Until recently, I never really was a big fan of AC/DC. Quite seemingly, in the last couple of years I've finally accepted AC/DC's classic rock status and even embraced them a little bit. Since then, I've picked up a couple of CD's from them in hopes to compile a best of collection from them. One of them, their third release High Voltage, offers up a plate of primal sleaze. The opening track "It's a Long Way to the Top (if You Wanna Rock n Roll)", really got me rockin'! I remembered hearing it for the first time in the Jack Black's movie School of Rock and became intrigued. Even more intriguing was the bagpipe solo on the tune. That's something you don't hear in rock and roll too often...
As I was digging through my collection looking for some lost classics that I haven't heard in awhile, I stumbled across Judas Priest's forth album, Stained Class. Released in 1978, before the days of the headbanging leather, Stained Class offers up streamlined, melodic metal reaching often new heights of power, speed, musicality, and malevolence. Never in your face like their more famous later day hits, Stained Class is focused with knife like precision. The songs pack an enormous visceral impact, jacked up to punk-level speed-leaving listeners with an all-out adrenaline rush.
Then there is the David Bowie led Tin Machine, a forgotten band from the '80's. Though Bowie is the lead singer, Tin Machine is a band with a band attitude. Their music is hard-edged guitar rock with an intelligence missing from much of the work of that genre at the time. Stunt guitarist Reeves Gabrels provides much in the way of ambient guitar solos. The album is a nice piece of artistry...
Dirty deeds done dirt cheap!
ReplyDeleteThat was fun. I was too restricted in my choices back then. I didn't go outside the box. Surprising how we thought some of these bands were extreme! In comparison to the bands today, they are pretty tame.
ReplyDeleteHuck, the title track for that album was alright. Somehow, I still can't stomach much of the rest that particular album.
ReplyDeleteKK, one of things that fascinate me about rock and roll is the evolution of it. We all are the products of our influences. We learn and take from them. Then we push the envelope. As the envelope gets pushed further down the line the more I get intrigued. I find it amazing to hear Shinedown doing a cover of Skynyrd's "Simple Man".
I have to admit it: the voice of AC/DC's lead singer has always irritated me. I don't know why. Almost like fingernails on a chalkboard. And I never understood the guitarist's thing with the English schoolboy outfit. But I enjoyed this song and video. You're right about the bagpipes, drew.
ReplyDeleteI never was much of a Judas Priest fan, but that video was some good old rock 'n roll. Something else I must admit: Black Sabbath's Paranoid is one of my all time favorite albums.
In a comment on a blog below, I said I was a big Bowie fan, but I must admit: I never paid much attention to Tin Machine. Thank you for bringing them to my attention again.
One more thing to admit: Saturday Night Videos is now listed under Features in the sidebar.
Orbs I vehemently hated AC/DC for years, casting them off as simple and crude KISS rejects. Somehow AC/DC managed to "weasel" their way into my collection, little by little. It has taken me a long time to warm up to them. Some of their stuff, I still can't stand...
ReplyDeleteAs for Judas Priest, it's mood music for me. I have to be in the mood for them to get into them.
From Bowie, I really, really like the Ziggy Stardust stuff.