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Greg Prato, All Music Guide
Bon Scott's alcohol-related death in early 1980 couldn't have come at a worse time for AC/DC; the band was poised for worldwide breakthrough success, as their last album, Highway to Hell, was Angus and company's first gold-certified stateside release. They made an excellent choice in selecting Brian Johnson as their new vocalist; while he had the same bluesy edge as Scott, Johnson sang with more power and conviction. The first album from the new group, Back in Black, was issued only five months after Scott's passing but immediately rocketed up the charts, eventually becoming one of rock's all-time classics. By 1997, it had sold an astounding 16 million copies in the U.S. alone. Musically, the band hadn't changed much, although producer "Mutt" Lange helped the group focus its high voltage rock. The result was such perennial rock anthems as the stomping title track, the eerie "Hell's Bells," the melodic "Shoot to Thrill," the album-closing battle cry "Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution," and one of AC/DC's best and most recognizable tracks, "You Shook Me All Night Long." Not a single weak track is included; even the lesser-known album tracks are strong ("Have a Drink on Me," "Shake a Leg"). Back in Black is the ultimate example of a band turning a career-threatening negative into a remarkable positive and stands alongside such landmark albums as Van Halen, Led Zeppelin II, Are You Experienced?, and Paranoid as hard rock's greatest achievements. Rock music rarely gets better than Back in Black. [In February 2003, the American distribution rights to AC/DC's back catalog transferred over to Epic, the band's new label. Epic reissued the band's catalog as remastered digipacks containing lavish, expanded booklets with plenty of rare photographs, memorabilia, and notes. Although the digipacks may wear a little too easy, the sound is terrific -- clean and muscular, enhancing the raw qualities of the original record -- and the packaging is loving, making the reissues necessary for collectors.]
