AC/DC, the review of “For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)”
AC/DC
For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)
Columbia Records/Legacy Recordings
In 1981 heavy music and heavier rock reached a level of popularity that convinced the editors of the prestigious music magazine Sounds to launch a new magazine entirely dedicated to hard rock and metal. The title – an onomatopoeic word that evokes the sound of a power chord – is Kerrang!. It was directed by Geoff Barton, a huge AC/DC fan, and in fact the cover of the first issue of June 1981 features a close-up photo of Angus on stage, shirtless, mouth wide open and long hair soaked in sweat. A month later AC/DC are in Paris, still in the company of producer Robert John “Mutt” Lange: the mission – very tough, as the band knows well – is to give a worthy follow-up to Back In Black. And it is Lange himself who works most strenuously to achieve the goal, taking it into his head to shape an even more impressive sound, of which the title track For Those About To Rock (We Salute You) would be the cornerstone, with its slow, pachydermal riff, monumental chorus and frenetic climax, enhanced by a series of deafening cannon shots. As Angus Young said of the song: “It's a very inspiring song. It makes you feel powerful, and I think that's what rock'n'roll is all about.” AC/DC in For Those About To Rock (We Salute You) – the title is taken from a book on the life of gladiators – they find the meaning of rock'n'roll in heaviness; it is, in fact, the album with the most metallic turning point, the one in which the rock soul and exuberance leave greater space for fury and malice: after all, the iconic cover already makes this clear, with a cannon that will become an integral part of the live scenography of the band. In the midst of the explosion of heavy music, AC/DC keep up very well and, indeed, stand among the leaders of the genre by churning out a record that perfectly captures the spirit of the time and – finally – takes them to the top of the US album sales charts. LP. Yes, because despite the millions of copies sold and the months spent in the Top 10 in the USA, Back In Black he had failed to reach first position; For Those About To Rock he crossed that finish line on 21 December 1981 (in Great Britain and Australia he took third place).
As Kurt Loder wrote, above Rolling Stone, reviewing the album at the time: “AC/DC are authentic, perhaps the best interpreters of the most fiery and haughty rock since Led Zeppelin left the scene. All ten tracks aim straight at the band's testosterone-ridden fans. On this record you can hear an unbeatable rock'n'roll band.”
Columbia Records/Legacy Recordings, on the occasion of the band's 50th anniversary, reissues the entire AC/DC catalog on gold vinyl. All LPs – in limited edition – are accompanied by a 12″x12″ print, different for each album, to collect and frame.
Tracklist:
For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)
Put The Finger On You
Let's Get It Up
Inject The Venom
Snowballed
Evil Walks
CODE
Breaking The Rules
Night Of The Long Knives
Spellbound
