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Track Listings
| 1. Rock N Roll Train |
| 2. Skies On Fire |
| 3. Big Jack |
| 4. Anything Goes |
| 5. War Machine |
| 6. Smash N Grab |
| 7. Spoilin' For A Fight |
| 8. Wheels |
| 9. Decibel |
| 10. Stormy May Day |
| 11. She Likes Rock N Roll |
| 12. Money Made |
| 13. Rock N Roll Dream |
| 14. Rocking All The Way |
| 15. Black Ice |
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Such are the near-generational gaps between latter-day AC/DC albums that it's always tempting to hail the arrival of a new one as a return to form. Black Ice arrives a whopping eight years after the band's last offering, Stiff Upper Lip, but one chorus into "Rock N Roll Train", the wise man would conclude that any evolution here is as slow and incremental as, well, evolution. A punchy, straightforward opener that finds Angus Young in good riff and Brian Johnson preaching a familiar gospel of schoolgirls and schoolboys, fantasy and ecstasy, it's familiar in the best possible way. A little deeper into Black Ice, however, and there's evidence of a slightly altered approach. Producer Brendan O'Brien softens and fleshes out the stripped-down, electric blues sound AC/DC rediscovered on 1995's Ballbreaker, and in places the band follow suit––take "Anything Goes", a poppy stomp that recalls O'Brien's other recent charge, Bruce Springsteen. Elsewhere, "Stormy May Day" and "Money Made" find Young taking up the slide for a few Zeppelin-flavoured licks. A few new paths, then, but all in all, the destination is pretty much the same: another solid late-period AC/DC album that, while unlikely to dislodge Back in Black from the fan's pedestal, finds its makers rocking into ripe old age. ––Louis Pattison
Review
In AC/DC land less is definitely more. Way back in the late 70s the Aussie legends defined an almost platonic form of rock 'n' boogie that was hand built to last. Time has not withered them. Yes, there's been the odd change: drummer, Phil Rudd went away for a while, the sales dropped, he came back; singer Brian Johnson (here handling lyrics for the first time in 20 years) took time off while he got divorced: but the world turned and AC/DC just went on doing what they do. Unless you live under a rock you should know that this means riffs the size of Ayers Rock (four track titles include the word 'Rock' or 'Rocking'), a backbeat that crushes all in its wake, a voice that screams like it's been gargling sandpaper and, over the top of it all, the squealing, frenzied blues solos wrung out of Angus Young's Gibson SG.
So why do we have a new album? Well, obviously after an eight-year break alimony piles up, mortgages and school fees burgeon and suddenly it's time to unleash the warhorse one more time. Sixteen albums in and AC/DC have no reason to tinker with a formula that was well-nigh perfect to begin with. The band has two default settings, menacing prowl (Black Ice, Decibel) and mid-pace unstoppability (Rock 'n' Roll Train, Anything Goes). Each song starts with a stuttering riff from Malcolm Young; for years the world's most unsung guitar hero. As dependable as a Swiss watch and every inch as magnificent a rhythm player as Keith Richards, he never seeks glory in solos, merely provides the grit and grind over which his schoolboy imitating bro can cause a flurry.
One slight negative is Brendan O'Brien's production. On Bruce Springsteen's Magic he managed to muddy up the sound, here he makes the Young brothers' edge a little too clean and dull. On tracks like Money Made or War Machine the attention wavers and the sheer thrill of dirty rock 'n' roll is not quite achieved. Yet, on the eve of an 18-month extravaganza touring Black Ice around the world, you know that something like Big Jack will sound great tearing out of a thousand watt stack.
Yes, they're greyer, slightly slower and slightly less convincing as the animals they used to be, but AC/DC have once more ensured that, for fans, this Christmas will be a very black one indeed. --Chris Jones
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Acca's best for a long time,
By maz "maz" (Kent , England) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Black Ice (Audio CD)
Well after an 8 year wait, we finally have a new AC/DC album. Is it worth the wait? You bet it is.
Black Ice is not an instant album and takes a few listens to appreciate it. The opener Rock N'Roll Train is an instant AC/DC classic.The following track, Skies On Fire is also excellent. Other favourites are Spoiling For A Fight, the commercial Anything Goes, Money Made (sister to Money Talks!), Rockin' all The Way and the title track Black Ice. As with most AC/DC albums there are some weaker moments - Decibel is average as is Big Jack. Stormy May Day starts off well with a lovely blues delta intro, but is let down with poor lyrics. Those aside however, this is AC/DC's strongest album since Flick Of The Switch. The band themseves are smoking. Johnson's vocals have never been stronger and the Young brothers are as on form as ever. For me the biggest round of appluse goes to the most underrated rhythm section in rock - Cliff Williams and Phil Rudd. Black Ice is a solid, rock and roll album. Let's hope it's not AC/DC's swansong.
29 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
NO SURPRISES, BUT SOLID! GREAT VOCAL WORK..,
By
This review is from: Black Ice (Audio CD)
1990's Razors Edge was my last stop with AC/DC, having moved to more diverse forms of Rock/Metal since.
Have to say that this impresses me! Excellent production, clear, natural and organic - and solid, hard rocking songs. The riffs are rocky, the drums are loud and proud and the bass is nicely up in the mix. Brian Johnson has come in for some stick in recent years due to some raggedy vocals (Razors Edge was a little bit 'Donald Duck') but his vocals here are seriously as good as on Back In Black!! The star of the album by a long way! Power and feeling in equal measure. The tracks gets better and better, highlights being Skies On Fire, Anything Goes, Rock N Roll Dream, Stormy May Day, She Likes Rock N Roll, Money Made (DC's answer to Rock Star??!) and the brooding title track. One or two slightly naff tracks; Big Jack and War Machine. No surprises here, no rap, no samples, no downtuning, no orchestras etc!! Just decent Heavy Rock - This sounds almost like the missing link between Highway To Hell and Back In Black. Certainly not as out and out metallic as Fly On The Wall or Blow Up Your Video, there is a genuineley bluesey feel to the vocals and guitar, and the material feels VERY much Bon Scott era. The riffs and leads will just sear into your brain! There are even hints of The Stones and Free to be found here! Enjoyable, in a year of welcome returns from Judas Priest, Motorhead and Metallica.
12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
"Blow Up Your Video" for the new Millenium,
By
This review is from: Black Ice (Audio CD)
I`ve been a long time AC/DC fan and it`s always an event whe a new CD comes out. It`s always nice to hear the "best thing since "Back In Black"" hype that always surrounds it. Unfortunately it always is hype and nothing they`ve done since has come near to their early fire. Perhaps it`s because they`ve made so much money they`ve forgotten how to be pissed off?
Don`t get me wrong, the music rocks alright, albeit in a unoffensive way. You could crank this up without annoying too many people. The biggest disappiontment is the lyrics. I know Bon Scott was something special, but even Young/Young/Johnson have had eight years to put some ideas together. No silly lines like "Pick up your balls and load up your cannon", "I`m deep in the hole" or "Harder than a rock" to bring a smile to your face. The whole thing is uninvolving, like "Blow up your video" twenty years ago. It boogies along without any real after taste. It`s not all bad news. As usual there are some good (though not great) songs. "Rock N Roll train" is typical stuff, "Big Jack" is a solid good time rock N roller and "Anything goes" is a cousin to "Money talks". "War Machine" has some good riffs. Just far too much filler, especially at the back end of the CD. No AC/DC album should ever be analysed too much as they aren`t designed as some artistic statement, it`s all about fun. However, after eight years I was expecting something a bit better. In my opinion this is better than "Ballbreaker" but not as good as "Stiff upper lip". If "Back In Black" is a five star AC/DC album, then this is definetly a three.
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