Razors Edge We open with a nice little guitar section, that has a sort of eastern vibe to it. Certainly a different sound for the band. We slowly build up to a solid beat at a moderate tempo, and Angus holds down the riff, while the band pounds out a really nice chord progression. The Chorus punches in nicely, and the opening set of lyrics are actually really very good. The ominous sound of the way the title is sung, really gives the song some fire for me. Angus throws in an excellent lead break. Then we move back to the chorus. I actually really like this track. It is really very new to me, even though I have heard it before. Excellent track.
Mistress For Christmas This starts off with a feel that seems to sit in the BIB to FOTS period. Brian gives us a nice vocal opening. I like the space the allow the opening of this to have. The chord progression laying back while Brian brings us in. We get the first chorus, and I kind of expected the song to kick in there, but it lays back to the opening sequence. then we get Angus hitting some lead. This track has a pretty good feel, but doesn't really burst wide open like I expect until probably the three minute mark, and we are hitting the outro by that stage. This is a pretty decent, kind of fun song, with a good feel.
Awesome track. Unusual for ACDC. Perhaps even the last time they really did an unusual track. Not that there weren’t many good to come, but “experimental” like this one they never were again. These days i can listen to it and enjoy it for what it is. But when i first bought the album, i thought it was incredibly daft. Same with Money Talks.
Absolutely monstrous live. Another song cut from the sets too soon. Probably the ‘heaviest’ track they ever made.
A couple of interesting facts: In a February 1991 interview with Guitar World Angus Young stated, "I think the funniest song on this album is 'Mistress For Christmas.' That song's about Donald Trump. He was big news at the time, so we thought we'd have a bit of fun and humor with it." In the same interview, he declared that his best guitar solo on the LP was on the song "The Razors Edge," which also features a rare foray into finger picking.
Rock Your Heart Out We open with a very staccato rhythm guitar and we move into a groove. Then the guitar drops out, and we get drums and vocals. After a couple of vocal lines we get the two guitars playing some nice counter-rhythms. This happens again, and then we move into a change that works like a chorus I guess. Slightly unusual arrangement, but actually pretty interesting. I like the rhythmic set up. Angus of course knocks out a really nice lead. This is a good song ... not lyrical genius, but this is hard rock, so that isn't really relevant.
"Are You Ready" Single by AC/DC from the album The Razors Edge B-side "Got You by the Balls" Released 28 March 1991 Format CD Recorded 1990 Genre Hard rock Length 4:10 Label ATCO Songwriter(s) Angus Young and Malcolm Young Producer(s) Bruce Fairbairn "Are You Ready" is a song by Australian rock band AC/DC. It is featured on the band's 1990 album The Razors Edge. A live version of the song recorded on the tour of the same name appeared on one of AC/DC's two live albums of 1992, Live: 2 CD Collector's Edition. The song peaked at number one in New Zealand, becoming AC/DC's only number-one hit there, and has been certified Gold for sales exceeding 5,000. It also peaked at number 16 on the US Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart, number six in Ireland, number 14 in Finland and number 18 in Australia. The music video to this song, directed by David Mallet,[1] shows prisoners attending an AC/DC mini-concert at their prison. One prisoner is being dressed up to get ready for the band to play the song. Guards shave his head nearly bald, leaving hairs that make up AC/DC's logo, the one similar to the cover of the band's music video tape, Clipped. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- We get a nice arpeggio guitar intro. Then we get the band chant to start the song. This has a nice rock groove to it. I believe this track did pretty well, but I was nowhere around the band at this time, so although it is somewhat in the back of my mind something I have heard, it is not familiar to me. This is a moderate tempo party down type song. We have a solid beat, and the arrangement really seems to lean on the band chant backing vocals. Angus come in with a nice measured lead break. This is a pretty solid track, but not really something that would make it into my favourite Acdc stuff.
Got You By The Balls Nice chordal riff to open, and we launch into the beat. As the beat and vocals come in it changes the feel in your head a little but works really well. The pre-chorus works nicely to break it up a little, and we go into the chorus over the same riff as the verse ... which seems a little lazy, but it may work... it would take me more listens to decide on that really. The second pre-chorus comes in sooner, which helps break up that riff well.... which was my main concern about the chorus. We move into an instrumental section which alters the rhythm of the riff section a little, and then Angus comes in with his lead break. As we come out of the lead break we get a little call and response section that again breaks it up nicely. Then essentially the song plays out. Not bad. Pretty decent album track.
Shot Of Love We come in with some big chords, and then break into a pulsing rock and roll track. We get a nice example of the signature Acdc rhythm guitar style with two separate deliveries. Second verse we get some lead gtr overlaid and that works nicely as well. We get a sort of instrumental bridge that runs into an Angus lead. This is a pretty decent track too. Not top shelf Acca Dacca, but very serviceable
GYBTB is almost terrific the middle section just doesn’t ignite when it should. Lack of swing most likely the cause. SOL is one of the best songs on the album. A great grooving AC/DC tune even without The Rudd.
Could we please NOT descent into that? This is a track by track thread and not a general vocalist vs vocalist thread.
Thanks to this thread, I actually turned around since saying that and am finding a lot to enjoy in the Brian era.
Yea, it is just a recalibration. Both very different styles personalities and voices, but both have redeeming features... As an Aussie, it was a shock when Bon died ... It was even more of a shock when Back In Black came out .... and it was so damn good, we just embraced the new guy ... which doesn't discredit Bon's memory, it just accepts a current reality.
They missed a trick not releasing this as a Christmas single. Even if just to give us all a big laugh.
Bought "The razors edge" on cassette back in the day when it was released (i was 14, and hadn't gotten around to owning a CD player yet) and it was the album that got me into AC/DC. Since then i've managed to get hold of all their international albums mostly on CD and some bought digitally. As for the album itself, i guess the title song is probably the one that i find most interesting today. Its quite "dark" for AC/DC, and it has almost a metal vibe... also the "breakdown" from about 2:12 onward where the vibe of the song changes is pretty cool. Thunderstruck was great back then, but it has been overplayed so much i don't really enjoy it anymore. "Rock your heart out" i also find pretty good, as it is pretty up-tempo and perhaps a bit classical AC/DC.
