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The Youngs: The Brothers Who Built AC/DC: Riff Raff

Powerage is regarded by aficionados, including Keith Richards and Gene Simmons, as the band's finest album. But its commercial failure had major repercussions behind the scenes.

Jesse Fink

Music

AC/DC: Live at River Plate

There are never any surprises with an AC/DC album, live or otherwise. Stripped-back, belting hard rock is what you'd expect, and that's exactly what you get on Live at River Plate.

Music

Counterbalance No. 95: AC/DC's 'Back in Black'

The 95th Most Acclaimed Album of All Time has nine lives, cat's eyes, using every one of them and running wild. Counterbalance checks to see whether AC/DC's 1980 breakthrough ain't noise pollution after all.

Books

Mislead by Rock 'n' Roll: Brian Johnson's 'Rockers and Rollers'

I realize Brian Johnson is not a writer: his book got published because he’s AC/DC’s lead singer.

Music

Cock Roaches and Keith Richards: How Do Some Bands Seem to Last Forever?

The Rolling Stones, the Beach Boys, Metallica and other rock groups have been around for decades. What are the keys to their longevity?

Music

Hellsongs: Long Live Lounge

Swedish lounge masters deftly transform metal masterpieces into pop standards.

Comics

Captain America and a Past That Must Linger Still

Despite the dark times that birthed the original Captain America #1, there was a hopefulness to the character. Writer Ed Brubaker however offers a Cap worn down by personal history. Or is that the point?

Music

Waxing Nostalgic: The Mantras of the Music Geek

Four music geeks reunite to reminisce over their college days in the late '80s. Bold mantras about what's wrong with today's music ensue.

Music

AC/DC’s Anti-iTunes Stance and the Cult of the Album

While AC/DC's still-standing refusal to make its music available on iTunes is rooted in the widely-held view of the album as a complete work, it’s important to acknowledge that LPs really aren’t the immutable documents we tend to think of them as.

Music

Bullet: Highway Pirates

The Swedish band's third album swipes early '80s hard rock/metal clichés and runs absolutely wild with them.

Music

Santana and Various Artists: Guitar Heaven

Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time comes off as a celebrity version of American Idol.

Music

The Year in Music: April 2010

Featured: Top of Home Page

AC/DC - Backtracks

AC/DC - Backtracks (Deluxe Collector's Edition) - Legacy [$239.00]

Reviews

AC/DC

The band has found itself at that precarious past-meets-present junction; lesser artists invariably show their age and labor through as nostalgia acts, but not AC/DC.

Adam Williams

Music

AC/DC: Black Ice

By virtue of their longevity and consistency, AC/DC has become a hard-rock version of comfort food.

Steve Shymanik

Reviews

AC/DC: Plug Me In [DVD]

Fortunately, AC/DC came during the era of video technology, so even if they don’t hit the road again, they will be remembered, as they should be, on this new two-disc anthology.

Reviews

AC/DC: A Classic Album Under Review - Back In Black [DVD]

An enjoyable and often times fascinating re-visitation of one of music's most important albums.

Adam Williams

Reviews

AC/DC

Adam Williams

Reviews

MetalMatters: The Best New Heavy Metal Albums of September 2020

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PopMatters is moving to WordPress. We will publish a few essays daily while we develop the new site. We hope the beta will be up sometime late next week.

In the wake of Malcolm Young's passing, Jesse Fink, author of The Youngs: The Brothers Who Built AC/DC, offers up his top 10 AC/DC songs, each seasoned with a dash of backstory.

Powerage is regarded by aficionados, including Keith Richards and Gene Simmons, as the band's finest album. But its commercial failure had major repercussions behind the scenes.

There are never any surprises with an AC/DC album, live or otherwise. Stripped-back, belting hard rock is what you'd expect, and that's exactly what you get on Live at River Plate.

The 95th Most Acclaimed Album of All Time has nine lives, cat's eyes, using every one of them and running wild. Counterbalance checks to see whether AC/DC's 1980 breakthrough ain't noise pollution after all.

I realize Brian Johnson is not a writer: his book got published because he’s AC/DC’s lead singer.

The Rolling Stones, the Beach Boys, Metallica and other rock groups have been around for decades. What are the keys to their longevity?

Swedish lounge masters deftly transform metal masterpieces into pop standards.

Despite the dark times that birthed the original Captain America #1, there was a hopefulness to the character. Writer Ed Brubaker however offers a Cap worn down by personal history. Or is that the point?

Four music geeks reunite to reminisce over their college days in the late '80s. Bold mantras about what's wrong with today's music ensue.

While AC/DC's still-standing refusal to make its music available on iTunes is rooted in the widely-held view of the album as a complete work, it’s important to acknowledge that LPs really aren’t the immutable documents we tend to think of them as.

The Swedish band's third album swipes early '80s hard rock/metal clichés and runs absolutely wild with them.

Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time comes off as a celebrity version of American Idol.

AC/DC - Backtracks (Deluxe Collector's Edition) - Legacy [$239.00]

The band has found itself at that precarious past-meets-present junction; lesser artists invariably show their age and labor through as nostalgia acts, but not AC/DC.

By virtue of their longevity and consistency, AC/DC has become a hard-rock version of comfort food.

Fortunately, AC/DC came during the era of video technology, so even if they don’t hit the road again, they will be remembered, as they should be, on this new two-disc anthology.

An enjoyable and often times fascinating re-visitation of one of music's most important albums.