AC/DC - Play Ball and Rock Or Bust Singles (2014)

Genre - Hard Rock / Classic Rock

Label -

 

Track listing:

 

01 - Play Ball

 

01 - Rock Or Bust

After a lot of rumors, it's official; AC/DC will release its new album, titled 'Rock Or Bust', on December 2. The 11-song collection is the band's first since 2008's Black Ice and it includes the song "Play Ball", which is available as an instant download when pre-ordering the album from iTunes.
'Rock Or Bust' features an inventive three-dimensional lenticular cover, which gives the illusion of the band's iconic logo exploding as the packaging is moved in different directions.

 

And how sounds the new single "Play Ball"? Just the way you want them to.
While Malcolm Young may not be there anymore the song begins with a meaty but simple riff (presumably played by Malcolm's nephew, Steve Young) that gets a little funky – for them anyway – but is anchored by the solid thump of drums. There's little fuss after that and even Angus' solo is short and to the point, as is the song which is gone in under 2 minutes 50 seconds.

 

And what about the albums title track? Well its typical AC/DC, a little slower than Play Ball but containing all of the elements of an AC/DC classic!

Good to hear the guys back, unfortunate news about Malcom Young but his spirit continues in all the guys do, and his nephew is doing a steller job!

 

Rating - 9/10

 

The Band:

Angus Young - Guitar
Stevie Young - Guitar
Brian Johnson - Vocals
Phil Rudd - Drums
Cliff Williams - Bass

Phil Rudd - Head Job (2014)

Genre - Hard Rock

Label - 

Track listing:

01. Head Job

02. Sun Goes Down

03. Lonely Child

04. Lost In America

05. Crazy

06. Bad Move

07. No Right

08. The Other Side

09. 40 Days

10. Repo Man

11. When I Get My Hands On You 

AC/DC drummer PHIL RUDD is releasing his first ever solo album, entitled "Head Job". Though still active with AC/DC (who are soldiering on despite the ill health of guitarist Malcolm Young) Rudd has harnessed his talents as a songwriter for this first solo effort.

Phil Rudd is one of rock’s most seasoned musicians, drumming for AC/DC from 1975-1983 and again from 1994-present. When you're the drummer in AC/DC's engine room you don't hook up and play with anyone in your down time.
As such, Phil Rudd's first solo album has been two decades in the making; a labour of love he's crafted in between tours in his adopted home of New Zealand.
Long-time friends Allan Badger and Geoffrey Martin chipped in lyrically and provide the strings, while Badger and Rudd's throaty vocals come with honesty, guts, a wink and a nod.
"There are no tricks or sequencing or samples ... it's all real," Rudd said about the recording.
AC/DC-like chords? There aren't a lot of them, but you can’t deny the swagger and groove of the bluesy classic rock contained in the album's ten tracks.
While the more high profile numbers including the rocking lead single "Repo Man" and the title track are related to his main band, it’s the album’s deeper cuts like the slightly funky "No Right" and the infectiously catchy "The Other Side" that really define this record.
Rudd’s drumming is of course rock solid, and the man also does a fine job behind the boards giving "Head Job" a sound that is sleek (really clean) but doesn’t remove the raw passion of the band.
The title for Phil Rudd’s first ever solo album has nothing to do with an act of intimacy, but instead relates to a state of mind. And this isn’t meant in a pejorative way.
Just as people don’t expect extended guitar jams or prog rock epics from Rudd’s day band, the solo release from AC/DC’s drummer sounds exactly how you’d expect it to sound; "Head Job" is an exercise in straightforward classic rock played from the heart.
As said, production is pristine and wide open, to enjoy these solid ten tracks at considerable volume.

Well Worth Checking Out!

Rating 9/10