The Razors Edge | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 24 September 1990 | |||
Recorded | 1990 | |||
Studio | Little Mountain Sound (Vancouver) | |||
Genre | Hard rock | |||
Length | 46:29 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | Bruce Fairbairn | |||
AC/DC chronology | ||||
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Singles from The Razors Edge | ||||
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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.
Critical commentary for the album was generally mixed, with Alex Henderson of AllMusic complimenting Brian Johnson and Angus Young, while John Mendelsohn from Rolling Stone criticises its similarity to the band's past works. The album reached number 2 on the US Billboard 200 and number 4 on the UK Albums Chart, a smash commercial success that returned the band to a peak equivalent to that of their late 1970s and early 1980s popularity. The album earned multi-platinum certifications in Australia, Canada, Germany, Switzerland and the US. To support The Razors Edge, the band undertook the Razors Edge World Tour, starting in November 1990.
In 1987, the band had recorded Blow Up Your Video (1988) with their original producers, Harry Vanda and George Young. [1] [2] It was a commercial success – the album reached number 2 in the UK, [3] and Australia. [4] The Blow Up Your Video World Tour began in February 1988 in Perth, Australia. Following live appearances across Europe, rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young announced that he was taking time off touring, principally to begin recovery from his alcoholism. Another member of the Young family, their nephew, Stevie Young, temporarily took Malcolm's place on rhythm guitar. [5] [6] In 1989, drummer Simon Wright left the group to work on American heavy metal band Dio's fifth studio album Lock Up the Wolves (1990); he was replaced by Welsh drummer Chris Slade. [6] Brian Johnson was unavailable for several months while finalising his divorce, so the Young brothers wrote all the songs for future albums, a practice they continued for all subsequent releases through Power Up in 2020. [7]
The Razors Edge was recorded at Little Mountain Sound Studios in Vancouver, Canada, and was mixed and engineered by Mike Fraser, produced by Bruce Fairbairn, who had previously worked with Aerosmith and Bon Jovi; [8] [9] and mastered by George Marino, at Sterling Sound in New York City. [9] According to the book AC/DC: Maximum Rock & Roll, George Young was involved early on but had to bow out because of personal issues. [10]
According to Guitar World , the opening riff to "Thunderstruck" features Angus Young alternating between fretted notes and playing the open string. In a 1993 interview with Alan di Perna, the guitarist recalls, "I was just fiddling with my left hand when I came up with that riff; I played it more by accident than anything. I thought, 'not bad,' and put it on a tape. That's how me and Malcolm generally work. We put our ideas down on tape and play them for one another." [11] He expanded in greater detail in the liner notes of the 2003 re-release of The Razors Edge: [12]
It started off from a little trick I had on guitar. I played it to Mal and he said "Oh, I've got a good rhythm idea that will sit well in the back." We built the song up from that. We fiddled about with it for a few months before everything fell into place. Lyrically, it was really just a case of finding a good title...We came up with this thunder thing and it seemed to have a good ring to it. AC/DC = Power. That's the basic idea.
"Moneytalks" is also one of AC/DC's biggest hits, peaking at number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100, [13] number 36 on the UK Singles Chart, [3] and number 21 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart. [14] It is still the band's highest-charting single in the United States, at number 23. [13] During their subsequent world tour, thousands of Angus Bucks – a replica of an American $1 bill but with Angus pictured instead of George Washington – were dropped on the audience during the song. [15] A music video of the song, directed by David Mallet, was also released, featuring a live performance during the tour. [16] [17]
Author Murray Engleheart states in his band memoir AC/DC: Maximum Rock & Roll: "On songs like 'Mistress for Christmas' and 'Moneytalks', Malcolm and Angus showed their working-class roots, despite multi-millionaire selling albums, by taking aim at the high flyers in the business world". [18] In a February 1991 interview with Guitar World, Angus Young stated that the funniest song from the album was "Mistress for Christmas", and then said that the song was about Donald Trump. In the same interview, he declared that his best guitar solo on the album was on the song the title track, which also features a rare foray into finger picking. [19]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal | 9/10 [21] |
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Entertainment Weekly | A− [23] |
Rolling Stone | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Select | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Released on 24 September 1990, [8] [26] through Albert Productions/CBS Records in Australasia and Atlantic Records in Europe, [27] The Razors Edge received generally mixed to positive reviews from critics. Alex Henderson of AllMusic complimented both the vocal performance by Brian Johnson and the guitar playing of Angus Young, and said that the album was "arguably [the band's] strongest album in over half a decade". [20] Greg Sandow of Entertainment Weekly gave the album a very favourable review, saying that "this is one album that really delivers". [23] Canadian journalist Martin Popoff defined the album "tight, highly strung and menacing... entirely worthy of its status as the grand comeback of legendary rock 'n' roll runts". [21] John Mendelsohn of Rolling Stone , on the other hand, gave the album two out of five stars, criticising its similarity to past AC/DC works, and said that "with The Razors Edge, AC/DC sets a new record for the longest career without a single new idea". [24] Mark Putterford of Select marked the album a four out of five, stating that "The Razors Edge comes on like an old friend you haven't seen for a couple of years". [25]
The album was a major comeback for the band, featuring the singles "Thunderstruck" (September 1990); [28] and "Are You Ready" (28 March 1991), [29] which reached number 5 and number 16 respectively on Billboard 's Mainstream Rock chart, [30] and "Moneytalks" (12 November 1990), [29] which peaked at number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100. [13] Its fourth single, "Rock Your Heart Out" was released exclusively in Australasia on 13 October 1991. [29] The album peaked at number 2 on the Billboard 200, and stayed on the chart for 77 consecutive weeks. [31] It also reached number 4 on OCC's UK Albums Chart. [3] The Razors Edge received certifications, including 5× Platinum in Australia, [32] Canada, [33] and the US, [34] 2× Platinum in Germany, [35] and Switzerland, [36] Platinum in Argentina, [37] Austria, [38] Finland, [39] New Zealand, [40] Spain, [41] and Sweden, [42] and Gold in France, [43] Italy, [44] and the UK. [45] The album has sold approximately 18.8 million copies worldwide, making it the third highest selling AC/DC album after Back in Black and High Voltage . [46]
To further promote The Razors Edge, the band undertook a world tour starting on 2 November 1990 and ending on 16 November 1991. [47] Several shows on the Razors Edge World Tour were recorded for the 1992 live album titled AC/DC Live . The album was produced by Fairbairn, and is considered one of the best live albums of the 1990s, according to Berry Weber of AllMusic. [48] The album was reissued on 25 March 2003 as part of the AC/DC Remasters series. [49] It was also reissued on 19 November 2012 on iTunes, alongside their entire catalogue – excluding T.N.T. (1975) and the Australian versions of High Voltage (1975), Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (1976) and Let There Be Rock (1977). [50] On 15 March 2024, the album was reissued on gold vinyl for their 50th anniversary, as part of the AC/DC 50 series. [51]
Credits adapted from the liner notes. [9]
All tracks are written by Angus Young and Malcolm Young.
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Thunderstruck" | 4:52 |
2. | "Fire Your Guns" | 2:53 |
3. | "Moneytalks" | 3:45 |
4. | "The Razors Edge" | 4:22 |
5. | "Mistress for Christmas" | 3:58 |
6. | "Rock Your Heart Out" | 4:06 |
No. | Title | Length |
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7. | "Are You Ready" | 4:10 |
8. | "Got You by the Balls" | 4:29 |
9. | "Shot of Love" | 3:57 |
10. | "Let's Make It" | 3:32 |
11. | "Goodbye & Good Riddance to Bad Luck" | 3:14 |
12. | "If You Dare" | 3:11 |
Total length: | 46:29 |
Credits adapted from the album's liner notes. [9]
AC/DC
Production
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Argentina (CAPIF) [37] Spanish Version "El Filo de las Navajas" | Platinum | 60,000^ |
Australia (ARIA) [32] | 5× Platinum | 350,000^ |
Austria (IFPI Austria) [38] | Platinum | 50,000* |
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [77] | Gold | 100,000‡ |
Canada (Music Canada) [33] | 5× Platinum | 500,000^ |
Finland (Musiikkituottajat) [39] | Platinum | 63,926 [39] |
France (SNEP) [43] | Gold | 100,000* |
Germany (BVMI) [35] | 2× Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
Italy (FIMI) [44] since 2009 | Gold | 25,000* |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [40] | Platinum | 15,000^ |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [41] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
Sweden (GLF) [42] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [36] | 2× Platinum | 100,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [45] | Gold | 100,000^ |
United States (RIAA) [34] | 6× Platinum | 6,000,000‡ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
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Various | 24 September 1990 | [8] [26] [27] | ||
25 March 2003 |
| [49] | ||
19 November 2012 | Digital download | Columbia | [50] | |
15 March 2024 | LP |
| [78] |
AC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in 1973. It was founded by brothers Malcolm Young on rhythm guitar and Angus Young on lead guitar. Their current line-up comprises Angus, bass guitarist Cliff Williams, drummer Phil Rudd, lead vocalist Brian Johnson and rhythm guitarist Stevie Young, nephew of Angus and Malcolm. 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, such as Def Leppard and Saxon. AC/DC were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003.
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.
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.
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.
Let There Be Rock is the fourth studio album by Australian rock band AC/DC. It was originally released on 21 March 1977 in Australasia, through Albert Productions label. A modified international edition was released on 25 July 1977, through Atlantic Records. It was the last AC/DC album to feature Mark Evans on bass.
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.
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.
AC/DC Live is the second live album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, released in October 1992. Two versions were released, one containing a single CD, with the second version being a double album on LP and CD known as AC/DC Live: 2 CD Collector's Edition. A feature-length live video, AC/DC: Live at Donington, was released concurrently. The double album AC/DC Live: 2 CD Collector's Edition was released a month after the single-disc version, in a slipcased two-disc "book" and containing an AC/DC dollar note known as "Angus Bucks". Both editions of the album were re-released in 2003 as part of the AC/DC Remasters series.
Family Jewels is a compilation DVD by the hard rock band AC/DC, featuring the group's music videos, live clips and promotional videos from 1975 to 2008. It was released by Albert Productions and Epic Music Video on 28 March 2005. The first disc contains videos from the Bon Scott era (1975–1980), such as the band's first TV appearance and a performance on television ten days before Scott died. The second disc contains material from the Brian Johnson era up to 1991.
"Thunderstruck" is a song by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, released as the lead single from their 1990 album The Razors Edge. It peaked at No. 4 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart, No. 1 in Finland, and No. 5 on the US Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart. In 2010, "Thunderstruck" topped Triple M Melbourne's Ultimate 500 Rock Countdown in Australia. The song is used in movies such as Deadpool 2, Planes: Fire & Rescue, Varsity Blues, The Longest Yard, Katie and Orbie, Battleship, The Fall Guy,The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Daddy's Home, among others, as well as TV shows. It is one of the best selling singles of all time with over 15 million units sold.
Australian rock band AC/DC have released 18 studio albums, two soundtrack albums, three live albums, one extended play, 57 singles, 11 video albums, 52 music videos and two box sets. Although many AC/DC singles have been released, the band refused to issue any greatest hits albums. Who Made Who, which served as the soundtrack to Stephen King's film Maximum Overdrive, Iron Man 2 and the band's various live recordings are the closest they have issued to such a compilation.
"Moneytalks" is a song written by Malcolm and Angus Young and produced by Bruce Fairbairn for the hard rock band AC/DC. Originally released on 24 September 1990 on the album The Razors Edge, it was later released as a single that year. A live version of the song recorded on the band's 1990–1991 Razors Edge World Tour appeared on AC/DC's 1992 live album, Live.
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.
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.
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..
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.
Iron Man 2 is a soundtrack album for the 2010 film of the same name consisting of music by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. It was released on April 19, 2010.
Stiff Upper Lip is the 14th 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.
Power Up is the seventeenth studio album by Australian rock band AC/DC, released on 13 November 2020 through Columbia Records. Power Up marks the return of vocalist Brian Johnson, drummer Phil Rudd and bassist Cliff Williams to AC/DC. This is also the band's first album since the death of co-founder and rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young in 2017, Malcolm received posthumous songwriting credits for all of the album's songs, as they were never-before released tracks written by him and his brother, Angus. The album is dedicated and serves as tribute to Malcolm according to his brother.
While the band played 'Moneytalks' during their world tour they dropped thousands of Angus Bucks at the audience.