AC/DC
BACK IN BLACK
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Eleven years before Metallica released “The Black Album”, AC/DC released “The FIRST Black Album”, BACK IN BLACK, their seventh studio album overall and their first album featuring new vocalist Brian Johnson following the tragic and untimely passing of former frontman Bon Scott.
Released 25 July 1980
Recorded April–May 1980
Studio Compass Point (Nassau)
Label Albert / Atlantic
Producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange
Brian Johnson – lead vocals
Angus Young – lead guitar
Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Cliff Williams – bass guitar, backing vocals
Phil Rudd – drums
Tracks
Side 1
1 Hells Bells
2 Shoot to Thrill
3 What Do You Do for Money Honey
4 Givin the Dog a Bone
5 Let Me Put My Love into You
Side 2
6 Back in Black
7 You Shook Me All Night Long
8 Have a Drink on Me
9 Shake a Leg
10 Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution
While AC/DC always had an aggressively intense, hard rock sound throughout the 70’s on their rise to glory during the Bon era, BACK IN BLACK is arguably the first “official” heavy metal album that AC/DC ever released, a perfectly produced classic from front to back and arguably one of the few albums in heavy metal history that flows just as seamlessly from Side 2 to Side 1.
Singles
"You Shook Me All Night Long" Released: August 1980
"Hells Bells" Released: October 1980
"Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution" Released: November 1980
"Back in Black" Released: December 1980
Go ahead and crack open some “wine coolers” and prepare to get primed before we “unleash the bear”. Keep an eye out for the “Metal Nerdery Mankini” at our merch store, remember that “red velvet cake” is “not the same as dipping your wick in the blood bank” and JOIN US in the Bunkerpoon as we dive into “The Black Album before The Black Album ever Black Albumed” and fully embrace one of the biggest albums in music history with AC/DC’s legendary tour de force of heavy metal perfection, BACK IN BLACK.
HELLS BELLS:
This may be one of the eeriest, evilest openings of any AC/DC song (let alone any heavy metal song) in history. It’s ominous and dark and clearly a potent reminder that something wicked this way was definitely coming.
For the record, the term “hells bells” actually means (according to Google) “an expression of anger or annoyance”, surely in reference to the devastation and mourning the band were experiencing after the tragic and untimely demise of their former frontman after their rise to power throughout the 70’s.
“Hells bells, Satan’s coming to you,
Hells bells, he’s ringing them now,
Those hells bells, the temperature’s high,
Hells bells, across the sky…”
SHOOT TO THRILL:
“Too many women with too many pills…”, now THAT sounds like a party!
The breakdown part about 2 minutes from the end is like a completely different song. The riff completely changes and moves into something else. There aren’t too many AC/DC songs (at least up to this point anyway) that had such a departure from the main riff right near the end like this one. It has a very “live” feel to it.
“I’m like evil, I get under your skin,
Just like a bomb that’s ready to blow,
‘Cause I’m illegal, I got everything,
That all you women might need to know…”
WHAT DO YOU DO FOR MONEY HONEY:
Clearly written about “the ladies”, as a kid these lyrics went right over my head. It’s definitely heavy, punchy, and in your face, and certainly one of the best tracks on the album…even though it’s about whores.
“So stop your love on the road,
All your digging for gold,
You make me wonder,
Yes, I wonder, I wonder…”
GIVEN THE DOG A BONE:
Again, with the lyrics…as a child, it seemed strange that they’d be singing about giving a dog a bone. Like, why would you not? Dogs LOVE bones! (NOTE: the actual album shows the song title as Given…as opposed to Giving or Givin’).
“She’s using her head again…” seems to imply that the “dog” in question was quite smart. Perhaps fellatio actually makes “dogs” smarter (although, come to think of it, I’m not sure if “the ladies” prefer to use peanut butter or not).
“Oh she’s no Mona Lisa,
No, she’s no Playboy star,
But she’d send you to Heaven,
Then explode you to Mars…”
LET ME PUT MY LOVE INTO YOU:
Definitely has dark sounding strip club vibes. Actually, the whole album has an undercurrent of darkness (understandably so, given the circumstances). Again, had no idea what was happening with the lyrics. I mean, who doesn’t like cake?
I guess maybe instead of VAG, “Love” (in this case) could be referred to as PEEN. “Let me put my PEEN into you, babe…”.
For the record, no one affiliated with Bunkerpoon Studios has ever referred to their PEEN as a “knife” (although it would help explain the “period panties” on the bathroom floor).
“Don’t you struggle,
Don’t you fight,
Don’t you worry,
‘Cause it’s your turn tonight…”
BACK IN BLACK:
That opening is one of the most iconic and most widely recognizable openings in ALL of metal. This is one of those songs that still has the same power and intensity today as it had back in 1980.
It’s truly art in that it sounds and feels classic. This one just never gets old, even though terrestrial rock radio played this one (and the next one) into the dirt. Just pure, classic, goodness.
“’Cause I’m back on the track and I’m beatin’ the flack,
Nobody’s gonna get me on another rap,
So look at me now, I’m just making my play,
Don’t try to push your luck, just get out of my way…”
YOU SHOOK ME ALL NIGHT LONG:
(sigh) Okay, this is definitely AC/DC’s “Enter Sandman” and it’s a pretty safe bet EVERYONE in the known multiverse is familiar with this song.
For the record, the lyrics of this song refer to those ‘gasms where your legs get spastic and your whole body convulses with the simultaneous release of tension, pleasure, and bodily fluids (which, by the way, is ALL ‘gasms!).
“Taking more than her share, had me fighting for air,
She told me to come, but I was already there…”
HAVE A DRINK ON ME:
Somehow, the intro with that lone guitar line sounds like walking into an empty bar before the crowd and all the regulars come in. It’s just got that feeling like a good time is about to be had by all. Definitely one of the biggest and baddest party songs of all time. Really, how could you listen to this and NOT be in a “ready to party” mood?
“Get stoned!”
Actually, I’d be curious to hear from our listeners in states that (have their shit together and) sell LEGAL RELAXERS to know how relaxer infused booze is. I’ll bet it’s awesome! (And I’ll bet our state will be the 50th state to actually find out…(sigh)).
“Yeah, so come on and have a good time,
And get blinded out of your mind,
So don’t worry ‘bout tomorrow, take it today,
Forget about the check, we’ll get hell to pay…”
SHAKE A LEG:
Easily one of the best tracks on the record. Has a deep cut vibe to it. Very heavy and very aggressive.
One point to note: if you listen to the guitar solo really closely (especially through headphones), there’s a part near the end of the solo where it almost sounds like the arcing of electricity. It would be interesting to know if anyone else has ever heard that or if that’s just one person’s audio hallucination, because it’s heard every single time by this metal nerd.
“Idle juvenile on the street, on the street,
Kickin’ everything with his feet, with his feet, yeah,
Fightin’ on the wrong side of the law, of the law, yeah,
Spittin’ and bitin’ and kickin’ and fightin’ for more…”
ROCK AND ROLL AIN’T NOISE POLLUTION:
The party’s finally dying down. Everybody’s hammered, all the whores are passed out and only a handful of folks are still awake in the wee hours approaching dawn. The lyrics for this feel like a tribute and proper send off for Bon. Actually, the entire album has the feel of a memorial dedicated to the legend that was, is, and always will be Bon Scott.
Most of the songs on this record were played on the radio, and this one was played on occasion (maybe not during the daytime, but definitely during the nighttime).
“We’re just talkin’ about the future,
Forget about the past,
It’ll always be with us,
It’s never gonna die, never gonna die…”
Show Notes:
(00:01): “Ever step into period panties?” / “I’m just asking if it ever happened to you…”/ ***WARNING: #listenerdiscretionisadvised ***/ “I need to buy a bottle of that…and just makes that breakfast…”/ ***WELCOME BACK TO THE METAL NERDERY PODCAST!!!*** / #thisepisodesbeeroftheepisode ***IF YOU WANNA SKIP TO #THEMEATOFTHEEPISODE JUST JUMP AHEAD TO #THEDOCKET ***/ #IronMonger (“Lots of 6’s on the back…”) /
Murph Dog Irish Red
Beer of the Episode
#MurphDogIrishRed #IrishRedAle / “You can almost taste the iron in there…”/ “In case somebody missed the last episode…”/ #onmicburp / #RussellsReflectionsBreweryEdition #liftitup / “Which is exactly what you want when people are drinking booze…”/ “That’s gonna leave a mark…”/ “That’s all it was…it was fat.”/ #ribeye / “I cannot eat it that way any longer…”/ “If I’m gonna do that…”/ #steaketiquette / “That’s where the juicy and the flavor comes from…”/ #uhhhkay / ***If you wanna correspond with us on #socialmedia look for us at #metalnerderypodcast or email us at metalnerdery@gmail.com or YOU CAN LEAVE US A VOICEMAIL AT 980-666-8182!!! / #TheVoiceMailSegment #TripSix #BunkerpoonArchives and #HumorMetal / #WineCoolersRule / #BatMetal / “You do it now for the same reasons…”/ #homemademoonshine #drunktubing
(14:18): “Tell everyone you know about #themerch …”/ #metalnerderymankini / “I think they’d rather see the bear…”/ WE’LL PLAY YOUR SHIT-TAH!!! #ChemicalValleyMutants #PortHuronMI #hardcorepunk
#crossover / #Yes #No CHARLES BRONSON & PORT HURON WHORE (“That’s way old school…”) / “I’m gonna go with he’s probably a sir…”/ #wrongbutton / #uhhhkay #woetoyou / “It’s just not a show unless that comes out…”/ #ClotsInTheVelvetRoom / #StandupComedyASMR / “It’s shit…”/ #tobefair / “Well he’s Spanish dude…”/ “One of the first Spanish words I learned…”/ “I don’t speak Mexican, dude…”/ “We’re poor planners…”/ #procrastinationnation / ***Did anyone catch #Tool when they came to Atlanta?*** / “Hard to believe #Pantera was 4 months ago…”/ #microdose / “We’ve got to do another #Chronicles soon…”/ “There’s an art behind that kind of humor…”/ “They were on #AmericasGotTalent #AGT / #SteelPanther BUKKAKE TEARS / #MetalShop #MetalSkool / “I don’t care if she’s a little thick in the britches…”/ “Sexy and beautiful are two mutually exclusive things…”/ “My voice is beautiful but yours is sexy…”/ #gearporn / “You should make it happen…”
(37:49): #TheDocket METAL NERDERY PODCAST PRESENTS: AC/DC – BACK IN BLACK / “I think I heard this first and went backwards…”/ ***What’s YOUR earliest memory of #BackInBlack *** / Released July 25, 1980 / “To me this sounds like Christmas…”/ “Polished…and then turd.”/ “Maybe that’s the magic…dude, we should do an episode from the Bahamas…”/ “To me that’s the first official #BlackAlbum …”/ “Aww dude, that was by accident!”/ “It’s Enter Sandman…”/ HELLS BELLS (“It sounds so creepy and evil…”) / “Is this the evilest song by AC/DC?”/ The difference between the #BonScottEra and the #BrianJohnsonEra of #ACDC / SHOOT TO THRILL (“It is kinda like Fly On The Wall…it’s the same riff.”) / “Women and pills…hell yeah!”/ “I always thought this was a completely different song…”/ “In the bottom?”
(51:44): “What was the first AC/DC hit song?” / #onmicburpASMR / “As a kid I didn’t understand…”/ WHAT DO YOU DO FOR MONEY HONEY / “I didn’t even know what kicks were either…”/ The difference between listening to music as a child vs as an adult…listening to the lyrics vs the music / “Not a big fan of red velvet cake…”/ “Dipping your wick in the blood bank?”/ GIVEN THE DOG A BONE / “This was their Black Album…this was their Black Album before The Black Album was The Black Album” / “This was their Slippery When Wet…”/ LET ME PUT MY LOVE INTO YOU (“This has strip club vibes all over…”) / “Let’s hear the part about cake…” / #RussellsReflectionsTikTokASMR
(1:02:36): BACK IN BLACK (“Still don’t get tired of this one…ever.”) / #allthecokelines / “This might be their most iconic song…”/ “We can skip this one…” YOU SHOOK ME ALL NIGHT LONG (***Go check out our Overplayed & Underrated episode***/ HAVE A DRINK ON ME (“This is for all you bartenders out there…”) / “They’re kinda like vaginas, buttholes, and titties…”/ “I didn’t know that was a thing you could do with drinking…” / #getstoned / SHAKE A LEG (“Might be my favorite on the record…”) / “You’re never gonna hear David Gilmour using Slayer riffs…” (re: Shoot To Thrill vs Fly On The Wall) / ROCK AND ROLL AIN’T NOISE POLLUTION / “So get off your arse and come down here…”/ “I can’t imagine Bon Scott singing that song…”/ One of the few albums in metal history where you could start on Side 2 OR Side 1 and it would be equally perfect either way. / “You chugged that thing earlier, right?” / “That’s like from here to California…”/ #oceanboner / ***THANK YOU FOR JOINING US!!!*** #untilthenext #TheTriangle #Unredacted & #Unfiltered #DoomSickle / ***COME PICK UP SOME METAL NERDERY MERCHANDISE AT THE BUNKERPOON GIFT SHOPPE LOCATED ONLINE AT metalnerdery.com/merch ***/ #outroreel