AC/DC: "Powerage" (1978)

AC/DC released the superb "Powerage" on May 5, 1978. The album was recorded at Albert Studios in Sydney, with Harry Vanda and big brother George Young serving as producers.

By Martin Johannessen

“They say that you play too loud / well baby that’s tough!”

New Bassist
"Powerage" is the first album featuring Cliff Williams on bass, who replaced Mark Evans. "It was truly an incredible experience," said Cliff Williams.

AC/DC had been supporting Black Sabbath on a tour in Europe when Mark Evans was fired from the band. Evans says:

"With Angus and Malcolm, they were destined to form AC/DC. They're fully committed. And if they sense your commitment is anything less than theirs, well, that's an issue. 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."

No Dirty Deeds
The band was supposed to move on to the USA, but the record company ended up not releasing "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" after all. There was a lot of tension, to say the least.

Nevertheless, AC/DC still crossed the pond in the summer of 1977 and played at small venues like CBGB in New York and the Whiskey A Go Go in Los Angeles before returning to Australia to record "Powerage." They spent about eight weeks on the recording.

 

Just One Single

Only "Rock 'n' Roll Damnation" was released as a single and hit the stores about a month after the album. It was the last song they recorded after the record company demanded that they go "back into the studio and come up with a radio-friendly single that could garner some airplay." A great song, of course, but a bit different; no guitar solo, but hand-claps and maracas.

Poetry From the Gutter
"Powerage" is the toughest and best album by AC/DC in my opinion. Not a single bad song. They are primarily known for their killer riffs, and it's easy to forget how good Bon Scott's lyrics were. I believe he reached his peak when it comes to lyrics on this album.

My favorite is "Up to My Neck in You": 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 wishin' / That this neck wasn't mine

Or "Down Payment Blues": I know I ain't doin' much / but doin' nothin' means a lot to me

Watch AC/DC live at the Apollo Theatre, Glasgow, April 30, 1978 below.

"Powerage" is the first AC/DC album to be released (almost) simultaneously in both the Australian and international markets, and the first to use the same cover image for both.

"Powerage" is a prime example of an album that is a classic and solid throughout, but which didn't have any hit singles, performed poorly on the charts, and didn't lead to a major breakthrough. Additionally, it's sort of squeezed between "Let There Be Rock" and "Highway to Hell". Nevertheless, it's the best album in the catalog in my opinion and the one I listen to the most.

In that regard, I'm in good company. Keith Richards, Joe Perry, and Slash all consider this their favorite AC/DC album. It's also drummer Phil Rudd's favorite record the band did with Bon Scott

Slash also considers "Down Payment Blues" one of his favorite tracks: “Down Payment Blues is one of my all-time favorite AC/DC tracks. One of the most gritty but also most melodically articulate AC/DC songs of all time. Plus, the premise of the lyrics reads like my life story.”

Simply put, this is an insanely good album that is still overlooked by many. However, on a new list from the website Louder Sound ranking the greatest albums of all time, it lands a well-deserved 8th place.