Review Summary: A great start to AC/DC's career in the United States
Things started out with a BANG in 1976 when AC/DC’s first American album was released, High Voltage. Every song on High Voltage is either about women, rock, or living wild. Standard topics for AC/DC, and they make this a fine album for any rock collection.
On the rock side we have
It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n' Roll),
High Voltage, and
Rock ‘n' Roll Singer.
It’s a Long Way to the Top and
Rock ‘N’ Roll Singer are the two beginning songs. Both tracks begin with a similar guitar intro that builds as a second guitar, bass, and drums are introduced. Finally, the wailing voice of Bon Scott completes the AC/DC experience. It represents AC/DC’s emergence from struggling as an early band to becoming a recognizable and legitimate band. This track is also one of the more diverse AC/DC songs because it incorporates bagpipes. Regardless of your feelings towards bagpipes, they sound excellent and embrace the Scottish heritage of the Young brothers and Scott.
Rock ‘n' Roll Singer is a little slower than
It’s a Long Way to the Top but it is a perfect follow up song. Detailing Scott’s desire to be a singer since he was born,
Rock ‘N’ Roll Singer is a well written song that speaks of not wanting to work 9 in the morning to 5 at night, having your name in lights, and not following moral standards.
High Voltage also profiles the rock lifestyle. It is about the rush of performing live and the energy that you get from being on stage in front of people.
It’s a Long Way and
Rock ‘n' Roll Singer provide a great one-two punch for beginning High Voltage while
High Voltage wonderfully concludes the album and brings it full circle.
On to something AC/DC has never been shy of, women.
Little Lover,
The Jack,
She’s Got Balls, and
Can I Sit Next to You Girl are the four songs about women.
The Jack is one of the best-written AC/DC songs of all time. The song’s title refers to Gonorrhea and chronicles one woman who sleeps around. It is a clever song that uses poker terms as euphemisms to describe her whoring ways.
Little Lover and
Can I Sit Next to You Girl are about picking up (or trying to pick up) women.
Can I Sit Next to You Girl is an attempt to pick up a girl until her boy friend shows up, and
Little Lover is about meeting a girl back stage after a gig. Okay songs but nothing special.
She’s Got Balls is about Bon’s wife. This is another okay song. All Bon does is sing about how she is lady like but is assertive when she needs to be. Asides from
The Jack, these songs are forgettable.
Live Wire and
T.N.T. round out High Voltage. These two entrees are great songs. Both are about being young and rambunctious. Other than
It’s a Long Way to the Top,
Live Wire is the stand out instrumental piece on this album. The bass helps drive this song and the guitar work is top notch. The pace of the song slows down and picks up at just the right times. The familiar chanting of “Oi” begins
T.N.T. This song is about a man returning to a town he once terrorized and promising to revisit to his old ways. It is a fan favorite and has a sing-a-long chorus.
The songs about rock are great, the songs about living wild are great, but the songs about women are okay. AC/DC hit the U.S. pretty well for a first album. If you enjoy AC/DC this is one album you should buy. It showcases their early hits and lets you sample the roots of a great band.
+An album with timeless classics
+Any of the song can be played live at any time with Bon or Brian
+The album has aged well over the years
-The songs about women (aside from
The Jack) are forgettable
High Voltage Rock 'n' Roll:
T.N.T.
It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)
Live Wire
The Jack
High Voltage
Rock 'n' Roll Singer
