«Highway to Hell» is the sixth album by AC/DC and was released on 27 July 1979 by Albert Productions and Atlantic Records. AC/DC from Sydney, Australia had five albums behind them and had built their reputation on live appearances, when they entered the Roundhouse studio in London with producer Mutt Lange. It is the first of the three albums they made with him and the last with Bon Scott on vocals, as the singer died on 19 February 1980.
“`Country: Australia
Style: Hard Rock
For fans of: Led Zeppelin, Thin Lizzy, Rose Tattoo
The sound is cleaner and tighter than on the previous albums. The guitars of Angus and Malcolm Young hold the weight, Cliff Williams’ bass and Phil Rudd’s drums give a steady, danceable pulse, and Bon Scott’s voice sounds hoarse, ironic and completely sure of itself.
The title track «Highway to Hell» opens the album with one of the band’s most recognisable riffs. Also standing out are «Girls Got Rhythm», «Touch Too Much», «Shot Down in Flames» and the slower «Night Prowler» that closes the album.
Behind the songs there is a band that had learned to work on simplicity: few chords, clean melodies and choruses that stay from the first listen. Mutt Lange made sure to keep the energy of the live appearances and at the same time to give a sound that was louder and fuller.
The title of the album came from the road that led to the studio, and the cover with the horns and the red flame became one of the most recognisable of the band. Its songs remain a constant point at every AC/DC concert, and for many «Highway to Hell» is the point where the group definitively found its sound.
«Highway to Hell» was the biggest success of AC/DC until then and brought them for the first time high in the American charts, opening the way for everything that followed. More about the history of the album is in the related Wikipedia page.
See also: Van Halen – 1984, Rainbow’s «Rising» and Diamond Head – Lightning to the Nations.
