AC/DC
POWERAGE
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AC/DC’s 1978 banger, POWERAGE (pronounced like voltage, amperage, and sausage; NOT like volt-AGE, amper-AGE, or saus-AGE) is undoubtedly one of “the most 1978 sounding” albums that has ever been released in rock and metal. And after giving it a listen, you’ll undoubtedly agree.
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It’s the first album to feature Cliff Williams on bass, the first album to not have a title track and (perhaps most importantly) it’s the favorite AC/DC album of both Keith Richards and Edward Van Halen. Relative to the rest of their catalog, POWERAGE is quite simply an album beyond comparison.
Released in the US May 25 1978
Recorded January – March 1978
Label Albert Atlantic
Producer Harry Vanda George Young
Single "Rock 'n' Roll Damnation"
Bon Scott – lead vocals
Angus Young – lead guitar
Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar
Cliff Williams – bass guitar
Phil Rudd – drums
Prepare to plug in “all three inputs” and remember that “you gotta bro up before you glow up” when talking to your “uncle cousin” (even if he “identifies as a noun”).
Behold the advancements in “alien technology”, accept the “invitation” of embracing the uniqueness of the moment and JOIN US for the incomparable 1978-ness of AC/DC’s POWERAGE.
TRACKS
ROCK ‘N’ ROLL DAMNATION:
It’s got a similar energy to the albums preceding it, but the production is stronger (and thicker) than the others. Also, it’s the first album with Cliff Williams on bass. Somehow those hand claps as part of the percussion section never get old.
“Take a chance while you still got the choice!”
DOWN PAYMENT BLUES:
What a way to open the song…with that sound!
Bon’s lyrics always had an extremely visual quality to them. Also, this song (and really, the entire album) has a very 1978 feel to it; not sure how else to explain it, but that’s the vibe. It just feels like 1978.
Suzy baby agrees…
“I’ve got holes in my shoes
And I’m way overdue
Down payment blues…”
GIMME A BULLET:
Almost sounds like this could have easily fit on Dirty Deeds or Let There Be Rock.
That funky bassline during the chorus is weirdly satisfying. It’s a bit busier than the main guitar riff, but it still fits the song well. And oh yeah, don’t forget about the AC/DC gang vocals, because without the gang vocals, it ain’t AkkaDakka.
“Gimme a bullet to bite on,
And I’ll make believe…I’ll make believe it’s you…”
RIFF RAFF:
Probably THE most kickass song on the album, if not THE most kickass AC/DC song EVAHHH!!!
If you haven’t already, go check out the live video. (You’re welcome…)
Probably one of the most complex riffs in their catalog up to this point; definitely a busy riff for sure (“Smile a while…”)
“I never shot nobody,
Don’t even carry a gun,
I ain’t done nothin’ wrong,
I’m just having fun…”
SIN CITY:
Definitely a favorite and definitely a darker, heavier vibe for AC/DC. Again, the lyrics paint a vivid picture, in this case the alluringly deceptive underbelly of the gambling world.
The middle part after the solo evokes a very dark & sinister vibe with regard to “ladders and snakes”.
“Ladders and snakes,
Ladders give, snakes take,
Rich man, poor man,
Beggarman, thief,
Ain’t gotta hope in hell,
That’s my belief…”
WHAT’S NEXT TO THE MOON:
One of the most fun things about Bon’s lyrics was when he’d sing about “naughty” things.
Like if this was called “What’s next to the butthole” you’d know exactly what the song was referring to.
“Heavenly body flying ‘cross the sky,
Superman was out of town,
Come on honey, gotta change your tune,
‘Cause it’s a long way down…”
GONE SHOOTIN’:
Not sure if it’s a song about doing shots, heroin addiction or squirting, but judging by the lyrics, we’re gonna go with addiction.
There’s a LOT going on in the bass department during that guitar solo. That might be even busier than the “Gimme a Bullet” bass line during the chorus.
Ahh, the gang vocals at the end really enhance Bon’s ad-libbing, something that always made the Bon era so special. The little jam at the end almost seems a bit unnecessary and/or gratuitous, but it’s still kinda nice to hear.
“I took an offer in another town
She took another pill
She was runnin’ in an overdrive
A victim of overkill…”
UP TO MY NECK IN YOU:
There’s considerably more aggression on this album than on their previous offerings, and this song is a prime example of that. Straight ahead, no frills, in your face, raw, rock ‘n’ roll, metal.
If he’s talking about being up to this neck in his woman, he might be in trouble; partly because he won’t be able to breathe, but also because if he can actually get “Up to his neck” in her, then intimate relations with her would have to feel akin to lobbing a hotdog into the Grand Canyon.
“Well I’ve been up to my neck in whiskey
I’ve been up to my neck in wine
I’ve been up to my neck in wishing
That this neck wasn’t mine…”
KICKED IN THE TEETH:
“Two faced woman with your two faced lies…”
Women always seem to wonder where men’s misogyny comes from (or chauvinism, or whatever word women use to hate on men who hate on women who go “…running around town with every mother’s son…” which in turn makes men 50 shades of crazy), but if you read those lyrics, it’s pretty obvious.
“Two faced woman such a crying shame,
Don’t know nothing you’re all the same,
You run around hope you had your fun,
You never know who’s gonna win til the race been run…”
Show Notes:
(00:01): A new flan-nah and jun-jun that’s an exception… (“It starts with #flannaah) / #flunjun #combomeal / “It’s like #combofajitas dude…” / killer #albumcovers / A little clinky… / #theunscrewing #thisepisodesclinkyoftheepisode #RevelStoke #Smoregasm (“If I lick your knee, you’re gonna know it…”) / ***WARNING: #listenerdiscretionisadvised*** / “That is trouble in a bottle…” / Butterscotch vs graham cracker flavor… #sugarequalshangover #Smoregasm (Toasted S’Mores Flavored Whiskey) / ***WELCOME BACK TO THE METAL NERDERY PODCAST with all the motherfucking anesthesia…*** / #thisepisodesbeeroftheepisode / #episode192 #athensgeorgia #sportswords #nationalchampions #AkademiaBrewingCompany #BornToFall (NOTE: they’re a #southerndeathmetaltrio from right here in #Georgia! #GeorgiaDeathMetal) #ColdIPA #badassalbumcover (“That’s some weird #bondage shit…”) / “In collaboration with #GuillotineAD #BornToFall “(***SEND US A VOICEMAIL AT 980-666-8182 to be played on a future episode!!!***) / “New carpet smell…” / (Definitely serve them super cold). #ColdIPA (vs the regular #IPA)
Beer of the Episode
Akademia Brewing Company
Born To Fall Cold IPA
(07:44): #whateverthefuckyouare (hahahaha: whatever the fuck you are…I’m sure it’s a noun). / There’s a lot of bands that do beer (fucking A, we should do a Metal Nerdery Podcast beer…) / #voicemailbox / #TheVoiceMailSegment / “A call from someone who claims to #identify as a lady…” / #allthreeinputs / “How are his tits?” / #astrongacup (“they’re like good “A”s”) / “That’s what I’m talking about… / “You’ve gotta bro up before you glow up, bruh…” / “We’ve got one more…” #youpeopleareablessing #thatsmyname (“Laughing tits off is good…”) / #abitofachallenge to #liveinthemoment (it’s called #genre)…basically make every new experience it’s own unique experience without going straight to a comparison (A well understood and eloquently stated perspective; #thankyouforthat)…the default is the comparison; that’s just how we are, but that is also a good perspective to carry forward with new metal as there is a shit tonne of it everywhere. / “Personally, I think that might have been Elon…”/ #Trip6 #Revelation1318 #LastTestamentLastBook (“Yeah?”) / “We’ve got all kinds of shittah…” / #macrodong
(12:53): WE’LL PLAY YOUR SHIT-TAH!!! #MonaBorland ROCK & ROLL RANDY SAVAGE (#oooohyeeeeuhhhh) / “It’s gotta be a meme…” / “They were strong A’s, man…” / (Not AT ALL what we thought it would be) / Not to beat the whole comparison thing into the floor, but if I had to pick a guitar sound I’d say more Mesa than Marshall…maybe Rectifiers…that tone effectively dominated the 90’s and 2000’s… / “But guess what…?” / “It has notes of oak and butthole…” / #terminalbuttholecancer #beststonermetalbandnameever / They do NOT sound like the same band… BLOOD (Thanks Dylan!) / “What am I gonna say?” / “For this episode, you’re cutoff, buddy…”
(18:34): #TheDocket / Rapidly rocketing toward’s Russell’s favorite #ACDC album, but first: AC/DC’S 1978 RELEASE POWERAGE!!! / Proper pronunciation / An interview with #EVH about most influential albums (NOTE: The interview includes remarks about most influential riffs. I found a very short summary of that interview where it’s mentioned…and he says it as Powerage vs Power-AGE) / #epiconmicburp #onmicburpASMR / #TheTracking / ***How’d you like to be at a show where Black Sabbath is headlining and AC/DC is opening!?*** / “Whenever #timetravel becomes possible, we’re going to see concerts in the 70’s” / “It sounds like 1978…” #unclecousin (“There’s a few Youngs involved with AC/DC…”) / “Not #comedycentral… #kommiecentral…” / “It didn’t grab me like the other ones…” / “I heard #SinCity on 96 Rock in the daytime…” / “It might be a 3-way toss up…” / “You can tell that this was right before #HighwayToHell in terms of production…” (Or light years…or #bolth) / “Most of Highway to Hell…is hits…” / #hooky (“we can still compare…yeah?”) / “Ohhh the fucking pizza is here…” / #rimshot (“Unzip your pants…”) / “I hope nobody gives you the mic, dude…” / #scottishaccentASMR / AC/DC had a significant catalog throughout the 70s…it seems vast and yet abbreviated / #onmicburpASMR / Different album versions for different countries & parts of the world / “Aren’t we past being offended by things?”
(28:28): #fridaynightenergy #killeropener ROCK AND ROLL DAMNATION #pictureday #olanmillsASMR / “Take a chance while you still got the choice!” / “See what I did there?” / “I stuck my finger in it before to add the sweetness…” / #justmypinky (“On that note…I’m outta here!”) / The difference between the Bon Scott era vs the #Brian Johnson era (specifically the 70’s & 80’s eras). / Some people might call that #incomparable / “It looks like the sun but smaller…” / #challengefailed DOWN PAYMENT BLUES / “How do you know it’s not pronounced…Moot Lonjie?” #maybeheswrong
(37:17): GIMME A BULLET (“I’ll make believe it’s you…”) / “You know what he was talking about right there?” / ***Definitely go watch the video of this next one…it’s fucking rad! *** / RIFF RAFF (“Always good for a laugh…”) #hahaha / #goodfirstconcert / You can totally feel the rowdiness in that crowd! / ***NOTE: this might actually be Matt’s favorite, upon further evaluation*** / “Just to embrace the theme of the show…you can’t really compare those two…” / Keith Richards is also a big fan of the #Powerage / ***Who wrote better riffs: Eddie Van Halen or Angus Young? ***
(43:27): #killeropener #sidetwo (“I did hear this on #96RockInTheDaytime …”) #creepyspokenbeerburp SIN CITY #shangrila #themiddlepart #laddersandsnakes (“Ain’t got a hope in Hell…”) / One of the best riff bands from back in the day… / “It’s incomparable is what I’m saying…” #thewordoftheshow / #WFO #widefuckingopen / Interesting conspiracy theory / #flatearthASMR / “While we’re on it…I’ve just gotta mention…” / ***When did #UFOs get rebranded as #UAPs?*** / #alienttechnology #conspiracytheoryASMR / “Would you date an alien?” (“No…possibly…”) / “It’s like #GoldenCorral…” #vaginabuffet.
(52:56): WHAT’S NEXT TO THE MOON (“Superman was out of town…”) / How many different ways can we say “Yes”? / #herewego #youcantusethatword / “There’s certain words, you can drop the R and it still means the same thing.”/ “How many eyes does the #googoldragon have?” (Googol: That’s 1 with 100 zeros after it btw) / GONE SHOOTIN’ (Bon was such a visual lyricist…his words went so well with the music). / “Maybe she squirts…” / ***The return of #Metalocolypse !!!*** / #macrodose / “Stoners completely #macrodose their #medications” / The difference between #medicalweed vs #recreationalweed which are #bolth forms of #legalweed (Get your shit together, Georgia!) / #medicalgradeTHCASMR / #RussellsReflectionsASMR / “Peanut butter fudge…” / “They weren’t watching me…” / “Forking food down my #facehole…” / #tragicwaste / The importance of #setandsetting
(1:03:45): UP TO MY NECK IN YOU / “Aggressive…juiciness?” #pickattack / And now… the #killercloser (“A very strong might…”) / “That’s a bold statement…” (“See? #Postitute”) / ***someone should do a mashup of Let There Be Rock and KICKED IN THE TEETH *** / “Hard lickin…that’s right.” / “Now you made it weird…” / ***THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR THIS INCREDIBLY INCOMPARABLE EPISODE OF METAL NERDERY PODCAST!!!*** / Anyone remember #MiamiVice and #MattHouston? / ***Please leave us a rating and/or comment and/or bolth wherever you get your podcasts!!!*** / ***Come JOIN US in the #BunkerpoonGiftShoppe to purchandise your #MetalNerderyMerchandise at metalnerdery.com/merch *** / #outroreel #untilthenext #kneelicker