The band serves up a few ambiguous primal anthems about survival (“Skies on Fire,” “Rock N Roll Dream,” “Stormy May Day”).
Lead singer Brian Johnson screams that he’s “Spoilin’ for a Fight” with an unspecified foe (“Keep out of my town to live another day”). With instructions such as “steal the money” and “shoot ’em right down, take it while you can,” “Smash N Grab” seems soft on theft and violence. Of course, it also could be metaphorical (for what we have no idea) given that the band dusts off a lot of veiled-but-suggestive references in the sexual arena (“Anything Goes,” “Rock N Roll Train,” “Wheels,” “Decibel,” “She Likes Rock N Roll,” “Rocking All the Way”). More concrete are the anatomical double entendres on “Big Jack,” which pays tribute to a party animal who knows how to please the ladies. The sweet life doesn’t come cheap according to the materialistic “Money Made.” On “Black Ice” Johnson threatens to “gouge your eyes out.”
For the most part, AC/DC relies on the same cagey sexual euphemisms it used in the ’70s. Considering how rock has “evolved,” they sound more naughty than vile but are still inappropriate 35 years later.
After serving as an associate editor at NavPress’ Discipleship Journal and consulting editor for Current Thoughts and Trends, Adam now oversees the editing and publishing of Plugged In’s reviews as the site’s director. He and his wife, Jennifer, have three children. In their free time, the Holzes enjoy playing games, a variety of musical instruments, swimming and … watching movies.
