AC/DC - Flick Of The Switch
1983 Atco

Track Listing:
1.  Rising Power
2.  This House Is On Fire
3.  Flick Of The Switch
4.  Nervous Shakedown
5.  Landslide
6.  Guns For Hire
7.  Deep In The Hole
8.  Bedlam In Belgium
9.  Badlands
10. Brainshake

Line-Up:
Vocals:  Brian Johnson
Guitars:  Angus Young, Malcom Young
Bass:  Cliff Williams
Drums:  Phil Rudd

Website:  www.ac-dc.net

Horatio's Rating:  A+
Overall Rating:  A+

Also be sure to read:
AC/DC - Ballbreaker by Horatio
AC/DC - Fly On The Wall by Horatio

Horatio's Review:
This album is often overlooked in the AC/DC pantheon, probably because it followed two massive albums, 'Back In Black' and 'For Those About To Rock' which over saturated the market with AC/DC product leaving this album to rot.  It's a shame, as this is easily AC/DC's best Brian Johnson-era album and my favourite of the band's whole catalogue, including Bon Scott material.  Despite the aforementioned 1980 and '81 albums massive popularity, they pale next to the bludgeon of 'Flick', which contains some of the band's heaviest work and riffs.  The album was ridiculed for the simplistic artwork and didn't chart or sell overly high, but that's to be expected from something not as commercially accessible as what the band had been toying with.  This was to be Phil Rudd's last album until 1995's 'Ballbreaker', as he left the band for 'personal reasons', rumoured to be shacking up with a fellow bandmate's girlfriend which led to his 'departure'.

AC/DC have always been the rudest of the rude and 'Flick Of The Switch' was no exception.  The lyrics are as humorous as ever and Johnson's voice hadn't broken down yet.  Singing out individual songs is pointless, they're all muscular and tough, although it must be said that 'Landslide' is perhaps the fastest and hardest track of their career, and that includes 'Rocker', 'Beating Around The Bush' and 'This Means War'.  All these years and thousands of listens later nothing can surpass the sheer rawness of 'This House Is On Fire', 'Flick Of The Switch', 'Guns For Hire', Brainshake', 'Bedlam In Belgium' and 'Deep In The Hole'.  The band was obviously trying to rediscover the fire of the Scott years and this had a lot to do with turning off casual punters who expected another 'You Shook Me All Night Long', these listeners unable to cope with the hard rock onslaught inflicted on their weak ears.  One of the greatest albums I've ever heard and I'll back that up to any punk.

Song summaries include:

Rising Power - The powers rising in Brian's tight blue jeans as he pursues another cheap floozie having just got out of the joint on a bogus burglary case in which he was incorrectly fingered in a lineup.  Scorcher!
This House Is On Fire - Some prat probably thinks all these songs sound the same.  Not true.  Every AC/DC album has its own unique sound and style.  The band didn't sound anything like this on 'Fly On The Wall', another legendary piece of vinyl.  Some wanker in a 1994 issue of Metal Hammer said this album was a disgrace as AC/DC included a 'we can all sing along' chorus in every track just for the US audience.  That apologist must not like melody or riffs.
Flick Of The Switch - I've seen the video for this a few times and Simon Wright was already situated behind the drum kit showing how quickly Rudd left after the albums release.  The video saw the band belting it out in a rehearsal area, visually as menacing as this hard nut of a song.
Nervous Shakedown - 'The judge looked high and I looked low, and when he smiled at me it was a one man show!'  That's all.
Landslide - Anyone who thought the boys couldn't cut rip snorting boogie anymore must have slipped on a banana peel and broken their necks once they caught this piledriver.  God knows what Brian's ranting about, but the crude drum beat, the hefty riffs and speed combine for a thriller made for a crowd riot in urban Geelong among some one percenters and the local Croatian hoods.
Guns For Hire - Wall of noise, especially the riffs which sound as live as you can get.  'Guns for hire, shoot you with desire...mischief maker...'  I can never tire of this.  It's what rock is supposed to be about.  Not Nirvana.
Deep In The Hole - What hole is Brian in?  This is all about the riffs again, relentless to the end.  Imagine being in your prime in '83 and every week being able to go down your local record store and buy albums like 'Thunder And Lightning', 'Lick It Up', 'Piece Of Mind', 'Power And The Glory', 'Headhunter', 'Born Again', 'Shout At The Devil', 'Kill 'Em All', 'Show No Mercy', 'Fistful Of Metal', 'Night Rider', Michael Bolton, 'Frontiers' and 'Living In Oz'.  What a golden age.
Bedlam In Belgium - Brian tells the tale of a riot that did indeed break out at a gig in Antwerp in 1981.  I never used to appreciate this until I began to grasp the might of the main riff.  Overdose material.
Badlands - Angus wrote this after watching Martin Sheen as a young murderer in rural America in the 50's with his female accomplice before Warren Oates hunts him down in the 'Badlands'.  I assume this anyway.
Brainshake - What a closer, fast, another memorable riff and lyrics about being 'on a bender, no space defender'.  What's that, the old early 80's arcade game?  Oh well, 'Brian's 'a lean mean, rockin machine' and she's 'a joy to ride'.  Too much for Horatio to handle is this un.  Ten years since I first heard it and I'm not tired of the album yet.
Horatio's Rating:  A+