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Black Ice | 
| Artist: Ac/dc
Label: sonyBMG
Category: Music
List Price: £16.99
Buy New: £8.47
You Save: £8.52 (50%)
New (57) Used (2) from £6.24
Rating:  52 reviews
Sales Rank: 36
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
UPC: 886973923825
EAN: 0886973923825
ASIN: B001F2W4Y2
Release Date: October 20, 2008
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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| Tracks:
| • | Rock 'n' Roll Train | | • | Skies On Fire | | • | Big Jack | | • | Anything Goes | | • | War Machine | | • | Smash 'n' Grab | | • | Spoilin' For A Fight | | • | Wheels | | • | Decibel | | • | Stormy May Day | | • | She Likes Rock 'n' Roll | | • | Money Made | | • | Rock 'n' Roll Dream | | • | Rocking All The Way | | • | Black Ice |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk Review
Such are the near-generational gaps between latter-day AC/DC albums that it's always tempting to hail the arrival of a new one as a return to form. Black Ice arrives a whopping eight years after the band's last offering, Stiff Upper Lip, but one chorus into "Rock N Roll Train", the wise man would conclude that any evolution here is as slow and incremental as, well, evolution. A punchy, straightforward opener that finds Angus Young in good riff and Brian Johnson preaching a familiar gospel of schoolgirls and schoolboys, fantasy and ecstasy, it's familiar in the best possible way. A little deeper into Black Ice, however, and there's evidence of a slightly altered approach. Producer Brendan O'Brien softens and fleshes out the stripped-down, electric blues sound AC/DC rediscovered on 1995's Ballbreaker, and in places the band follow suit--take "Anything Goes", a poppy stomp that recalls O'Brien's other recent charge, Bruce Springsteen. Elsewhere, "Stormy May Day" and "Money Made" find Young taking up the slide for a few Zeppelin-flavoured licks. A few new paths, then, but all in all, the destination is pretty much the same: another solid late-period AC/DC album that, while unlikely to dislodge Back in Black from the fan's pedestal, finds its makers rocking into ripe old age. --Louis Pattison
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| Customer Reviews: Read 47 more reviews...
 AC/DC storm back with an inspired, catchy and memorable album December 2, 2008
Bones (High Wycombe, UK.)
AC/DC bounce back with an album full of fun and inspiration. Featuring their most catchy songs since the early 80's, the band have gone for hooks and melodies aplenty, apparently encouraged by producer Brendan O'Brien, who has also coaxed a more soulful, rather less strained performance from a very impressive Brian Johnson. Johnson, aged 60 when Black Ice was recorded, rolls back the years with a voice which whilst weathered, sounds strong and of more texture than for many a year. He sounds powerful and shrill in the style of his 80's heyday on tunes like Big Jack and Spoilin' For A Fight, adds his traditional gritty edge to superb, bluesy lines on Decibel, and just sounds altogether fantastic on the anthemic Rock 'n' Roll Train and Money Made.
The production from O'Brien, and mix from Mike Fraser, are excellent. Big, round, full of warmth and crunch - a modern production but not over-polished, despite a couple of slightly ill-advised but harmless uses of samples on guitars and vocals here and there. Angus favours a chunky sound but without the high end of the 70's albums - this is more like their more recent albums in terms of guitar sound, with Mal's awesome rhythm particularly evident on the aforementioned Money Made.
Soloing from Angus is great in parts, largely too short for hardcore fans, and rarely does he let rip with the flowing, tumbling pentatonic and blues runs which addded so much to the songs pre-1995's Ballbreaker. However, there are flashes of his old magic in Decibel, the rousing Skies on Fire, and in the glorious double-stops and double-bends of the ultra-catchy Anything Goes. Of the latter, it is curious how such a commercial track is just slightly let down in the chorus, where the actual song title isn't used, and without any backing vocals as in something like 1990's Moneytalks. Still, the song is a cracker and basically, pure sing-along fun.
Lyrics are again handled by the Youngs, and in the most part are uninspired and meaningless, failing to conjure up much in the way of imagary or indeed anything at all. You only have to check the main website message boards and discussions to see how strongly the fans wanted Johnson writing again.
The other disappointment is in the short length of some songs. Perhaps due to there being 15 of them, and concerns over running time, some superb tracks are all over too soon. War Machine just about gets away with it, but its quality deserves more, and the majestic Stormy May Day abruptly ends after the 2nd chorus, without a solo in sight. A pity.
But overall this is a great collection of songs, and aside from a somewhat dull chorus to She Likes Rock n Roll, and the lack of lyrics (content and structure) in Smash n Grab's strange 1st verse, there's hardly anything which a real AC/DC fan wouldn't enjoy immensely. What we have here is a thoroughly enjoyable collection of songs which find the band in fine form, led by one of the most characterful voices in rock and backed up by a one-off rhythm section - plus those classic twin guitars.
Their best for 25 years - enjoy!
Predictable November 29, 2008
A. K.
There are decent riffs on this album that lift it above some of the more lackadaisical offerings of Brian Johnston-era AC/DC (the equally forgettable Fly on the Wall, Ballbreaker, and Stiff Upper Lip), but it's a predominantly pedestrian set of songs.
Considering 8 years has elapsed since their last studio release (Stiff Upper Lip - although work began on Black Ice in 2006), you might expect them to pool their combined talent to write a more dynamic collection of songs - the album becomes repetitive and the songs indistinguishable after half way.
I've been listening to AC/DC since I first heard them on Australian radio as a schoolboy in the 1970s, and I've been consistently disappointed since Flick of the Switch (1983) precipitated a long slow decline from their previous three-punch successes of Highway to Hell, Back in Black, and For Those About to Rock..
Angus Young, despite his phenomenal guitar playing ability, has spent most of his post-Back in Black career (their landmark 1980 comeback album after the death of original singer Bon Scott) writing similar boogie riffs in the same key.
Brian Johnson lacks the clever word-play or cheeky insolence of the late Bon Scott's lyrics - indeed the Young brothers took over lyric duties four albums ago (Razor's Edge), despite Brian announcing he hoped to contribute to Black Ice.
In short, it starts well with the hit single Rock 'n' Roll Train, but like the similar-sounding names of the later song titles (She Likes Rock N Roll, Rock N Roll Dream, and Rocking All the Way), it gets very predictable.
 Another American Album November 29, 2008
EZER (SHEFFIELD)
Does Angus actually play lead guitar on this album?
Another over produced album from the best band in the world, i knew there was a reason i stopped buying their albums the first time i played this one.
Whatever happened to tracks like, Problem Child, Whole Lotta Rosie, Back in Black, Hell aint a Bad Place Be, High Voltage, Shoot to Thrill etc??
There are some good tracks on this album, that could've been great tracks if they hadn't been toned down and over produced.
There's just no solid thumping drums and Bass, Where's Malcolm gone? and no "Angus" to any of the tracks!!
Album review November 28, 2008
Daniel Johnson
Some may think the aged aussie hard rockers would now probably be concentrating on other things in life, like bus passes? Long sensible walks in the country? Collecting food vouchers maybe? NO WAY!
The best band to ever emerge from Aus are back touring round the world spreading the word of the rock gospel to many.
OK, it was always going to be difficult to top their back catalogue standards of such immensely tremendous and popular albums. I think its safe to say that 'Back in Black' seems to be the most highly regarded and iconic album by AC/DC, but 'Black Ice' has still got its mark to leave and its Pretty Damn Good! It's exactly what you'd expect from AC/DC.
After giving 'Black Ice' a whirl on the hi-fi I can now tell you expect nothing less than a classic rock CD full of upbeat songs about the typical AC/DC subject matter. ROCK N ROLL!
The no nonsense fifteen track album is in your typical AC/DC style, simple yet awesome Angus riffs accompanied by Brian Johnson's screaming vocals under a flat cap.
All fifteen songs are top-class typical AC/DC songs. Track one 'Rock n Roll Train' is a complete belter of a song to start off the new album, just leaving you wanting more.
Shrewd shredding and heavy backing vocals throughout then leads to track five, 'War machine' a slightly new slant for AC/DC with a heavier feel.
Enough of being critical, if you're an AC/DC rock fan reading this review with the purpose of deciding weather or not to buy the album, you don't need all the technical stuff of past album sales, the quality of songwriting in previous albums, the history of the band and various name dropping...
All you want to know is whether the album is worth a bloody good head banging session when you're alone in the house to let loose. Well, the album is in fact brilliant; it's a fist pumping, extremely energetic exciting compilation of fifteen AC/DC songs you haven't heard before.
Though the band may now fit into the coffin dodger category concerning their ever increasing age along with the Stones, Sabbath etc, here's one of the classic acts from the past that are still proving, The oldens are the best!
Reinforcing the brand November 27, 2008
Adrenalin Streams (UK)
My first impression of this album was that it sounds exactly like AC/DC have always sounded. Listening to it again my second, and very favourable, impression, was that the album sounds exactly like AC/DC have always sounded!
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