Let There Be Rock

Last updated

"There was always a siege mentality about that band. But once we all found out that Atlantic had knocked us back the attitude was: 'Fuck them! Who the fuck do they think they are?' So from that point onwards it was: 'Fuck, we'll show them!' We were seriously fucking pissed off about it. It didn't need to be discussed. We were going to go in and make that album and shove it up their arse!"

Mark Evans

Angus Young said, "Our brother George asked us what kind of album we wanted to make and we said it would be great if we could just make a lot of guitar riffs, because we were all fired up after doing all this touring." [4]

Artwork

The Australian cover features the fingers of guitarist Chris Turner, from Australian band Buffalo. "There was a bloke called Colin Stead, who was in Buffalo for about ten minutes," Turner recalled. "He was also the centrefold photographer for Playboy . He phoned me up and said he was doing the album cover for Let There Be Rock, but AC/DC were out of town, so could I help out? He wanted a flash guitar run up and down the neck. Apparently, when he saw it, Angus said, 'He's got fat fingers, hasn't he?'" [5]

The cover of the international version, released in July 1977, marked the first appearance of the band's now iconic logo, designed by Gerard Huerta. The photograph used for the international cover was taken at a concert on 19 March 1977 at the Kursaal Ballroom, Southend, Essex, UK, by rock photographer Keith Morris. [6]

Reception

Let There Be Rock
ACDC-LetThereBeRock.jpg
International cover
Studio album by
Released21 March 1977 (1977-03-21) [lower-alpha 1]
Recorded
Studio Albert (Sydney)
Genre
Length40:19 (Australia)
41:01 (international)
Label
Producer
AC/DC chronology
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
(1976)
Let There Be Rock
(1977)
Powerage
(1978)
Alternative cover art
Let There Be Rock.gif
Original Australian cover
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [7]
Classic Rock Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [8]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [9]
MusicHound Rock Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [10]
The Quietus (favourable) [11]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [12]
Spin Alternative Record Guide 5/10 [13]

Reception to Let There Be Rock was extremely positive; according to AllMusic, which gave the album a rating of four and a half out of five stars in a retrospective review, AC/DC played "sweaty, dirty, nasty rock" and the band had "rarely done that kind of rock better than they did" on Let There Be Rock. [7] In 2001, Q magazine named Let There Be Rock as one of the 50 Heaviest Albums of All Time. [14]

Cashbox said "Heavy metal is their special forte and there is plenty of voltage displayed on this electrified disc." [15]

Eduardo Rivadavia of AllMusic enthuses, "Let There Be Rock sees AC/DC's religious-like respect for the simple art of making rock & roll brought to its logical conclusion: a veritable gospel to the glory of rock, canonized here in hymn-like worship. The near-epic title track to what is widely regarded as the best Bon Scott-era album, the song is a holy testimony, bringing good news to all those who believe in the healing power of rock & roll -- amen! Oh yeah, it also kicks unholy ass!" [16]

David Fricke of Rolling Stone wrote of the album in a 2008 cover story, "AC/DC's early albums were perfectly frenetic, but inconsistent. Their second U.S. LP was almost all killer. Scott sings 'Bad Boy Boogie' and 'Problem Child' like he's the enfant terrible...Angus' solos are true white heat." In 2006, AC/DC biographer Murray Engleheart wrote that Let There Be Rock "elevated AC/DC to the status of an album band, something that had previously been the exclusive domain of the likes of The Rolling Stones, The Who and Led Zeppelin." In 2000, Angus Young recalled to Guitar World that producer Mutt Lange once told him "of all the many albums we'd done with my brother George and his partner, Harry Vanda, the one Mutt wished he would have done, where he was envious of George, was Let There Be Rock." Band biographer Jesse Fink writes, "Wherever AC/DC ended up in the annals of rock history, this album would stand for all time as an expression of their unrivaled might as a guitar band." [17]

Track listing

Australian version

All tracks are written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young and Bon Scott

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Go Down"5:17
2."Dog Eat Dog"3:35
3."Let There Be Rock"6:06
4."Bad Boy Boogie"4:27
Side two
No.TitleLength
5."Overdose"6:09
6."Crabsody in Blue"4:44
7."Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be"4:14
8."Whole Lotta Rosie"5:24
Total length:40:19

International version

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Go Down"5:31
2."Dog Eat Dog"3:35
3."Let There Be Rock"6:06
4."Bad Boy Boogie"4:27
Side two
No.TitleLength
5."Problem Child"5:25
6."Overdose"6:09
7."Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be"4:14
8."Whole Lotta Rosie"5:24
Total length:41:01

Notes

Personnel

AC/DC

Production

Charts

Chart (1977–1981)Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [18] 19
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [19] 10
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [20] 42
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [21] 29
UK Albums (OCC) [22] 17
US Billboard 200 [23] 154
Chart (2003)Peak
position
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [24] 37
Chart (2024)Peak
position
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [25] 40
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [26] 17

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [27] 5× Platinum350,000^
France (SNEP) [28] Gold100,000*
Germany (BVMI) [29] Platinum500,000^
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [30] Gold50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [31] Gold100,000^
United States (RIAA) [32] 2× Platinum2,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Notes

  1. Dutch Top 40 magazine
  2. A and B-side reversed in the United States
  1. It released on 21 March 1977 in Australasia, and was released internationally on 25 July 1977. [1]
  2. Track 6 (international)
  3. All tracks except track 6 (international)

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AC/DC</span> Australian rock band

AC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock and heavy metal, but the band calls it simply "rock and roll". They are cited as a formative influence on the new wave of British heavy metal bands.

<i>Back in Black</i> 1980 studio album by AC/DC

Back in Black is the seventh studio album by Australian rock band AC/DC, released on 25 July 1980, by Albert Productions and Atlantic Records. It was the band's first album to feature Brian Johnson as lead singer, following the death of Bon Scott, their previous vocalist.

<i>Highway to Hell</i> 1979 studio album by AC/DC

Highway to Hell is the sixth studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, released on 27 July 1979. It is the first of three albums produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange, and is the last album featuring lead singer Bon Scott, who died on 19 February 1980.

<i>Blow Up Your Video</i> 1988 studio album by AC/DC

Blow Up Your Video is the eleventh studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, released on 1 February 1988. The album was re-released in 2003 as part of the AC/DC Remasters series.

<i>Flick of the Switch</i> 1983 studio album by AC/DC

Flick of the Switch is the ninth studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. The album was deemed a commercial disappointment after it failed to match the sales figures of the band's two previous releases, 1980's Back in Black and 1981's For Those About to Rock, and its release represented the beginning of the band's commercial decline. The third AC/DC album to feature lead vocalist Brian Johnson, the album is also the last to feature drummer Phil Rudd before his return on Ballbreaker (1995). The album was re-released in 2003 as part of the AC/DC Remasters series.

<i>T.N.T.</i> (album) 1975 studio album by AC/DC

T.N.T. is the second studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, released only in Australia and New Zealand on 1 December 1975. This was the band's first release with bassist Mark Evans and drummer Phil Rudd, although the last two tracks feature George Young and Tony Currenti, both of whom previously appeared on High Voltage.

<i>Powerage</i> 1978 studio album by AC/DC

Powerage is the fifth studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, released on 5 May 1978 in the United Kingdom and 20 May 1978 in the United States. This was the band's first album to feature Cliff Williams on bass guitar, and it was also the first AC/DC album not to have a title track and the first worldwide not to be released with a different album cover. Powerage was re-released in 2003 as part of the AC/DC Remasters series.

<i>The Razors Edge</i> (AC/DC album) 1990 studio album by AC/DC

The Razors Edge is the twelfth studio album by Australian rock band AC/DC. Released on 24 September 1990, through Albert Productions/CBS Records International in Australasia and Atlantic Records in Europe, it was recorded in 1990 in Little Mountain Sound Studios in Vancouver, Canada, and was mixed and engineered by Mike Fraser and produced by Bruce Fairbairn. It was a major comeback for the band, featuring the hits "Thunderstruck", "Are You Ready" and "Moneytalks". This is the only studio album to feature Welsh drummer Chris Slade, who was the drummer for AC/DC from 1989 to his dismissal in 1994.

<i>If You Want Blood Youve Got It</i> 1978 live album by AC/DC

If You Want Blood You've Got It is the first live album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, and their only live album released during Bon Scott's lifetime. It was originally released in the UK and Europe on 13 October 1978, in the US on 21 November 1978, and in Australia on 27 November 1978. The album was re-released in 1994 on Atco Records and in 2003 as part of the AC/DC Remasters series.

<i>Fly on the Wall</i> (AC/DC album) 1985 studio album by AC/DC

Fly on the Wall is the tenth studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, released on 1 July 1985 by Albert Productions, and Atlantic Records. The album was re-released in 2003 as part of the AC/DC Remasters series.

<i>74 Jailbreak</i> 1984 EP by AC/DC

'74 Jailbreak is the only EP by Australian rock band AC/DC, released in 1984. It is composed of five tracks that had previously been released only in Australia. Despite the EP's title, the song "Jailbreak" was actually recorded in 1976 and was originally released that year on the Australian version of the Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap album. The EP's four other tracks were originally released on the Australian version of the band's debut album, High Voltage, recorded in 1974 and released early the following year.

<i>Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap</i> 1976 studio album by AC/DC

Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap is the third studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, originally released only in Europe, Australia and New Zealand in 1976. The album was not released in the United States until 1981, more than one year after lead singer Bon Scott's death. This was also AC/DC's first album in its entirety to be recorded with the same lineup, rather than including at least one track recorded with a different bassist or drummer.

<i>For Those About to Rock We Salute You</i> 1981 studio album by AC/DC

For Those About to Rock (We Salute You) (shortened to For Those About to Rock on its cover) is the eighth studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. It was released on 20 November 1981 in the United States and on 27 November 1981 in the United Kingdom.

<i>Ballbreaker</i> 1995 studio album by AC/DC

Ballbreaker is the thirteenth studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. It was released in 1995 and was re-released in 2005 as part of the AC/DC Remasters series.

<i>High Voltage</i> (1976 album) 1976 international studio album by AC/DC

High Voltage is the first internationally released album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. It contains tracks completed from their first two previous Australia-only issued albums: High Voltage and T.N.T..

<i>Who Made Who</i> 1986 soundtrack album by AC/DC

Who Made Who is a soundtrack album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. Released on 26 May 1986, the album is the soundtrack to the Stephen King film Maximum Overdrive. The album was re-released in 2003 as part of the AC/DC Remasters series.

<i>Backtracks</i> (AC/DC album) 2009 box set by AC/DC

Backtracks is a box set by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. It was announced on 29 September 2009 and was released on 10 November 2009. This is a collection of the band's studio and live rarities together in one boxset. There are two editions; a Deluxe Edition and a Standard Edition. All tracks have been remastered to match the sound of the 2003 album remasters and many songs appear on CD for the first time. It is the band's second box set of rarities, following the Bonfire release in 1997.

<i>Stiff Upper Lip</i> (album) 2000 studio album by AC/DC

Stiff Upper Lip is the fourteenth studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. It was released on 28 February 2000. The album was produced by George Young, older brother of Malcolm and Angus Young. It was the last AC/DC album that George produced before his death in 2017.

<i>Live at River Plate</i> (album) 2012 live album by AC/DC

Live at River Plate is a live album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, released on 19 November 2012.

<i>Rock or Bust</i> 2014 studio album by AC/DC

Rock or Bust is the sixteenth studio album by Australian rock band AC/DC, released on 28 November 2014. Rock or Bust is the group's first album to feature rhythm guitarist Stevie Young, replacing founding member Malcolm Young, who had retired from the band earlier in the year due to health concerns. It is the shortest studio album ever released by the band. At approximately 35 minutes, it is two minutes shorter than their previous shortest album, Flick of the Switch, which was released in 1983. It sold 2.8 million copies worldwide.

References

  1. "RIAA certifications for AC/DC". Recording Industry Association of America .
  2. "AC/DC singles". Archived from the original on 29 March 2022. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  3. Wall, Mick (7 May 2016). "Let There Be Rock: The album that saved AC/DC's career". Loudersound. Archived from the original on 24 October 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  4. Sylvie Simmons. "AC/DC Celebrate Their Quarter Century". Rock's Backpages . Archived from the original on 19 October 2021. Retrieved 11 June 2022.(Subscription required.)
  5. Wall, Mick (May 2012). "Let there be light! Let there be sound! Let there be rock!". Classic Rock #170. p. 42.
  6. "AC/DC Tour History - 19 Mar. 1977 Southend (Kursaal Ballroom)". www.ac-dc.net. Archived from the original on 12 April 2018. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  7. 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Let There Be Rock -AC/DC". AllMusic . Archived from the original on 2 June 2012. Retrieved 29 November 2009.
  8. Rock, Classic (25 July 2019). "AC/DC: Let There Be Rock album review". Loudersound. Archived from the original on 15 May 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  9. Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th Concise ed.). United Kingdom: Omnibus Press. p. 34. ISBN   978-1-84609-856-7.
  10. Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel, eds. (1999). "AC/DC". MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Farmington Hills, MI: Visible Ink Press. ISBN   1-57859-061-2.
  11. Marszalek, Julian (27 March 2017). "40 Years On: Revisiting AC/DC's Let There Be Rock". The Quietus. Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  12. "AC/DC: Album Guide". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on 8 March 2012. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
  13. Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (1995). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. ISBN   1841955515.
  14. "In our Lifetime #2". Rocklist.co.uk. Archived from the original on 19 October 2018. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
  15. "Album Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box . 16 July 1977. p. 18. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 November 2021. Retrieved 25 November 2021 via World Radio History.
  16. Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Let There Be Rock - AC/DC". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  17. Fink, Jesse (2013). The Youngs: The Brothers Who Built AC/DC. Australia: Ebury. p. 148. ISBN   9781742759791.
  18. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  19. "Dutchcharts.nl – AC/DC – Let There Be Rock" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  20. "Charts.nz – AC/DC – Let There Be Rock". Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  21. "Swedishcharts.com – AC/DC – Let There Be Rock". Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  22. "AC/DC | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  23. "AC-DC Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  24. "Norwegiancharts.com – AC/DC – Let There Be Rock". Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  25. "Offiziellecharts.de – AC/DC – Let There Be Rock" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
  26. "Swisscharts.com – AC/DC – Let There Be Rock". Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  27. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2013 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
  28. "French album certifications – AC/DC – Let There Be Rock" (in French). InfoDisc.Select AC/DC and click OK. 
  29. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (AC/DC; 'Let There Be Rock')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie . Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  30. Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (PDF) (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. p. 953. ISBN   84-8048-639-2. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 January 2021. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
  31. "British album certifications – AC/DC – Let There Be Rock". British Phonographic Industry.
  32. "American album certifications – AC/DC – Let There Be Rock". Recording Industry Association of America.