AC/DC – Stiff Upper Lip

Artist: AC/DC

Title: Stiff Upper Lip

Label: Elektra

Rating: 6/10

I haven’t listened to AC/DC since the keggers in high school. Oh, how the jocks just loved their AC/DC. But just because a lot of jugheads loved AC/DC doesn’t mean they’re nothing but mindless music. Well, mostly they are, but they’re still pretty good. Don’t forget this group has scored classic albums with two different lead singers! Bon Scott roused us with albums like Let There Be Rock and Highway To Hell. Then, current frontman Brian Johnson stepped in for the recording of AC/DC’s best album to date, Back In Black. Okay, enough history. I’m sure you’re curious about what a bunch of vintage rockers could possibly be up to today.

The first thing you’ll notice is that AC/DC is still searching for another anthem like “You Shook Me All Night Long” or “Who Made Who”. The title track here, “Stiff Upper Lip”, tries really hard to achieve this, but it just doesn’t have the balls. One of the few tracks that I did enjoy was “Hold Me Back”. It cures all of the classic rock blues I’ve suffered over the years. If you’ve suffered from withdrawal, this will give you the fix you’ve been seeking. It’s AC/DC in their element of tight riffs and a chorus that’s repeated over and over until it wears you into the next track. Another fun track is “Can’t Stand Still”, which strikes a classic blues chord.

The track that really caught my ear was “Can’t Stop Rock ‘N Roll”. The verse is classic AC/DC but the chorus is more Rolling Stones than I’d expect to hear from these gritty rockers. Brian Johnson may not be able to hold a note long, but he sure gives it his best.

Angus Young still sounds like he can rock with the best of them and Brian Johnson still screeches and moans like he’s in pure agony, but he might just be considering that he’s been shredding that throat for over twenty years. I’m still stunned that they sound so powerful today. There are bands that just started in the ’90’s and even now can’t hold a candle to their former selves.

Any song from this album could have come off of any album they made in the ’70’s or ’80’s. You have to wonder if AC/DC even knows what year it is or what’s going on in the current music scenes. The fact that they don’t follow the trends is why I believe they’ve lasted this long. Some bands are just better off doing what they do best. In AC/DC’s case, they were born to rock.

+ rae gun