AC/DC – Ballbreaker [HDtracks Hi-Res Remastered] (2020)

AC/DC‘s “Ballbreaker” has been recently remastered 2020 as part of the Hi-Resolution Audio reissue series. A 13th album turned out to be lucky for AC/DC: “Ballbreaker”, released on Sept. 26, 1995, continued their return to form after 1990’s masterpiece ‘The Razor’s Edge’.
Part of the reason for its success was the return to the fold of drummer Phil Rudd, who had left an impossible void to fill during his decade-long absence.
Plus, there was the news of the recruitment of super-producer Rick Rubin – master of the back-to-basics career resurrection – following his successful audition on 1993’s Last Action Hero soundtrack hit, “Big Gun.”

The Young brothers’ songwriting confidence was clearly restored by their recent chart revival, and Rudd’s inimitable percussive prowess made AC/DC sound like themselves once again.
All that was left to complete things was Rubin’s almost religious commitment to unearthing the band’s authentic, classic ‘70s sound.
He even hunted down rare, surviving Marshall valve amplifiers – not digital. In keeping, ”Ballbreaker” had all the makings of an AC/DC purist’s dream-come-true, plus a little something for almost everyone else.

Contagious lead-off single “Hard as a Rock,” the melodically groovy “Love Bomb,” and frantic album-closing title track delivered that familiar brand of cheeky hard-rock fun, capable of thoroughly satisfying radio programmers.
Oh-so-naughty come-ons such as “Cover You in Oil,” “The Honey Roll” and “Caught With Your Pants Down” sparked involuntary chuckles from every real-life Beavis and Butthead.

And there were even a few surprising deviations from stereotypical AC/DC song subjects (sex and drink and rock and roll) to be found in “The Furor” and their rousing second single, “Hail Caesar.”
But for dyed-in-the-wool AC/DC fanatics, there was no sweeter sonic cocktail than the finely-wrought, down-and-dirty, blue-collar spirit fueling comparatively understated ‘70s throwbacks like “Boogie Man,” “Burnin’ Alive” and “Whiskey on the Rocks” — all of which could have featured on 1978’s Powerage, in some parallel dimension of space and time.

Of course, this songwriting depth and diversity didn’t come easy.
After insisting that AC/DC keep on honing each song to the point of impatience during pre-production, Rubin encouraged the band to rehearse them through and through, and then record together as a unit in the studio – allowing for only minimal overdubs after the fact.
This process yielded a wealth of strong material that made ”Ballbreaker” arguably their deepest album of the Brian Johnson era, apart from Back In Black.

”Ballbreaker” showed us that with the proper tools in place – a persistent producer, metronome drummer, and a strong work ethic – AC/DC are capable of turning back the clock and reconnecting with the essence of their greatness.
Highly Recommended

01 – Hard as a Rock
02 – Cover You in Oil
03 – The Furor
04 – Boogie Man
05 – The Honey Roll
06 – Burnin’ Alive
07 – Hail Caesar
08 – Love Bomb
09 – Caught with Your Pants Down
10 – Whiskey on the Rocks
11 – Ballbreaker

Brian Johnson – lead vocals
Angus Young – rhythm and lead guitars
Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Cliff Williams – bass guitar, backing vocals
Phil Rudd – drums, percussion

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