AC/DC – “High Voltage” (1976)
Billy Altman clearly did not like AC/DC in this brief Dec. 16, 1976 Rolling Stone review of AC/DC’s first international album. Judging from his opinion of it, you would have never guessed at the time that AC/DC would go on to become one of the legends of hard rock music. Just goes to show that sometimes critics don’t know a damn thing…
Those concerned with the future of hard rock may take solace in knowing that with the release of the first U.S. album by these Australian gross-out champions, the genre has unquestionably hit its all-time low. Things can only get better (at least I hope so). A band whose live act features a lead guitarist (Angus Young) leering menacingly while dressed in schoolboy beanie and knickers, AC/DC has nothing to say musically (two guitars, bass and drums all goose-stepping together in mindless three-chord formations). Lyrically, their universe begins and ends with the words “I,” “me” and “mine.” Lead singer Bon Scott spits out his vocals with a truly annoying aggression which, I suppose, is the only way to do it when all you seem to care about is being a star so that you can get laid every night. And that, friends, comprises the sum total of themes discussed on this record. Stupidity bothers me. Calculated stupidity offends me.
Billy Altman
The Beat Patrol 