Powerage
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Powerage | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 28 April 1978[1] 25 May 1978 (US)[2] | (UK)|||
Recorded | ||||
Studio | ||||
Genre | ||||
Length | 39:47 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | ||||
AC/DC chronology | ||||
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Singles from Powerage | ||||
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Powerage is the fifth studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, released in 1978. This was the band's first album to feature Cliff Williams on bass guitar, and it was also the first AC/DC album not to have a title track (aside from the Australia-only High Voltage album) and the first worldwide not to be released with a different album cover. Powerage was re-released in 2003 as part of the AC/DC Remasters series.[3]
Background
After a 12-date European tour opening for
- "With Angus and Malcolm, they were put on this earth to form AC/DC. They're committed big-time. And if they feel your commitment is anything less than theirs, well, that's a problem. Angus was intense. He was AC/DC 100 percent. His work ethic was unbelievable. When I was with him, he expected everybody to be just like him, which is pretty impossible... At the time, Malcolm said something about them wanting a bass player who could sing, but I think that was a smokescreen. I don't know if there was any one reason. It's just the way it went down. I felt the distance growing between me and Angus and Malcolm. When I was fired, it wasn't so much a surprise as it was a shock. There was a lot of tension in the band at the time. We'd just been kicked off a Black Sabbath tour, and this was right when a trip to the States was cancelled because the record company rejected the Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap album. So it was a hard period."[6]
The band finally toured America for the first time in the summer of 1977, focusing on smaller markets at first but eventually playing
Recording and composition
According to the Murray Engleheart book AC/DC: Maximum Rock & Roll, several songs that appeared on Powerage were started in July 1977 during the band's first rehearsals with Williams at
Biographer Clinton Walker wrote in his 1994 Scott memoir Highway to Hell, "'Gimme a Bullet' was perhaps Bon's most accomplished piece of writing to date, in which his penchant for hardcase metaphors finds even more genuine pathos and humour than it had before."[
Releases
Many of AC/DC's early albums were altered for release in other markets, and this practice continued with Powerage, although it was the first LP to be released nearly simultaneously in both Australian and international markets and the first to use just one cover image for both.
Reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [12] |
Classic Rock | [13] |
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [14] |
The Globe and Mail | D[15] |
MusicHound Rock | [16] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [17] |
Spin Alternative Record Guide | 3/10[18] |
While initial sales were somewhat disappointing, Powerage surpassed its predecessor,
The Detroit Free Press called AC/DC "another late '70s boogie band making strides toward commercial clout [who] pumps out heavy metal with a reasonable amount of panache".[23] The Cheshire Observer wrote that "the LP captures better than ever the fresh, aggressive style, the compelling high voltage rock".[24] The Sydney Morning Herald determined that the band "were our first punk rockers, but thank heaven they are not our best or last... They have been emulated and surpassed by their students".[25]
In 2005, Powerage was ranked number 325 in Rock Hard magazine's book The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time.[28] Kerrang! magazine listed the album at No. 26 among the "100 Greatest Heavy Metal Albums of All Time".[29]
Track listing
Original European LP release
All tracks are written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young and Bon Scott
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Rock 'n' Roll Damnation" | 3:06 |
2. | "Gimme a Bullet" | 3:20 |
3. | "Down Payment Blues" | 5:40 |
4. | "Gone Shootin'" | 5:22 |
5. | "Riff Raff" | 5:14 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
6. | "Sin City" | 4:40 |
7. | "Up to My Neck in You" | 4:12 |
8. | "What's Next to the Moon" | 3:42 |
9. | "Cold Hearted Man" | 3:32 |
10. | "Kicked in the Teeth" | 3:58 |
Notes
- Initial editions of the European (UK) LP release featured a different mix of the album. It had a 'harder' sound than the later version, with small variations in vocals, guitar tracks, or both, and occasionally extra sections and longer or shorter fades. Some versions omitted "Rock 'n' Roll Damnation" from the track list, but all included "Cold Hearted Man", albeit in a different sequence than on subsequent pressings. For vinyl variations containing "Rock 'n' Roll Damnation", the single version was used, with "Riff Raff" having a fade-out to accommodate the extra time on Side A. The bluesy coda on "Down Payment Blues" is also excluded from this version. UK cassette versions had this mix, with the single version of "Rock 'n' Roll Damnation" and no fade on "Riff Raff", until the 1994 remasters.[30]
- The album was later remixed for the American market, with the new mix replacing the original European mix, and becoming the global standard. This mix is still used on all AC/DC Powerage CD releases today.
Australian/US and all CD releases
All tracks are written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young and Bon Scott
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Rock 'n' Roll Damnation" | 3:37 |
2. | "Down Payment Blues" | 6:04 |
3. | "Gimme a Bullet" | 3:21 |
4. | "Riff Raff" | 5:12 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
5. | "Sin City" | 4:45 |
6. | "What's Next to the Moon" | 3:32 |
7. | "Gone Shootin'" | 5:06 |
8. | "Up to My Neck in You" | 4:13 |
9. | "Kicked in the Teeth" | 3:54 |
Total length: | 39:47 |
Notes
- Some cassette copies, such as the original Canadian issue, had an alternate track listing. For example, "Sin City" was the first song on side 1, while "Rock 'n' Roll Damnation" was the first song on side 2. All other tracks appear in the order of the original Australian/US release.
Personnel
AC/DC
- Bon Scott – lead vocals
- Angus Young – lead guitar
- Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
- Cliff Williams – bass guitar, backing vocals (all tracks except "Cold Hearted Man")
- Phil Rudd – drums
Additional personnel
- Mark Evans – bass guitar (on "Cold Hearted Man")
Note
The Youngs: The Brothers Who Built AC/DC book claims that George Young played bass on all tracks,[31] but Cliff Williams denied this in a 2020 interview.[32]
Production
- Harry Vanda – producer
- George Young – producer
- Mark Opitz – engineer
- Michael A. Browning – management
Charts
Chart (1978) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[33] | 22 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[34] | 15 |
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[35] | 19 |
UK Albums (OCC)[36] | 26 |
US Billboard 200[37] | 133 |
Chart (2024) | Peak position |
---|---|
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[38] | 26 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[39] | 32 |
9 |
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[41] | 3× Platinum | 210,000^ |
France ( SNEP)[42]
|
Gold | 100,000* |
Germany (BVMI)[43] | Gold | 250,000^ |
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[44] | Gold | 50,000^ |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[45] | Gold | 25,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[46] | Gold | 100,000^ |
United States (RIAA)[47] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Notes
References
- ^ "Certification for the UK".
- ^ "RIAA certification for the US". Recording Industry Association of America.
- ^ "The AC/DC Remasters". Discogs. Archived from the original on 15 July 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
- ^ Wilkening, Matthew (9 May 2012). "Mark Evans Discusses Life In and Out of AC/DC". Ultimate Classic Rock. Archived from the original on 11 May 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
- ^ Villanopublished, Freddy (8 January 2020). "AC/DC's Cliff Williams reflects on four decades at the top of rock's bottom-end". guitarworld. Archived from the original on 9 May 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
- ^ Bosso, Joe (11 October 2011). "Interview: Former AC/DC bassist Mark Evans on life in the band". MusicRadar. Archived from the original on 18 September 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
- ^ Hatmaker, Julia (15 June 2017). "25 memorable DJs and radio personalities from Philadelphia's past". pennlive. Archived from the original on 31 January 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
- ^ ISBN 978-0061133923.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link - ^ Brannigan, Paul (5 August 2022). ""F**k you, follow that!": The electrifying story of AC/DC's masterpiece, Powerage". loudersound. Archived from the original on 10 August 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
- ^ "AC/DC – the true adventures of Bon Scott". UNCUT. 26 September 2014. Archived from the original on 15 April 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
- ^ "Video Interview: Cliff Williams of AC/DC". Bass Frontiers Magazine. 30 October 2010. Archived from the original on 4 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
- ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Powerage - AC/DC". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2009.
- Loudersound. Archivedfrom the original on 21 March 2019. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
- ISBN 978-1-84609-856-7.
- ^ Niester, Alan (6 September 1978). "Is There Life After New Wave?". The Globe and Mail. p. F10.
- ISBN 1-57859-061-2.
- ^ "AC/DC: Album Guide". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 8 March 2012. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
- ISBN 1841955515.
- ^ "The Youngs: The Brothers Who Built AC/DC: Riff Raff". 1 August 2014. Archived from the original on 25 September 2017. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
- ^ Iscan, Melisa (27 February 2022). "Guns N' Roses' Slash Shares His All-Time Favorite AC/DC Record". Rock Celebrities. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
- ^ Magazinepublished, Classic Rock (19 October 2021). "Why I 🧡 AC/DC's Powerage, by Aerosmith's Joe Perry". louder. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
- ^ "Phil Rudd Singles Out Favorite AC/DC Album With Bon Scott, Names Word That Best Described Malcolm Young". www.ultimate-guitar.com. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
- ^ Duffy, Mike (8 August 1978). "Heavy metal with a kick". Detroit Free Press. p. 3C.
- ^ "Disc Spot". Cheshire Observer. 5 May 1978. p. 46.
- ^ Hogan, Christine (24 July 1978). "Powerage AC/DC". Monday Guide. The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 3.
- ^ Faust, Edwin (12 December 2003). "AC/DC Powerage". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on 7 January 2011. Retrieved 23 October 2011.
- ^ Fink 2013, p. 175.
- ISBN 3-89880-517-4.
- ^ Johnson, Howard (21 January 1989). "AC/DC 'Powerage'". Kerrang!. Vol. 222. London, UK: Spotlight Publications Ltd.
- ^ "AC/DC - Powerage - another question about the different mixes". Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
- ISBN 9781742759791.
- ^ "AC/DC's Cliff Williams reflects on four decades at the top of rock's bottom-end". 8 January 2020. Archived from the original on 9 May 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
- ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – AC/DC – Powerage" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – AC/DC – Powerage". Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
- ^ "AC/DC | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
- ^ "AC-DC Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
- GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – AC/DC – Powerage". Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
- ^ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2013 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
- Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
- ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (AC/DC; 'Powerage')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
- ISBN 84-8048-639-2. Archived(PDF) from the original on 29 January 2021. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
- ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Powerage')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
- ^ "British album certifications – AC/DC – Powerage". British Phonographic Industry.
- ^ "American album certifications – AC/DC – Powerage". Recording Industry Association of America.