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An Ever Changing Sound!?
Have any of you noticed that the sound of each AC/DC album differs as time passes. Through the Bon Scott era, the albums from High Voltage-Highway to Hell seemed to gain more power in terms of sound with each one. When Brian Johnson joined the band, the sound exploded with Back in Black and For Those About to Rock, the latter the best example of the blast of sound. Flick of the Switch was a really raw album with raw guitar sound. On Fly on the Wall the guitars sounded really overdriven. The Who Made Who drums sounded really hollow and the guitars retained some of the Fly on the Wall feel. Blow Up Your Video had a more metallic type sound. The Razors Edge was as close as AC/DC ever got to metal with Angus' biting guitar sound. Ballbreaker was a really dry album, the guitar sound was toned down way too far. Stiff Upper Lip got harder with a bluesy sound. And finally Black Ice retained some Stiff Upper Lip feel with a harder edge and better sound. Tell me what you think of the sound over time, I need somebody else's opinion instead of just mine. I want to know what everyone thinks about these sound changes and give me your explanation.
yeah i noticed all those too, to be honest Black Ice is the first album ive been able to compare to another soundwise (the other Ballbreaker) even still upper lip i think had that kinda fresh new 2000 sound (if that makes sense) though i found that album weak, i hear it on tracks like stiff upper lip, hold me back, cant stand still, safe in new york city
I would say that is the same as the life performance. In the 80īs they sound was the same. The razors edge was harder at the time. And since the ballbreaker tour it sounds like a little bit then the 80īs
I agree, AC/DC's sound does actually seem to change over time. I hate when people say that all of theirongs sound the same, because it's not true. Sure, all the songs on one album sound the same, but every album has its own unique sound.
thats true. I think its useless to listen only one good song on every album. All songs deserve to be heard
The whole Bon era was pretty much the same to me. Possibly my favorite Angus tone (and yet I'm a Brian fan... doesn't that complicate things?) BIB - very mysterious. I've never really been able to pin down or fully describe the guitar sound on this album. FTATR - a more clean, '80s-ish chorus-y version of BIB FOTS - Raw, unpolished, almost live sounding FOTW - higher gain than usual, faster, more edgy solos WMW - airy, peculiar sound BUYV - sharper sound, indistinguishable solos TRE - most metal-y AC/DC album, cool solos though BB - (my favorite) cleaner, more raw sound (the essential AC/DC sound IMO) SUL - '70s vibe, great drums BI - worst tone IMO; tinny, almost Fender-ish. Great songs though