Ballbreaker

Last updated

Ballbreaker
Ballbreaker.jpg
Studio album by
AC/DC
Released22 September 1995 (1995-09-22) [1]
RecordedFebruary – May 1995
Studio Ocean Way (Los Angeles)
Genre
Length49:11
Label
Producer
AC/DC chronology
AC/DC Live
(1992)		Ballbreaker
(1995)		 Bonfire
(1997)
Singles from Ballbreaker
  1. "Hard as a Rock"
    Released: September 1995
  2. "Hail Caesar"
    Released: 19 February 1996
  3. "Cover You in Oil"
    Released: 22 March 1996

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.

Contents

Background

Ballbreaker marked the return of drummer Phil Rudd, who had played with AC/DC from 1975 to 1983. Rudd had left during the Flick of the Switch sessions due to drug problems and his incompatibility with Malcolm Young. [2] According to Arnaud Durieux's book AC/DC: Maximum Rock & Roll, Rudd attended AC/DC's show in Auckland in November 1991 and, after a friendly meeting with the band backstage, made an "open-ended pitch" to rejoin if anything changed with the band's current drummer Chris Slade. Durieux reports that the band eventually invited Rudd to rejoin and he accepted in August 1994, much to the chagrin of Slade, [3] who had been recording demos with the band in London. [4] Slade told Rock Hard France in June 2001 that he was so disappointed and disgusted that he did not touch his drum kit for three years.[ citation needed ] Slade would eventually rejoin the band for their performance at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards Ceremony and the 2015 Rock or Bust World Tour following Rudd's legal issues involving illegal drug possession and threatening to kill his former personal assistant, both of which forced him out of the band a second time.

Ballbreaker is the only AC/DC album produced by Rick Rubin. Rubin had been a long-time fan of the band; former AC/DC engineer Tony Platt recalls overhearing the producer working with the Cult on their 1987 LP Electric :

Rick Rubin was recording the Cult in Studio A and we [Platt and the studio engineers] stood in the airlock just outside the studio. A snatch of Highway to Hell would get played and then a snatch from Back in Black and then a snatch of Led Zeppelin, and we thought, "What the hell's going on there?" [A studio assistant] said, "Well, he's getting the guitar sounds from Back in Black, the drum sound from Highway to Hell and the voice sound from Led Zeppelin!" Literally, as he was mixing he was getting a guitar sound on the Cult and then comparing it directly with the guitar sound that he wanted to get from Back in Black. The same with all the other instruments. [5]

Rubin's first assignment with AC/DC had been "Big Gun," which appeared on the soundtrack for the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie Last Action Hero . The song was a hit, becoming Billboard's #1 rock track and hit #5 on the Canadian charts. [6]

Recording

The album took five months to record. Production started at the Record Plant Studios in New York City, but the band became dissatisfied with the sound there and moved to Los Angeles' Ocean Way Studios. [7] Getting the right drum sound at the Record Plant had proved impossible, with Rubin even isolating the drums in a tent in the studio and lining the walls and ceiling with material to soak up the extra sound the room generated. [8] Although the band was immediately satisfied with the Ocean Way Studios, Rubin and Malcolm Young clashed over the album's direction, with Rubin demanding as many as 50 retakes on some songs, and rumours persist that Rubin was often absent from the studio and left the band to their own devices while he reportedly saw to the recording of the Red Hot Chili Peppers' One Hot Minute album at the same time. [9] In a 1995 interview with Guitar World , Young played down the tension between him and Rubin, although he did admit to Le Monde in October 2000, "Working with him was a mistake." Mike Fraser was also credited for recording, engineering and mixing the album. Marvel Comics contributed to Ballbreaker's cover art.

Composition

"Burnin' Alive" was written about the cult followers in Waco, Texas, who were burnt to death in 1993 during a raid by the authorities, while "Hard as a Rock," the album's first single, dated back to the Who Made Who sessions [10] The music video for "Hard as a Rock" was directed by David Mallet and was set at the Bray Studios in Windsor, Berkshire. In the video, which is reminiscent of the Mallet-directed "Thunderstruck" from 1990, lead guitarist Angus Young is seen playing his Gibson SG on a wrecking ball, which destroys a building. "Cover You in Oil" features a typically licentious lyric ("I see a young girl in the neighbourhood...I must confess I'd like to run my hands up and down her legs..."). "The Furor" and "Hail Caesar" also see the band making an uncharacteristic dip into social commentary. Malcolm Young stated in an interview:

I think: stand up and be counted. If there's anyone that takes it like we want to promote a Nazi regime or something, these people are usually the ones that want to promote a total Christian regime. I don't like this politically correct thing on the planet at the moment, to be honest with you. I don't mind it if it doesn't interfere with you on the street, but the day they screw around with your cigarettes and everything else - and there's a lot of cigarettes smoked in AC/DC in all that music you hear - it might not be the same if it was all gone. I just don't like being told what to do, basically like anyone. [11]

Phil Rudd performs at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma on 12 August 1996 Ac-dcphil-rudd.jpg
Phil Rudd performs at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma on 12 August 1996

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [12]
Entertainment Weekly B [13]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [14]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [15]

The initial shipments of Ballbreaker, outside of Japan and Australia, were 2.5 million copies. In AC/DC's native Australia, Ballbreaker topped the ARIA Charts and was certified gold the day of release, with 35,000 units sold. The album reached the top 10 in many countries, including #4 in the U.S., #6 in the U.K., and topping the Finland, Sweden and Switzerland charts. [6] It is currently certified 2× platinum by the RIAA in the US, for sales in excess of two million.

Jancee Dunn of Rolling Stone awarded the album two out of five stars, writing, "Their longevity can be credited to two factors: nostalgia and the fact that AC/DC still view the world through the mind of a horny 15-year-old. God knows there's more than enough of them to go around."

AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine notes, "Although 'Hard as a Rock' comes close, there aren't any songs as immediately memorable as any of their '70s classics, or even 'Moneytalks.' However, unlike any record since Back in Black, there are no bad songs on the album."

Ultimate Classic Rock stated: "With the Young brothers' songwriting confidence restored by their recent chart revival, Rudd's inimitable percussive prowess making AC/DC sound like themselves once again, and Rubin's almost religious commitment to unearthing the band's authentic '70s sound (even hunting down rare, surviving Marshall valve amplifiers – not digital), Ballbreaker had all the makings of an AC/DC purist's dream-come-true, plus a little something for almost everyone."

Track listing

All tracks are written by Angus Young and Malcolm Young.

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Hard as a Rock"4:31
2."Cover You in Oil"4:32
3."The Furor"4:10
4."Boogie Man"4:07
5."The Honey Roll"5:34
6."Burnin' Alive"5:05
Side two
No.TitleLength
7."Hail Caesar"5:14
8."Love Bomb"3:14
9."Caught with Your Pants Down"4:14
10."Whiskey on the Rocks"4:35
11."Ballbreaker"4:31
Total length:49:11

Charts

Personnel

Production

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Argentina (CAPIF) [39] Gold30,000^
Australia (ARIA) [40] 3× Platinum210,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria) [41] Gold25,000*
Finland (Musiikkituottajat) [42] Gold38,732 [42]
France (SNEP) [43] Platinum300,000*
Germany (BVMI) [44] Gold250,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ) [45] Platinum15,000^
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [46] Platinum100,000^
Sweden (GLF) [47] Gold50,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [48] Gold25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [49] Gold100,000^
United States (RIAA) [50] 2× Platinum2,000,000^

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

Related Research Articles

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

AC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in 1973. They were founded by brothers Malcolm Young on rhythm guitar and Angus Young on lead guitar. Their current lineup comprises Angus, bassist 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.

<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 by Albert Productions and Atlantic Records on 25 July 1980. 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>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>Let There Be Rock</i> 1977 studio album by AC/DC

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.

<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 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 in 1978. 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>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 28 June 1985 by Albert Productions, and Atlantic Records. The album was re-released in 2003 as part of the AC/DC Remasters series.

<i>AC/DC Live</i> 1992 live album by AC/DC

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AC/DC discography</span>

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.

<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>Black Ice</i> (album) 2008 studio album by AC/DC

Black Ice is the fifteenth studio album by Australian rock band AC/DC. First released in Europe on 17 October 2008 and released internationally on 20 October 2008, it was produced by Brendan O'Brien. It marked the band's first original recordings since Stiff Upper Lip (2000), with the eight-year gap being the longest between AC/DC's successive studio albums. Black Ice has the longest running time of any AC/DC studio album. The album was the band's final studio release to feature founding rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young, who left the band in September 2014 after being diagnosed with dementia, and died three years later.

<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, 23 November 1981 in the United Kingdom and 7 December 1981 in Australia.

<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..

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.

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

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.

<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.

<i>Power Up</i> (album) 2020 studio album by AC/DC

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, all of whom left AC/DC before, during, and after the supporting tour for their previous album Rock or Bust (2014). This is also the band's first album since the death of co-founder and rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young in 2017 and it serves as a tribute to him, according to his brother Angus; Malcolm received posthumous songwriting credits for all of the album's songs, as they were never-before released tracks written by both brothers. Power Up was generally well received by music critics and reached number one in 21 countries. The album was nominated for the Best Rock Album on the 64th Annual Grammy Awards, but lost to Foo Fighters' Medicine at Midnight (2021). It sold 1.4 million copies worldwide.

References

  1. ↑ Durieux, Arnaud. "AC/DC Discography: Ballbreaker". ac-dc.net. Archived from the original on 24 December 2016. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  2. ↑ "AC/DC History". AC/DC — Bedlam in Belgium. Archived from the original on 13 September 2008. Retrieved 2 August 2008.
  3. ↑ Engleheart, Murray; Durieux, Arnaud (2009). AC/DC: Maximum Rock & Roll: The Ultimate Story of the World's Greatest Rock-and-Roll Band. New York City: HarperCollins. ISBN   0061844535.
  4. ↑ Chris Slade on AC/DC, Tom Jones, Jimmy Page, Gary Numan, and more
  5. ↑ Eagleheart & Durieux, p. 387
  6. 1 2 AC/DC blasts back on 'Ballbreaker', Billboard
  7. ↑ HARD ROCK MAG - HS2 - December '96 Interview with Cliff Williams
  8. ↑ Engleheart & Durieux, p. 417
  9. ↑ Engleheart & Durieux, p. 420
  10. ↑ Engleheart & Durieux, p. 422
  11. ↑ Engleheart & Durieux, pp. 422–423
  12. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Review: Ballbreaker – AC/DC". Allmusic . Retrieved 5 August 2009.
  13. ↑ Ehrlich, Dimitri (13 October 1995). "Ballbreaker Review". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on 25 April 2009. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
  14. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th Concise ed.). United Kingdom: Omnibus Press. p. 34. ISBN   978-1-84609-856-7.
  15. ↑ Dunn, Jancee (16 November 1995). "Review: AC/DC – Ballbreaker". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 5 August 2009.
  16. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – AC/DC – Ballbreaker". Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  17. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – AC/DC – Ballbreaker" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  18. ↑ "Ultratop.be – AC/DC – Ballbreaker" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  19. ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 2791". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  20. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – AC/DC – Ballbreaker" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  21. ↑ "AC/DC: Ballbreaker" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  22. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – AC/DC – Ballbreaker" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  23. ↑ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 1995. 41. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  24. ↑ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: {{{date}}}" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  25. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – AC/DC – Ballbreaker". Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  26. ↑ "Charts.nz – AC/DC – Ballbreaker". Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  27. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – AC/DC – Ballbreaker". Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  28. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – AC/DC – Ballbreaker". Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  29. ↑ "AC/DC | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  30. ↑ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  31. ↑ "AC DC Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  32. ↑ "ARIA Top 100 Albums for 1995". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  33. ↑ "Jahreshitparade Alben 1995". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  34. ↑ "Rapports Annuels 1995". Ultratop. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  35. ↑ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment . Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  36. ↑ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1995". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  37. ↑ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1995". Billboard. Archived from the original on 23 January 2015. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  38. ↑ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1996". Billboard. Archived from the original on 23 January 2015. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  39. ↑ "Gold & Platinum Certifications". CAPIF (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  40. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2013 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
  41. ↑ "Austrian album certifications – AC/DC – Ballbreaker" (in German). IFPI Austria.
  42. 1 2 "ac%2Fdc" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
  43. ↑ "French album certifications – AC/DC – Ballbreaker" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
  44. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (AC/DC; 'Ball breaker')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  45. ↑ "New Zealand album certifications – AC/DC – Ballbreaker". Recorded Music NZ . Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  46. ↑ Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (PDF) (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. p. 941. ISBN   84-8048-639-2 . Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  47. ↑ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2011. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  48. ↑ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Ballbreaker')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
  49. ↑ "British album certifications – AC/DC – Ballbreaker". British Phonographic Industry.
  50. ↑ "American album certifications – AC/DC – Ballbreaker". Recording Industry Association of America.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.