FOR THOSE ABOUT TO ROCK
(WE SALUTE YOU)
ALBUM REVIEW
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AC/DC’s follow-up to Back In Black, 1981’s FOR THOSE ABOUT TO ROCK (WE SALUTE YOU), seems to have a heavier, darker, and doomier vibe than its legendary, multi-platinum predecessor.
FTATR (WSY) is all about dynamics, as Robert John “Mutt” Lange’s production masterfully blends the sounds of Highway To Hell & Back In Black with just a touch of the old school Bon era, resulting in an album that’s louder, crispier, crunchier, and overall, pure FIRE! (Not to mention, it’s got frickin’ cannons on it!).
And similarly, as with Back In Black, there is almost an interchangeable quality to it, as you could just as easily listen to Side 2 first and then listen to Side 1 (though, to be fair, Side 2 might actually be better than Side 1).
Released 11/20/1981
Label Albert Atlantic
Producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange
Brian Johnson: Vocals
Angus Young: Lead Guitar
Malcolm Young: Rhythm Guitar
Cliff Williams: Bass Guitar
Phil Rudd: Drums
Side A
1 For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)
2 Put the Finger on You
3 Let's Get It Up
4 Inject the Venom
5 Snowballed
Side B
6 Evil Walks
7 C.O.D.
8 Breaking the Rules
9 Night of the Long Knives
10 Spellbound
JOIN US
as we dive into FOR THOSE ABOUT TO ROCK
Always remember that there’s no such thing as “fat vampires” and “you can’t change your name once people are used to calling you what they’re used to calling you”. Get ready to do some “binge listening”, try to avoid doing “all that weird flippity stuff”, be sure to “have a nice June” while you’re “rubbing the canyon” and JOIN US as we dive into what may just be the finest album of the Brian Johnson era of AC/DC with FOR THOSE ABOUT TO ROCK (WE SALUTE YOU).
FOR THOSE ABOUT TO ROCK (WE SALUTE YOU):
FOR THOSE ABOUT TO ROCK
Single Released: June 1982
Somehow that intro almost sounds like being in church, yet dark and ominous (and LOUD). Right away, it’s very obvious how much more intense (and louder) the mix is than Back In Black. It’s similar to a combination of the production on Highway to Hell and Back In Black combined with just a touch of the older Bon era stuff.
One of the most iconic riffs in all of metal, and certainly in their catalog. Expectations were through the roof when this one came out as their prior 2 albums (especially Back In Black) had gone above and beyond anything they’d done previously.
The cannon blasts as a kid (and even as an adult) MAKE this song what it is. (“FIRE!”)
“We’re just a battery for hire with a guitar fire, ready and aimed at you,
Pick up your balls and load up your cannon, for a twenty-one-gun salute…”
PUT THE FINGER ON YOU:
On…or in? Kind of an interesting 2nd track. Sorta has the same vibe as the 2nd half of Shoot To Thrill. Like 80’s movie soundtrack vibes. The sound of this track is much more of a Brian Johnson era sound than the Bon Scott era. Read those lyrics…because we’re not that sure what it means either.
I mean, I’m not really sure how a finger could unlock a door, unless this is similar to a “cutting your cake with my knife” sort of scenario.
“I can’t control it, can’t even hold it, sneaking up on your front door,
You can feel it on your ankle, feel it on your knee, feel it on your thigh,
Can you feel me?”
LET’S GET IT UP:
LET’S GET IT UP
Single Released: January 1982
The title seems to very clearly state what it’s about…and it’s clearly about boners.
Definitely a little slower and sleazier. This was ALL over 96 Rock back in the day (both daytime and nighttime).
“Ticking like a time bomb, blowing up the fuse box,
I’m never going down, never going down…”
INJECT THE VENOM:
Heavy! Maybe the heaviest AC/DC intro riff ever…and nasty! The mix is brutal, like being kissed by a swinging sledgehammer.
“V-E-N-O-M!”
The mix is much more intense and in-your-face than Back in Black…it’s the most Mutt Langed Mutt Lange production in their catalog.
(Almost makes the prior 2 songs worth the wait to get to this one.)
“No mercy for the bad if they want it,
No mercy for the bad if they plead,
No mercy for the bad if they need it,
No mercy from me…”
SNOWBALLED:
A little more uppity, tempo wise. The first “faster” song on the record. Again, read those lyrics. Given the title (and that it was the 80’s), it might have tied in with the excesses of the 80’s and/or the rock & roll lifestyle.
This might be the most up-tempo song on the album other than the 2nd half of the title track with the cannon fire.
“You can see it comin’,
Miles and miles away,
Women, drink, and money,
Are gonna make you pay…”
EVIL WALKS:
That’s just an evil sounding riff. Dark & creepy & heavy. The Bon era always seemed to be more about sex and sleaze whereas the Brian era seemed to introduce themes of witches and evil.
“I sometimes wonder where you park your broom, ahah…”
The breakdown after the solo and the way it builds back up is sublimely heavy…definitely some strip club vibes with this one.
“You’re so bad…”
C.O.D.:
Care of the devil…all of the possible meanings of C.O.D. were a cool way to begin (it’s educational!). Kinda makes you wonder what C.O.D. really stands for…
Always liked the straight-ahead groove of this one. The tempo remains constant and never deviates.
“The curse of love is the cause of the pain,
The crime of the day is when you do it again,
Call on the doctor, cash on demand,
If you give them a finger, they’ll take off your hand…”
BREAKING THE RULES:
This one has a nasty groove to it and is a prime example of how AC/DC’s sound evolved forward into a new direction beginning with Back In Black. The riffs are a bit different and have a little more subtlety to them…light and shade.
“Those regulation fools with their regulation rules…”
NIGHT OF THE LONG KNIVES:
Before Slayer was singing about the wickedness and evil of Joseph Mengele, AC/DC sang about the great Nazi purge, when old Adolf’s paranoia got the better of him, hence the title of this song.
“Who’s your friend and who’s your foe?
Who’s your Judas? You don’t know…”
That riff transition from the chorus back to the verse was very clearly “lifted” by Motley Crue (because prior to the internet, stealing others ideas was so much easier to get away with).
“Stab him in the back once…”
SPELLBOUND:
This might be a favorite, all-time AC/DC tune. It’s dark, it’s heavy, and the lyrics would seem to be a very vivid reminder at how being spell bound (by a “Witches Spell” or even fame and excess) can potentially ruin your life and turn everything sour. Very dark and very haunting.
“I’ve got my hands in the fire…”
Show Notes:
(00:01): “Have you ever noticed that there are no fat vampires?” / “Tyko YTT?” / “I feel like you’re just making up words, now…”/ #fatbats / “There’s a movie…and then he made a show…”/ #energyvampire #STFU #whatisprobrem? / ***WARNING: #listenerdiscretionisadvised ***/ “That was in stereo…”/ ***WELCOME BACK TO THE METAL NERDERY PODCAST!!!*** / #thisepisodescideroftheepisode #Blakes
Beer of the Episode
Blakes Triple Jam Berry Cider
#BerryCider #glutenfree / “That sounded wet…”/ ***IF YOU WANNA SKIP THE NONSENSE, GO TO #THEDOCKET *** / “That’s what everybody does…”/ #RussellsReflectionsASMR #Lollapalooza #allegedly #No #uhhhkay (“So bands nobody really cares about…”) / “And then it basically turned into #Ozzfest …”/ #TheGodfathersOfHardCore / “Did you lift weights after?” #BillsDill
(11:00): #PatreonShoutOuts (“I hope he does…”) / ***Go to patreon.com/metalnerderypodcast to join us there!*** / “Back to the show…”/ #correspondence If you wanna leave us a voicemail give us a call at 980-666-8182 OR you can email us at metalnerdery@gmail.com AND/OR hit us up on the #socials at #Instagram and #Facebook and #YouTube at #metalnerderypodcast / “Is that better?” / “As a matter of fuckin’ fact…”/ #bingelistening / “I think that’s how Rogan has so many episodes…”/ “I told you I bought some more #GameStopStocks …”/ #smoothbrain (“Are you smoothbrain?”) / “He was watching the #Hedgies …”/ #markthetime #memelingo / “He’s causing what’s called a squeeze…”/ “What is he doing different from…#membersofcongress ???” / “I took the week off…here’s where I get a little irked…”/ #thelist #vengefuck #toldya / “He’s not sure what he wants to be called…” / “If somebody’s used to calling you what they’ve called you forever and ever, it’s gonna take a minute to get used to that change…” / “You were talking about #comedy and I remembered something…”/ “If you fall asleep during a comedy show…that’s terrible.”/ #HailToTheMightyMixon
(25:55): #TheDocket METAL NERDERY PODCAST PRESENTS: AC/DC – FOR THOSE ABOUT TO ROCK (WE SALUTE YOU) / #slathering (“Rubbing the canyon?”) #cannon / #YasssQueen / #ByeFelicia #HaveANiceJune / “There’s something about the first three (#ACDC albums) with #BrianJohnson …”/ “I never owned this one…”/ “On you…or in you…”/ Released November 20, 1981 / “This is still #classicrock I guess…”/ #premetal #killeropener (“I think that’s what it’s called when a girl squirts…”) / “So many people know that dude…”/ #sixdegreesofseparation / #Everclear #NoReaction #TikTokASMR / #DDayMemorial #PresidentPoopyPants #Babysitter / FOR THOSE ABOUT TO ROCK (WE SALUTE YOU) / “I think it’s mixed louder…” / “We gotta get up to where the #canyons go off…”/ #FIRE #Woe / “That’s #heavymetal …”/ #BackInBlackPlus / PUT THE FINGER ON YOU (or IN you?) / “That scene’s gotta have boobs in it…when did #FastTimes come out?” #CameronCrowe (“No relation to Russell?”)
(43:47): “The next one got all kinds of radio play on #96Rock in the daytime and the nighttime…”/ #boners LET’S GET IT UP / “We might have to go #HeadToHead one day…”/ “Almost sounds like #DefLeppard …”/ “Didn’t #MuttLange produce #Pyromania?”/ The heaviest one thus far…/ “It’s kinda like cutting cakes with knives…now I get it.” / INJECT THE VENOM (“No mercy for the bad if they want it…no mercy for the bad if they plead…”) / “Almost sounds like a different guitar…”/ #readthoselyrics / “I never used to know what that meant…”/ SNOWBALLED / “Angus’ pick slides always had an #eviler vibe…”
(54:13): #killeropener #SideTwo EVIL WALKS (“I sometimes wonder where you park your broom, heh-heh…”) / “That seems like perfect strip club music, does it not?” / “Still gets me every time…”/ #InTheEventIGoMissing #BidensBowelBlunder #BidenomicsASMR (“As the stench of #Bidenomics fills the air…”) #DrEvil #cropdusting #chode / “You have to see the video…”/ C.O.D. (“I might even like Side 2 better than Side 1…”) / “The tone on this one seems different…”/ “We’re gonna have to go #HeadToHead on that one…”/ BREAKING THE RULES (“Those regulation fools with their regulation rules…”) / “I think I figured it out, guitar wise…Highway To Hell’s guitar tone and Back In Black’s production…”/ “It’s like Flemming Rasmussen with #Metallica …not to go off on a tangent…but here’s what bothered me about it (…AJFA) / “She’s still pretty hot…and #Canadian / #mapleleafflaps / “She don’t listen…”/ NIGHT OF THE LONG KNIVES #TheNaziPurge (June 30, 1934)/ #DrFeelgood (“It’s more #MotleyCrue than #Poison …”) / “That was back before the internet…”/ #OperationHummingbird / “Who’s your Judas? You don’t know…”/ #killercloser SPELLBOUND (“It’s a darker mood than Back In Black…”) / “I got my hands in the fire…”/ “This one does have a doomier vibe to it…”/ “Like he said…”/ “Favorite song(s) on the album?”/ “Was it…? What about…?” / “Which one is the You Shook Me All Night Long on this album?” / “Have y’all ever had a dream that you could…?” / “Technically…it’s not attached.”/ “If we’re sewn together…that’s still not attached…”/ #blackdog / ***THANK YOU FOR JOINING US!!!*** #patreonexclusive / “If you can do all that weird flippity stuff…”/ ***COME ON DOWN TO THE BUNKERPOON GIFT SHOPPE AND GET YOUR #METALNERDERYPODCAST MERCH AT metalnerdery.com/merch ***
#outroreel