Back In Black

Top marks, great recording, one of the altimeter best.

All OK!

Digital mastered, but still has the impact of the original vinyl from the eighties

Class album....

You cannot get a best of or greatest hits of AC/DC well not an official decent quality cd or album. So what I did was choose CDs with the most famous tracks on which I wanted altogether I chose four different albums all absolutely great

Disc in good condition, sleeve a bit worse of wear.

Can you really call yourself a classic rock or hard rock fan if you don't own AC/DC's Back in Black on vinyl? It's basically rock 'n roll gospel at this point, and a testament to both the band's enduring strength and legacy - what other band could lose one of the best frontmen of all time, and then return a year later with what would go on to become one of the best-selling records *ever*? Few. Back in Black is a collection of fine rock anthems to put it mildly, from the legendary opener 'Hells Bells' to high-octane 'Shoot to Thrill', the title track, 'You Shook Me...' and deliciously blasphemous 'Rock 'n Roll Ain't Noise Pollution'. Even the album tracks here are more than listenable; it's a sonic marvel all these decades later. It sounds amazing, and looks incredible. Such a simple idea for the cover, and it feels great to own it physically.As with all the reissues of AC/DC's music, the inner sleeve is printed with information around the making of the album (as well as press photos and newspaper excerpts), which is a nice bonus. The album title is embossed on the front, and the band name is, too - whilst also outlined in white.The track listing on the back, as others have noted, is not actually correct, but this seems true to a lot of original pressings on the album. I found a 1980 Australian pressing with the correct listing on the back, but both UK and US pressings with altered lists. So this is, at least, faithful. As for why this is the case, who knows? Maybe they just wanted to put the more popular tracks toward the top of the track listing. Either way, it's not some accidental oversight.This record really does sound phenomenal, and looks killer, as it should. One heck of an album, and a must-have for anyone even remotely into their rock music.

The first thing that jumped out at me when listening to this follow-up to Highway to Hell was the change of vocals. It wasn't a massive change, and Brian Johnson is very suited to the role, but coming after the 5 (or 6) albums prior to this, it was very noticeable. Despite that, the album itself is another predictable but consistently excellent AC/DC release. This took longer than their other albums to really enjoy, as there are a lot of tongue-in-cheek party songs to digest and these are not my favourite usually, but there are very few average tracks here.Opener 'Hell's Bells' shows a more thoughtful (possibly) band. The riff is akin to a more MOR hard rock tune and the song itself is not the usual rip-roarer that heralds a new AC/DC set. But it is an apt beginning to see the Bon Scott era off and the Brian JOhnson era open for business. 'Shoot to Thrill' is a run of the mill hard rocker that they do so well, and usually in their sleep(!), and it takes a while to truly bed but when it does it sounds miles better than it does on first listen (if that makes any sense at all!). 'What do you do for Money, Honey' is similar insomuch as it sounds pretty awful at first and then the infectious chorus gets you and you have to succumb to its base charms. The same can be said of 'Giving the Dog a Bone' which is a dreadfully misogynistic car crash of a song but is so eminently AC/DC that it really doesn't matter. They follow suit with 'Can I put My Love Into You', a song that is narratively and embarassingly transparent but undeniably catchy. So far so sleazy, yet diabolically tempting.After years of not knowing what AC/DC track was home to one of the most oft-used riffs (or leads or solos - I never know what this particular one is as it's a bit more involved than a normal riff) that I had heard again and again on tv and on jingles and anything that warranted a cool entrance, I now know that it is 'Back in Black'. What a classic. It embodies all that is AC/DC and gave the world an inimitable sound to cherish. One of the all-time favourite tracks ever. 'You Shook Me All Night' is another party track but is soooooo catchy is has to be bad for you. Another classic. The next 2 tracks are the filler material in my mind. They are still ok songs but lack the punch of the previous bunch. Closer, 'Rock and Roll Aint Noise Pollution' is another grower and, like 'Night Prowler' from Highway... is another slower-paced and dirgey way to end the album. But it, as with a few others on this record, is a classic.Not completely perfect but definitely on a par with Highway to Hell and Let There Be Rock. There's enough crunchy riffs inside for all....