AC/DC, how do the two eras of the band stack up against one another?

Brian Johnson (left) and Bon Scott (right).

I know this is mainly a stoner rock page, but every now and then I like to write about something else rock and roll related and today and I'm rating the two eras of the rock group AC/DC, and comparing what I think are the band's best 25 songs from each era of the group, Bon Scott's era fronting the band and since Brian Johnson took over vocal duties, screw Axl and his 15 minutes of fame, especially considering he didn't record with the band, thank god!

So, let's begin.

25.
Bon Scott - Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, 1976)
Brian Johnson - Thunderstruck (The Razor's Edge, 1990)

24.
Bon Scott - Touch Too Much (Highway to Hell, 1979)
Brian Johnson - Cover You in Oil (Ballbreaker, 1995)

23.
Bon Scott - Big Balls (Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, 1976)
Brian Johnson - Rock N Roll Train (Black Ice, 2008)

22.
Bon Scott - The Jack (High Voltage, 1976)
Brian Johnson - Rock Your Heart Out (The Razor's Edge, 1990)
               
21.
Bon Scott - T.N.T. (High Voltage, 1976)*
Brian Johnson - Danger (Fly On The Wall, 1985)

20.
Bon Scott - Rocker (Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, 1976)
Brian Johnson - Rock And Roll Ain't Noise Pollution (Back In Black, 1980)

19.
Bon Scott - Jailbreak (74' Jailbreak, 1984)
Brain Johnson - Are You Ready (The Razor's Edge, 1990)

18.
Bon Scott - Girl's Got Rhythm (Highway to Hell, 1979)
Brian Johnson - Play Ball (Rock or Bust, 2014)

17.
Bon Scott - Shot Down in Flames (Highway to Hell, 1979)
Brian Johnson - Shoot to Thrill (Back in Back, 1980)

16.
Bon Scott - Squealer (Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, 1976)
Brian Johnson - Sink the Pink (Fly On The Wall, 1985)

15.
Bon Scott - Highway to Hell (Highway to Hell, 1979)
Brian Johnson - Moneytalks (The Razor's Edge, 1990)

14.
Bon Scott - Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be (Let There Be Rock, 1977)
Brian Johnson - Big Guns (The Last Action Hero Soundtrack, 1993)

13.
Bon Scott - Go Down (Let There Be Rock, 1977)
Brian Johnson - Shake Your Foundations (Fly On The Wall, 1985)

12.
Bon Scott - If You Want Blood (You've Got It) (Highway to Hell, 1979)
Brian Johnson - Playing With Girls (Fly on the Wall, 1985)

11.
Bon Scott - Love at First Feel (Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, 1976)
Brian Johnson -Stiff Upper Lip (Stiff Upper Lip, 2000)

10.
Bon Scott - Whole Lotta Rosie (Let There Be Rock, 1977)
Brian Johnson - For Those About To Rock (We Salute You) (For Those About To Rock, 1981)

9.
Bon Scott - It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll) (High Voltage, 1976)*
Brian Johnson - Heatseeker (Blow Up Your Video, 1988)

8.
Bon Scott - What's Next to the Moon (Powerage, 1978)
Brian Johnson - Flick Of the Switch (Flick Of the Switch, 1983)

7.
Bon Scott - Ride On (Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, 1976)
Brian Johnson - Evil Walks (For Those About To Rock, 1981)

6.
Bon Scott - Rock 'n' Roll Damnation (Powerage, 1978)
Brian Johnson - Who Made Who (Who Made Who, 1986)

5.
Bon Scott - Nigh Prowler (Highway to Hell, 1979)
Brian Johnson - Have a Drink On Me (Back In Black, 1980)

4.
Bon Scott - Riff Raff (Powerage, 1978)
Brian Johnson - War Machine (Black Ice, 2008)

3.
Bon Scott - Cold Hearted Man (Powerage#, 1978)
Brian Johnson - Let Me Put My Love Into You (Back In Black, 1980)

2.
Bon Scott - Walk All Over You (Highway to Hell, 1979)
Brian Johnson - Hell's Bells (Back In Black, 1980)

1.
Bon Scott - Let There Be Rock (Let There Be Rock, 1977)
Brian Johnson - Back In Black (Back In Black, 1980)


Okay, it's done.  And YES!  I realize there is a glaring omission.  I'm sick to death of that song so I did not include it, sue me.  You don't like my list, PLEASE, I entreat you, make yours and do it in my comments section and share with me and my readers.


*Originally appeared on an Australian only release.
# European edition only.

Blood of the Sun smoked my cerebellum

Blood Of The Sun's latest release Blood's Thicker Than Love keep's the intensity comin' from the initial drop of the needle all the way through the final run-out.  While the band didn't lay down as many tracks on this new album, with six, as they did on 2013's Burning On the Wing's of Desire, eight, the run time is extended by three minutes, 38 minutes then vs. 41 minutes now, so we're treated to longer, meatier jams this time out.  And those jams do not disappoint.

The opening track may be the most memorable, simply for it's title and chorus, "Keep the Lemmys Comin'."  Of course, on January 12, 2016, after Ian Fraser Kilmister, or "Lemmy" died on December 28, 2015, Food and Beverage magazine officially named the Jack and Coke "The Lemmy."  This song obviously honors the spirit both literally and sort of piously.  It's a dirge to the shit faced lifestyle:

"I gotta Keep drinking/I can't stop thinking/ready to hit the floor/Keep the the Lemmys Comin' All night long/ ready to lose control."

And the next morning:

"looking in the mirror/nothing seems clearer/what was the name of that girl?/Cutting through the fog/get the hair of the dog/and I'm ready to rock and roll/Keep the Lemmys comin' all day long and I'm ready to lose control"

All set to a blistering guitar and some smokin' keys, played by Dave Gryder, on top of a driving rhythm section.  This is a hell of a lot of fun and it's just the opening track.

Now I've got to admit, the title of the second song didn't catch me, at all... "My Time."  But after about 1:59 I was really starting to get into it.  "If you don't like it hit the road," indeed.  About the three minute mark the guitar just takes over this song completely, and man, I was ever wrong about this one.  Do not judge a song just because it may have a title that doesn't catch your eye.  This guitar solo fucking SMOKES!!!  And the organ does just enough to compliment it.

"Livin' For the Night," an epic eight minute jam is up next.  It's so easy to praise the guitar and organ work on every song, and the vocals, belted out by Sean Vargas, are solid, they're cleanish, gruff, but clean delivery style, the rhythm section kind of gets lost in the shuffle.  But on this tune in particular the bass, handled ably by Roger "Kip" Yma, and drums, played by Henry Vasquez, chug right along at a thunderous pace.  They just lay down such a powerful bottom end you can really feel it in the pit of your stomach with any volume of appreciable levels at all.

The twin guitar attack of Wyatt Burton and Alex Johnson is brutal.  Their playing on the "Air Rises As You Drown" is nothing short of an aural assault.

My favorite vocal on the album belongs to the fifth track, "Stained Glass Window," a tune about a bad relationship.  It also has some of the more unique keyboard work, not necessarily the best, but certainly different than what appears on much of the remainder of the album.  It's got almost a church hymnal like sound, which may be the point.

"Blood Off the Road" closes the album.  I LOVE the keyboard work to open this one. It is reminiscent of Deep Purple and many of their "hard driving tunes."

Basically this album fucking blew me away and I didn't expect that.  I was familiar with Blood of the Sun's body of work and while I had enjoyed it, I was NOT prepared for a slab of rock and roll this smoking hot.  Honestly, released this late in the year, it has to make me re-evaluate my current list of albums I was assembling for my year end Top 25 Releases From 2018, because it may earn a slot.

I rate this album a damn near perfect 95/100. 

An early November release, I certainly look for this one to make next month's Doom Chart.
You can get a copy of Blood of the Sun's new album here.
Blood Of the Sun on Facebook

FINALLY, I saw Monster Magnet Live

Monster Magnet (l to r): Dave Wydorf- guitar, vocals, electronics, Phil
Caivano - guitar, Garrett Sweeney - lead guitar, (Bob Pantella obscured
 - drums), and Chris Kosnik - bass.

After 28 years of fandom I FINALLY was able to see Monster Magnet, my all-time favorite band, perform live last week in Nashville.  My friends, it was every bit worth the wait. 

Dave Wyndorf, who turned 62 this past Sunday, October 28th, looked like he was still in his 30s, dancing around, doing high kicks with bassist Chris Kosnik, and switch from mic, to guitar to electronics with ease all during songs.

The band careened through a dozen tunes over and hour and half set that included a 20 minute encore where the band did an extended jam of "Spine of God" that included a snippet of Don McLean's classic tune "American Pie."  After slowing things down with "Spine" the band blew the roof off the joint when they closed with a rollicking version of "Powertrip."

Since Monster Magnet had not played Nashville dating back to its heyday back in the Powertrip/God Says No era of the group, Dave and company made certain to play a "hits" heavy set list.  While I would have preferred a show teaming with deep cuts myself, I would have been happy with Monster Magnet playing a Chinese menu or the phone book after waiting 28 years to see them live in all honesty.  So I can't complain too much.

The band opened with "Dopes To Infinfity" before dipping into the new material off of the latest release Mindfucker, playing a smoking version of the opeing track "Rocket Freak."  "Twin Earth," the lead single from Superjuedge many moons ago came next, followed by the title cut off the new album.  "Radiation Day" kind of surprised me.  I honestly would have expected "Unbroken (Hotel Baby)" from Monolithic Baby! if any track was going to be played from that album, or possibly "Master of Light" due to its inclusion on the Torque soundtrack, but I digress.

Laura Dolan of Electric Citizen stage right.

"Look to Your Orb For the Warning," a track that appeared in The Matrix and on the official soundtrack for that film, came next.  Then "Dinosaur Vacuum" from Superjudge and then back to the new album again for "When the Hammer Comes Down."  Monster Magnet closed out the main set with its two biggest hits, first off "Negasonic Teenage Warhead," which has become more of a household name among Deadpool moviegoers over the past couple years thanks to the character portrayed by Brianna Hildebrand, followed by the huge sing-a-long hit "Spacelord."

Support came from a local Nashville group, fellow New Jersey act Dark Sky Choir (who frankly slayed the audience) and Electric Citizen (Who I wrote about on this month's Doom Chart.)  Electric Citizen have a new album out called Helltown, and it's pretty damn good, so check it out here.