AC/DC had been on prime of the world — and the charts — after they determined to wash home for the uncooked, back-to-basics Flick of the Swap. However within the strategy of purging, they appeared to neglect the profitable method that turned them into rock ‘n’ roll superstars, ensuing of their lowest-selling and worst-reviewed album in years.
AC/DC triumphed over tragedy on the daybreak of the ’80s, changing late singer Bon Scott with Brian Johnson and releasing the world-conquering Again in Black and its chart-topping successor, For These About to Rock. These albums stored them on the highway for almost two years straight, and when AC/DC lastly regrouped to plan their subsequent transfer, they determined it was time for a change.
The most important change was the dismissal of producer Robert John “Mutt” Lange, who had labored on AC/DC’s earlier three albums, beginning with their 1979 business breakthrough Freeway to Hell. The absence of Lange’s studio wizardry meant the band members had been left to their very own units whereas making Flick of the Swap, recording 10 new songs in lower than a month and producing the LP themselves. The band additionally fired drummer Phil Rudd midway by means of the recording periods as a consequence of his drug and alcohol abuse, ultimately changing him with future Dio drummer Simon Wright.
Sadly, this back-to-basics method meant that Flick of the Swap lacked most of the sky-high hooks and sonic thrives that made their earlier three albums so wildly profitable. Launched on Aug. 15, 1983, the album peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard 200 and took almost 18 years to earn a platinum certification, an enormous drop-off from the 4 million gross sales of For These About to Rock and greater than 20 million gross sales of Again in Black. It was the start of a downward spiral that might final for a number of years, with 1985’s Fly on the Wall peaking at a depressing No. 32.
Watch the video under to study extra about Flick of the Swap, and tune into our “Doomed to Fail?” video sequence every week as we mud off ill-fated basic rock albums and decide whether or not they’re hidden gems or higher left forgotten.
AC/DC Albums Ranked
Critics say each AC/DC album sounds the identical, however that is removed from the reality.
