The Australian band never imagined the impact of their music back in 1976. ‘High Voltage’ was an album that, at the time, was only released in Australia. For an emerging band in this territory like AC/DC, reaching other continents was very difficult. The band made a debut with character, where a clear pattern of subsequent works that they sold would be heard, as it is true that over the years AC/DC has integrated new elements, their foundation remains the same, as they are still faithful believers in their unmatched Hard Rock.
What can we listen to?
Direct and straightforward Hard Rock. It took a 5-piece drum set, two guitars, a bass, a microphone, and amplifiers to bring “High Voltage” to life. In each of its pieces, you can hear sincerity, rebellion, and style, combined with a concept that has lived on for more than 50 years and counting.
Its success lies in its directness. There are no effects on any instrument here, especially in the guitars of the Young brothers, Angus and Malcolm, who relied on excellent direct distortion from their amplifiers to compose legendary riffs like “TNT” or “High Voltage.” We can appreciate a strong influence of the blues, present in both the rhythms and Angus Young‘s excellent blues scale-based solos.
The debut of Bon Scott
Bon Scott, responsible for AC/DC’s vocals until his unfortunate death in 1980 at the age of 33, made a tremendous debut. His vocal style remained consistent until his last album with the band, called ‘Highway To Hell’ (1979). His timbre may not be the most well-known in the band at a popular level, as most mainstream listeners associate the band more with Brian Johnson. However, for the time, his proposal was truly innovative a voice that conveyed irreverence, rebellion, and above all, Hard Rock.
Regarding the drums and bass, we find two instruments that simply meet the demands of each song. However, this is not counterproductive, quite the opposite, they create a simple and heavy rhythmic base, which characterizes AC/DC today.
It’s worth highlighting Angus Young’s creativity in his solos, defining him as one of the most important guitarists in rock, showcasing precision, knowledge, and, above all, speed.
Direct and straightforward
As its name suggests, it’s a high-voltage Rock album, highly iconic, marking the beginning of a monster that even the band members wouldn’t have imagined. Many define it as Hard Rock, but we would like to call it “Hard Blues.”
What’s your favorite iconic riff or guitar solo from AC/DC, and why does it stand out to you? Leave us your comments!
