it still sounds just as good as it did when High Voltage came out back in 1973.

PS. AC/DC will be around long after the Backstreet Boys lose their looks and their fans, and long after rap music finally dies (which will hopefully be soon! ) If you agree with me, tell me that my review was helpful by clicking YES!

"You can't stop rock and roll," barks Brian Johnson on track number 7 off "Stiff Upper Lip." Apparently, you can't stop AC/DC either. In the thirty-odd years these guys have been around, they've bypassed every known musical trend (classic rock, disco, punk, new wave, techno, and elctronica) while leaving their sound virtually unchanged. And why should they bother? If it ain't broke, don't fix it, and on their umpteenth album, they've given more of the same head-banging rock to please old and new fans alike. Produced by George Young (the elder brother of guitarists Angus and Malcolm), we get killer guitar riffs, catchy choruses, and enough double-entendres to make Austin Powers proud. These guys have clearly aged and have somewhat mellowed a bit since the glory days of "Back in Black," but the energy is undeniably present. "Safe in New York City," "Hold Me Back," and "House of Jazz" deliver the goods as only AC/DC can deliver them. The album lacks one straight up classic in the vein of "You Shook Me All Night Long," "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" or "TNT," but even so, "Stiff Upper Lip" is a very solid record from "the thunder from down under."

This album starts out strong and "Boom!" it's over before you know-it.The rhythm and power-chords melt very closely to "Back In Black."You have your classic-AC/DC "swinging" songs; "Hold Me Back","Can't Stand Still" the title track, a speed-burner that starts heavy and builds-pace like a runaway freighttrain between your eyes("Safe In New York City")"Groove-tunes:"MeltDown, House of Jazz", and some "fun-gloom" on "DAMNED". About 4-songs are slow, and HEAVY blues-guitar based;Pounding with that timeless rhythm and Angus throwin'-in some "lightning-bolt-riffs." You have basic Pump-you-up-anthems like "Give It Up" and "Come and Get It"(complete with the return of Malcolm Young's "Dirty Deeds" 'evil-troll' growl in "Come and Get It.") If you have ever liked AC/DC get this, If you sort of like AC/DC, get this, and if you don't like them LISTEN TO THIS! There best since "Back In Black." So, if you are TIRED of this "whiny-rhythmless-'rock' bands, THIS IS THE CURE.POWER AND RHYTHM:PERFECTLY-MESHED TOGETHER.

When I first heard this album, I gave it an honest listen. I mean we all know what to expect when we buy an AC DC album. It was slower and bluesier than earlier releases. That's not a bad thing, in fact this album continues in the vein of what one would expect from AC DC. In fact after listening to it a couple of times, you can almost imagine how the album came about.....

Ring, ring, ring,

Brian : Hello?

Angus : Brian? This is Angus, hey Malcolm and I are sitting around the house drinking Foster's and playing our guitars, you wanna come over?

Brian : Sure, I'll be right there.

Two hours later, the tapes from the living room and brought to the studio for Cliff and Phil to finish. Yeah, it's a pretty laid back album.

Now on stage it's a different story. I saw the Stiff Upper Lip Tour in Ft Lauderdale this year, and let me tell you, AC DC hasn't lost a step. All their classics, Angus' antics, Brian's screaming, and the rhythm section's thunderous noise is all there. I hadn't seen AC DC in over ten years, but they still played like they were on the Back In Black tour. They were on stage like a hungry bunch of twenty year olds trying to get signed. If you've never seen AC DC in concert, you're missing one hell of a rush. The only song they played off Stiff Upper Lip was the title track, but that's OK, they have a very long songlist to choose from.

I hope these guys go on forever.

I was fully prepared to be disappointed when I bought this album, as their last album Ballbreaker had a very gloomy, depressing sound with matching lyrics. It did have 2 good songs in Burning Alive and Hard As A Rock, but many of the songs were frankly weird, and Brian Johnson's voice made even a die-hard fan like me squirm in my seat. After the first listen, I was ready to trash SUL for it's boring lyrics and repetitive sound - but for whatever reason, I found myself wanting to listen again an hour later. The second time, I cranked it up louder, and what I had previously criticized - now had an completely addictive quality! Angus and Malcolm are brilliant on this album, with no wasted motion, and the drumming is infectious and had me tapping my foot on most of the songs. Additionally, Brian Johnson's voice is improved! It's a mixed bag, but on a few tracks like "Give It Up", he is reminiscent of his Back In Black style where he sang right with Angus on songs like "Shoot To Thrill". He definitely made more of an effort. This is easily the best produced album since Back In Black, everything sounds clear and dynamic. I love Satellite Blues, and enjoy all the songs with the exception of "I'll Be Damned", and "Come and Get It", as they drag a bit, but even these songs are not throw ins or filler, and other listeners may like their style. Truly, the only thing that can be criticized are the repetitiveness of some of the songs, and the repetitive lyrics, but you'll soon realize that the boys had a reason for this - they wanted to create addictive rhythmic tracks that continue to build to the end of the song. None of these songs have the emotion and power of "Back In Black", but they are all excellent Rock and Roll songs, with a lot of attention to simply making songs that sound good - and are fun and definitely not pretentious. If something sounds good, and you want to hear it again and again through the years, it's not simple - it's good and skilled work. That's what you'll get if you buy Stiff Upper Lip, an album you'll still listen to after 5 years.

There are certain expectations to be had of each and every AC/DC album: solid rhythms, in-your-face guitar riffing, and rasping vocals delivering simple lyrics written to be shouted at top volume by arena crowds. Throughout a 25+ year journey across a constantly shifting landscape of musical trends and one-hit-wonders, AC/DC's standard formula has served them well, establishing secure, dependable ground with their fans. At the same time it has left them easy targets for the slings and arrows of music critics everywhere. AC/DC fans and critics alike approach each album expecting one thing: more of the same. As to whether this hold true for their first new material in five years, the answer is yes...and no.

The songs on "Stiff Upper Lip" are a shot to the collective jaws of those who have written this band off as being all sound and fury. Long known for a style that's over the top, most of this album sneaks in under your radar. "Subtle" is not a word associated with AC/DC, but it's the perfect way to describe the minimalist style that makes this album so infectious. The music is deceptively simple. Cliff Williams and Phil Rudd keep their traditional metronome time on bass and a pared-down drum kit, yet infuse each song with it's inevitable drive forward. The pulse on tracks like "House of Jazz" is the backbone that keeps your head bobbing along from start to finish. Angus and Malcolm Young are at the top of their game, with some of the band's most innovative riffing since 1988's "Blow Up Your Video". Reminiscent of 1986's "Who Made Who", the clean guitar work on songs like "Hold Me Back" and "Can't Stand Still" stick in your head long after you've shut off the stereo. From song titles like "Can't Stop Rock 'N' Roll" and "Come and Get It", one can assume that the lyrical content is exactly what we've come to expect: sex, sex, rock and roll, and more sex. "Damned" is a diversion, with its criticism of the current American climate of "everything's bad for you", but for the most part the lyrics are business as usual. The same goes for Brian Johnson's vocals. To say that he is raspy, growling, and often unintelligible are not criticisms when discussing this man. Johnson will never be hailed as a great singer, but his style is perfect for the sleazy, backroom groove that flows through this album.

"Stiff Upper Lip" is the perfect bookend to 1985's "Fly on the Wall". That album raged out of your speakers like a bull, with every level cranked to "11". Coming from the other end of the spectrum, "Stiff Upper Lip" comes slithering out of your stereo like a snake. This is jazziest piece of work the band has ever produced, to the point where you can almost hear the horn section that should have been punching things up in the background. One trip through these songs is not enough to realize the level on which AC/DC has succeeded with this offering. The proof is when you wake up in the middle of the night with the groove from "House of Jazz" or "Meltdown" going around and around in your brain. Where most AC/DC classics win you over through sheer volume, "Stiff Upper Lip" wins out through style, subtlety, and an understanding that less sometimes really is more.

I was pleasently surprised with this album. I didn't like what I heard off of their last album, but this stuff is pretty good. There are 12 songs and there are only 2 that I don't care for, and I wouldn't even consider them filler! I'm talking about "Damned" and "House of Jazz". Several of the songs such as "Can't Hold Me Back" and "Can't Stand Still" are some of the best I've heard yet by the band (since their newer singer stepped in anyway). However, there are a couple of minor problems that caused it from getting another star. Some of the songs become a little repetitive after awhile, even for AC/DC. But that isn't to big of a deal. Also, Phil Rudd their drummer seems to be slowing down a bit. All the songs drum beats are a little too similar. But everyone else in the band sounds great! The bass sounds the best since Highway to Hell! Overall I think this is a great album and would recommend it to all AC/DC fans, casual and hardcore. It has a bluesier feel to it which I think brings out the best of the band, like the old albums with Bon Scott. I think it really deserves 4 and 1/2 stars. I also like goats. But then again, who doesn't?

The 90s were a sad time for rock & roll, all things considered. First we had the "grunge revolution", which opened the door for depressed-sounding, whiny, talentless garage bands to take over the music industry; then in the late 90s, rap-influenced metal acts - still untalented, but in a different style - such as Limp Bizkit and Korn started to gain popularity. For years, the airwaves were swamped with grungy, downbeat, stale-sounding dreck.

Now, AC/DC have returned to remind us of what real rock & roll is all about. The new album doesn't have the raw, gutsy feel to it that "Back In Black" has, and it doesn't have any supercharged, crank-the-volume metal anthems like "Thunderstruck", but it's great nonetheless. "Stiff Upper Lip" is an album that shows what talented musicians can come up with in their coffee break, and it certainly leaves the dreary "rock" of the 90s for dead.

Let's hope that "Stiff Upper Lip" heralds a new popular music renaissance, so we can just forget that the 90s ever happened, and start listening to good music again.

There exists today an entire army of reviewers ready to dismiss every AC/DC outing as "the same old thing."

There is no problem with "the same old thing" when the same old thing is simple perfection. By contrast, the last few AC/DC albums have suffered from a bit of an identity crisis; they attempted to layer heavy-handed production on what is essentialy a straight-ahead blues band, more closely related to B.B. King than to the mass of '80s hair-metal bands that are all but extinct today.

George Young's production on Stiff Upper Lip brings to the forefront those strengths which make AC/DC the undisputed kings of blues-metal: the Young brothers' simple, undeniable blue-collar riffs and Malcolm Young's working-class voice. Tracks like Stiff Upper Lip and Hold Me Back are toe-tapping, head-bobbing, hammer-pounding hard-working songs the likes of which can be found nowhere else in record stores today. There hasn't been an AC/DC album (or indeed any album) like this in years, and that's a shame.

What a good thing we have this one to listen to!