Earlier than AC/DC began engaged on the follow-up to their twelfth U.S. album Ballbreaker, the band members agreed they didn’t need to return to the meticulous, demanding work ethic of the Rick Rubin-produced disc. Not that there was something fallacious with the songs on Ballbreaker per se, however within the studio Rubin was a perfectionist, and requested the band to do as many as 50 takes of among the songs, a transfer that left the Australian legends pissed off and exhausted.
So for album No. 13, Stiff Higher Lip, which got here out Feb. 28, 2000, AC/DC determined to get again to their down and soiled roots, writing and recording rapidly to recapture the bluesy, blustery and fast vibe of their first few albums.
“We actually needed to jot down a fundamental arduous rock and roll album that had a toe tapping sort of swing to it,” guitarist Angus Younger advised me shortly earlier than the album was launched. “I actually assume much less is finest while you make a report. As extra expertise comes into the recording course of there’s all the time that temptation to dabble, and that’s what we ended up doing with Ballbreaker.”
AC/DC, “Stiff Higher Lip” Music Video
“I’ve all the time checked out that as a fast repair,” he continued. “As an alternative of moving into and getting your mikes arrange and getting an amazing drum sound, then taking part in, these guys go, ‘Oh, it’s important to have ‘X’ results gadget quantity 52. We’ve obtained the Austrian Alp drum sound right here.’ Even the names of a few of these devices are hilarious. The one which I’ve all the time remembered is the previous Large Backside Exciter. And any individual advised me the man truly got here up with the title as a joke after a heavy night time of consuming. And he panicked when he got here out of his hangover and went operating up the highway yelling, ‘No, I didn’t imply it!’ So, I’ve all the time considered a variety of gadgetry and toys and stuff as one thing that may be a distraction and never allow you to in any respect. You’ve actually obtained to attempt to work with the setting you’re in and make the perfect factor you possibly can with out all of the bells and whistles.”
To assist recapture the no-frills rock and roll basis they began with, AC/DC employed producer George Younger — brother of Angus and rhythm guitarist Malcolm, multi-instrumentalist for Australian band the Easybeats and co-producer of AC/DC’s first 4 worldwide releases – to work with them on the album. Not solely did was Younger capable of faucet again into the recording fashion he weaned the band on, he was capable of generate a brand new enthusiasm within the studio.
“From the very early years, George was instrumental in serving to us discover out sound,” Angus Younger stated. “When Malcolm and myself had been children George confirmed us what we may do within the studio. He confirmed us a variety of the essential stuff, and he was all the time nice — serving to with the songs and explaining every little thing. While you’re a younger child, you don’t know the distinction between a verse and a refrain, not to mention a drum break or a center eight. He helped with a variety of that stuff. However he additionally gave us that room to be who we needed to be — not successful producer’s concept of what he thought we ought to be. It simply made sense to work with him once more as a result of he’s actually household and he is aware of us higher than anybody and that made the entire course of actually enjoyable.”
AC/DC, “Protected In New York Metropolis” Music Video
It truly wasn’t till 1979, six years after their formation, that AC/DC labored with a producer moreover Younger — Mutt Lange — on 1979’s Freeway to Hell. They remained with Lange till 1983’s Flick of the Swap, which they self-produced. The entire Youngs loved the reunion for Stiff Higher Lip, and Angus stated it was George Younger, himself, who urged AC/DC begin, errr, seeing different folks.
“He thought it could be actually good for us to see how totally different producers work,” Younger defined, “‘Look, it’s good expertise. There are lots of people on the market who know rock and roll, and have other ways of doing it.’ However he all the time saved a hand in it. Every time we had been writing he would all the time say, ‘What’d’ya obtained? What are you as much as?’”
AC/DC began writing Stiff Higher Lip in March 1998 and spent 18 months arising with the songs. Satirically, the band put in further time as a result of among the materials they labored on sounded too calculated or a bit too light-weight. They needed to make it possible for every little thing on the album sounded hard-hitting and impulsive.
“Quite a lot of clear, delicate issues had been turning into in style whereas we had been writing so we went for one thing soiled and sleazy,” Younger stated. “We simply felt just like the world was getting a bit sterile of late, so let’s give them ol’ wham, bam, rock ‘n’ roll album. That’s what we focused on. In our case, we’ve intentionally achieved issues simply to go in opposition to the grain.”
AC/DC recorded Stiff Higher Lip in Vancouver at Bryan Adams’ Warehouse Studio. The band entered in September 1999 with 18 songs and emerged three months later, having tracked 13, together with the non-CD monitor “Our on-line world.” The primary goal throughout the periods was to keep up a robust and primitive power. “It’s mainly naked bones stuff and it’s cooking,” Younger stated. “If a guitar solo got here winging out of someplace and it smokes, it provides to the environment. We didn’t overthink something. We obtained into every monitor with, ‘One, two, three, 4!’ And off you go!”
“Probably the most thrilling issues to see is Angus doing a lead,” vocalist Brian Johnson added. “And it’s not in the way in which you’d assume. Angus had a kind of wheelie workplace chairs within the studio, and the ground was stunning, shiny wooden. Angus can be taking part in, and he’d get excited as all of us did after we did our bits. The f—ing chair wouldn’t stand nonetheless! He was taking part in, and the factor would fly down the hallway. It’s an expertise to see that, I gotta let you know. And it was nice to observe George when he would hear the magic take George could be very quiet, and normally he simply sits there. However boy, when he hears the precise factor, he’s up on his ft. shouting… That’s rock and roll proper there!”
Upon its launch, Stiff Higher Lip debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard album charts, promoting 130,000 copies in its first week. Bolstered by the singles “Stiff Higher Lip” and “Protected in New York Metropolis,” over the following yr, the album went platinum. That was additionally thanks partly to a rigorous touring schedule, which thought-about of greater than 130 exhibits in simply 12 months. The frantic tempo took its toll; it could be one other eight years earlier than AC/DC launched their 14th worldwide album Black Ice, which got here out in 2008 and put the band proper again on the prime of the arduous rock hierarchy.
Loudwire contributor Jon Wiederhorn is the writer of Elevating Hell: Backstage Tales From the Lives of Metallic Legends, co-author of Louder Than Hell: The Definitive Oral Historical past of Metallic, in addition to the co-author of Scott Ian’s autobiography, I’m the Man: The Story of That Man From Anthrax, and Al Jourgensen’s autobiography, Ministry: The Misplaced Gospels Based on Al Jourgensen and the Agnostic Entrance guide My Riot! Grit, Guts and Glory.
