AC/DC - Back in Black LP

Rock rarely gets better than AC/DC's Back in Black, and rock has rarely sounded better than it does on this all-analog pressing mastered from the original mix-down two-track master tapes by George Marino. "Back in Black was, and still is, a marvel of rock and roll synchronicity: a dynamic new singer; the finest fire in the Young's riff library; that is at once luminous and bludgeoning," rightly observes David Fricke in his liner notes to this awesomely restored analog pressing of AC/DC's breakthrough. From start to finish, the 1980 masterwork remains an archetype of stripped-down hard rock and lewd pleasures. The background story of the 20-times-platinum album matches the caliber of the music.

Bon Scott's alcohol-related death in early 1980 couldn't have come at a worse time for AC/DC; the band was poised for worldwide breakthrough success, as their last album, Highway to Hell, was Angus and company's first gold-certified stateside release. They made an excellent choice in selecting Brian Johnson as their new vocalist; while he had the same bluesy edge as Scott, Johnson sang with more power and conviction. The first album from the new group, Back in Black, was issued only five months after Scott's passing but immediately rocketed up the charts, eventually becoming one of rock's all-time classics. Musically, the band hadn't changed much, although producer 'Mutt' Lange helped the group focus its high voltage rock.

The result was such perennial rock anthems as the stomping title track, the eerie "Hell's Bells," the melodic "Shoot to Thrill," the album-closing battle cry "Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution," and one of AC/DC's best and most recognizable tracks, "You Shook Me All Night Long."