Have you noticed all of the classic rock acts from the seventies and eighties coming out of the woodwork the past couple of weeks?
If 2007 was the year of the big-deal reunion tour with everyone from The Police to Genesis to Van Halen jumping on the big bucks bandwagon, then 2008 is rapidly shaping up as the year of the classic-rock revival.
Don't believe me? Take a look around you. First it was Metallica a few weeks back with Death Magnetic, an album which has been hailed as a return to face-melting, Master of Puppets-era form by just about everybody.
The next big event on the classic-rock-revival calendar will be Guns N' Roses long-delayed Chinese Democracy finally seeing the light of day next month at your nearest Best Buy. Whether or not what could be argued is more of an Axl Rose solo album than an actual GNR record (I dont see Izzy or Slash anywhere here) rekindles any of the magic remains to be seen. Dr. Pepper thinks it's a big enough deal to offer free soda pop to the world though.
AC/DC also put out their first new album in seven years this past week. As was the case with Metallica, the Aussie bad boys' Black Ice has also been widely hailed as a return to form. And as with GNR, it's one of those retail exclusives — this time with WalMart.
It should also be pointed out with regard to these "deals with the devil," that whether you like them or you don't like them — and I'm already on record as saying that I don't — they are nonetheless apparently here to stay. From the Eagles to Journey to GNR and now AC/DC, they are in fact the most noteworthy business model out there for marketing traditional CDs right now. With Black Ice expected to move about 800,000 copies in its first week, don't expect these so-called exclusivity deals to be going away anytime soon.
But let's talk about AC/DC. I've never been that big of a fan to be perfectly honest, but I've never out and out hated them either. Taken for what it is, Black Ice is actually a pretty decent record too.
There’s nothing fancy here, just the same formula of big crunchy riffs, sandpaper raw vocals, a solid backbeat, and the sort of bad-ass attitude that has worked for these guys for going on four decades now. It ain’t rocket science, nor is it in any way intended to be.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
...2008 is rapidly shaping up as the year of the classic-rock revival. Don't believe me? Take a look around you. First it was Metallica a few weeks back with Death Magnetic...
Glen, I believe you... Death Magnetic proves that Metallica is Classic Rock. That weak ass release is definitely NOT metal... LMAO!
2 - Mark Saleski
That weak ass release is definitely NOT metal
so write a post on it. go ahead. we'd all love to read the 'evidence'. calling something lame doesn't count.
3 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
Where's the evidence that Metallica IS Classic Rock?
Where's the evidence that AC/DC's latest CD is as great as the BC Elite make it out to be...
Naw, I don't need to write for free anymore. I'll just keep being a critic of this "sinister cabal of superior writers". *smirk*
4 - Darren
I'm a fan of about the same magnitude as you, Glen; and this is probably the most omniscient review I've read on "Black Ice" so far. Number one, they're selling a relative truckload of CDs with this exclusivity deal. Number two, I'd actually consider shelling out good money for this is I was a slightly more rabid fan (and didn't already have it on my iPod). These new songs will translate well live provided Brian Johnson's 61-yr-old larynx can handle a world tour. This whole classic-rock revival phenomenon is just a reminder to me of when music mattered; when it wasn't instantly available free on the internet, when every major new release was an event and that gutbucket rock n' roll is always a great escape from and antidote to to stressful, anxious times - ie doomsday financial scenarios. A lot of 70s-80s bands are making impressive return-to-form records. Black Ice is fun and sounds great, what could possibly be wrong with that?
5 - Mark Saleski
Black Ice is fun and sounds great, what could possibly be wrong with that?
fun? woah...is that even allowed anymore? ;-)
6 - Pico
"Elite" = "doesn't agree with you," right, Brian?
Naw, I don't need to write for free anymore.
You already do write for free a lot on this site, here in the comments section. You could instead write a post, but that require you to get a little more in depth than saying something is "weak ass" and open yourself up to criticism from those with a different point of view. Show us that you are up to the task ;-)
7 - JC Mosquito
Writing for free??? You mean my check's NOT in the mail???
8 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
"Elite" = "doesn't agree with you," right, Brian?
No, I was thinking more of a circle jerk...
Of course, I write plenty for "free" here in the comments section where I'm not held to any kind of rigorous editing standards and my comments don't need to be approved before they are published. I get to voice my opinion, even if you don't agree with it. That's priceless!
Now that I think about it... With all these glittering reviews about AC/DC & Metallica's sh!tty releases, I'm starting to believe that you guys do get paid. It makes sense...That's probably the same reason why Rolling Stone magazine went down the toilet!
9 - Mark Saleski
just like there's a fine line between clever and stupid, there's a similar line between critic and troll.
10 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
*sniff,sniff* That really hurt,man, BUT the contributors for the BC Music section blur that line everyday.
Mark,what's your excuse?
11 - Mark Saleski
dang, a perfectly good movie quote goes to waste...
12 - zingzing
come on... metallica's new one is rather shitty. it sounds like shit, and on top of that it's just an album full of weak writing and endless guitar solos. metallica is a joke. actually, i was waiting in line outside of a concert a couple of weeks back and we were mocking metallica by singing sappy love songs in hetfield's voice. we made so many friends, cause it was so damn funny.
as for ac/dc... well, they only needed to put out one album to get their point across. what's the point anymore? and this walmart thing... that's just awful. i hope they all rot.
thank you.
13 - Jumpbean
I think the new Metallica album is pretty complex and dark. Nothing beats the Black Album from 1991, though...
14 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
*WOW* Zing actually agrees with me on something...
I'm sure it will end after this response.
15 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
Nothing beats the Black Album from 1991...
*Ugh*... You're kidding...Right?
16 - zingzing
brian, when i hear crap, i call it crap. metallica is, and has been, crap. the only ones worth listening to are their first three, and each one of those is worse than the last. if i could hear the demos for the first album, i'm sure that would be the best thing they ever did. and if i could hear the day before they first practiced, i'm sure the silence would be better than that.
alright, maybe that goes a bit too far.
black album sucks. it's the moment where they first really began to suck on pop's sweet teet. unfortunately, they sucked at the sucking.
17 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
A one-armed man killed my wife Sabrina, a working girl. And now I'm a fugitive and in clear and present danger. I should be presumed innocent, but they're playing patriot games with me; Raiders, regarding Henry, Blade Runner... Air Force One.
...I'm sorry, what was that last part?
There...I replaced the wasted movie quote.
18 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
Yea,Zing, I'm not going to get into it with you because I could say the same for a lot of Electronic music. The biggest letdown with that shite, and I mean the real electronic music, there isn't any fidelity. When I try to listen to,say, Peter Gabriel Up (which is a pretty good album) even at 96Khz/24Bit the electronic aspects don't sound that great.
As for Metallica,Master of Puppets,hands down, is their best work. It was the culmination of aggressiveness & passion. But, enough about them...Old F*cking News.
19 - Pico
Of course, I write plenty for "free" here in the comments section where I'm not held to any kind of rigorous editing standards and my comments don't need to be approved before they are published. I get to voice my opinion, even if you don't agree with it. That's priceless!
I haven't always seen eye-to-eye with the rigorous editing standards myself, but there is still plenty of leeway to get your personality and opinion across in an article. Just look at zingzing's work here, for instance. Sorry, but I'm not buying that excuse.
I'm not an AC/DC fan so I don't have a dog in this fight, but I noticed lately that you enjoy sitting back and taking potshots at those who took the time and effort to put out fully thought out opinions. You're a guy who's obviously passionate and knowledgeable about metal and you've got an account here. Trolling with lines like "weak-ass release" and saying something sucks because "it's the truth" seems far beneath someone who has those things going for him. Instead you could counter with your own review that would do much more to further your case than these lame comments.
If you want to continue going that route, hey that's your prerogative. I'm not going to go any further with this. I blow off trolling but made an exception here because I think you're capable of much better than this.
Or maybe I'm wrong.
20 - Glen Boyd
Well said Pico. And I have to agree. I actually enjoy some of the Gupster's comments, because they are occasionally spot-on, and even when they are less than that they are nearly always somewhat humorous. But when he revisits the tired arguments of this is how it is because I say so, that's just plain old.
The point seems to be his never ending quest for recognition as the penultimate metal fan, such as when he runs down the list of every obscuro death metal band known to man on occasion.
Hell, for all I know he could well be, and he's not a half bad writer either. Which is why he should put his pen where his money is and start his own column.
The Metalurgist has a nice ring to it. Or maybe the Guppologist ... ?
-Glen
21 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
The point seems to be his never ending quest for recognition as the penultimate metal fan
Cuz, I remember back in the day, in a crappy little suburban town in Massachusetts when all I used here was how Metal was "kill your mother" music. Those panzies thought INXS was freakin brilliant along with U2 & all the 80's new wave that was popular. I was an outcast and Metal was a fortress for me & my few close friends! I hold it dear to my heart & I have progressed with the genre for 25+ years.
BUT.. I understand what both you guys are saying and I have, recently, been spewing a lot more bullsh!t. So, for that I am sorry. BUT...
taking potshots at those who took the time and effort to put out fully thought out opinions.
I don't agree with that! The BC music section has been lagging hardcore, so, I state my opinion where I see fit. I just find it humorous that it's okay for all these people around here to kiss each other's a$$es over some crappy reviews. There are several reviews of the new AC/DC on this site that don't explain in any better detail than the last why the album is so great. So, I call people on it. Or when someone claims that Metallica is "Classic Rock". Maybe after And Justice But that is ridiculous...
Anyways, I will try to tone down my trolling and actually write an article. Though, I don't think it will make it through the editing process. I just don't have the grammatical skill. For pete's sake, I'm a Drummer! *Smirk*
22 - Mark Saleski
I just don't have the grammatical skill.
you have apparently forgotten daryl d.
your nail clippings have better grammatical skill.
23 - Pico
Anyways, I will try to tone down my trolling and actually write an article.
Atta boy.
24 - Glen Boyd
you have apparently forgotten daryl d.
I thought we all agreed that we weren't going to speak that name anymore 'round here Mark...
-Glen
25 - Mark Saleski
oh sorry....he who must not be named.