Time for a new blog feature, where I face off two albums against each other and choose my favorite.  Albums may be from the same band, between a former artist of one band vs his/her previous band, or two popular albums from separate artists.  For this blog we’re covering two AC/DC classics; one album the final bow from original singer Bon Scott, and the second the phoenix-like rebirth with new boy Brian Johnson.

When I think of all time favorite bands, AC/DC is certainly high on the list; certainly in that all time Top Ten (I only went Top Five in a post in this blog a few years ago).  My earliest exposure to the band was most definitely Back In Black due to the classic single “You Shook Me All Night Long” (which was all over the radio in 1980) as well as the constant play the cassette (and 8-Track!) got on the school bus to basketball or baseball games that same year.  Also around that same time I was starting to turn from the local Top 40 station to more album oriented rock, which quickly schooled me on the band’s earlier material, plus I also got a pretty good “AC/DC education” from my cousin David.  I loved the raw rock sound and instantly became a fan, calling the radio stations incessantly asking them to play “Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock And Roll)” or “Live Wire” or “Dirty Deeds” before we bought the records ourselves.  But let’s cut to the chase…

Highway To Hell vs. Back In Black is certainly a tough call and to be honest, my opinion on both albums has changed over the years.  One album I played incessantly in my early fandom of the band and certainly was my favorite, but nowadays I favor the other album based on certain factors.  On the other album, I severely underrated some of the cuts on it and didn’t realize how good it was until years down the road.  So if you want my opinion, my choice of favorite would be…

Yeah, Highway To Hell was my favorite AC/DC album in my younger days but over the years it was surpassed by Back In Black due to a couple of factors:  1) Back In Black is an incredible tour de force in overall performance and will never be surpassed by the band (nothing even comes close), and 2) I prefer the looser, rawer feel of earlier Bon Scott albums over Highway To Hell.  But really, we are comparing apples to oranges here with the only similarity between the two releases being the production of one Mutt Lange.  While the producer honed the rough edges of the band into a leaner radio friendly product on Highway To Hell, he fine tuned the sonics for a more volcanic and metallic crunch on Back In Black.  The latter album’s full on conviction, take no prisoners performance, and incredible vocals from Brian Johnson is why I return to it more than the former.  While I like the swingin’ and freewheelin’ side of the band, this album really showcased that “Thunder from Down Under” from top to bottom.

So besides sound and performance, how do the songs stack up?  On HtH, there is one bonafide radio hit in the title cut followed by a number of outstanding cuts and only two weaker ones in the batch in “Love Hungry Man” and “Get It Hot”.  Granted, the latter two are pretty good but up against “Touch Too Much” or “Beating Around The Bush”?  Not even close.  As for BiB, you have two radio hits in the title cut and “You Shook Me” but an even wider variance in the remaining eight, with “Hells Bells”, “Shoot To Thrill” and “Rock And Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution” (my least favorite) getting a fair share of radio play.  The five remaining are the rascally underdogs, with the relentless pace of “Shake A Leg” and the confident swagger of “Have A Drink On Me” (one of THE underrated AC/DC songs) helping to push Brian Johnson’s debut ahead of Bon Scott’s final release.

Interestingly enough, I find neither album to be fully representative of the band’s sound during their 40+ years of existence.  Are these albums more attributed to the direction of Mutt Lange as producer?  Or maybe due to the band reestablishing their foothold and unsure of their direction as they grieve for their former bandmate that has passed on?  Hard to say.  The band has certainly released rawer, looser albums during their career more typical of the band’s sense of humor and rough hewn charm, but these two albums remain the biggest selling of the band’s career.  Not that that makes any difference. AC/DC has released a ton of excellent albums over the years; however, Back In Black remains the pinnacle of the band’s recorded output- their brightest and most shining star in an already well lit evening sky.