Tuesday, May 21, 2024: 9pm ET: Feature LP: AC/DC – High Voltage (1976)

High Voltage is the debut studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, released only in Australia, on February 17, 1975. Their first international release in 1976 would also be named High Voltage, though with a radically different track list.

1. “TNT” 4:50
2. “She’s Got Balls” 4:52
3. “Little Lover” 5:40
4. “Stick Around” 4:39
5. “Soul Stripper” 6:25
6. “You Ain’t Got a Hold on Me” 3:31
7. “Love Song” 5:14
8. “Show Business” 4:46

Bon Scott – lead vocals
Angus Young – lead guitar
Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals, bass guitar, lead guitar on tracks 3, 5, 6 and 8
George Young – production, bass guitar, rhythm guitar,[9] backing vocals
Rob Bailey – bass guitar
Peter Clack – drums on track 1
Tony Currenti – drums on tracks 2, 4–8
John Proud – drums on track 3
Harry Vanda – production, backing vocals

Tuesday, April 16, 2024: 10pm ET: Feature LP: AC/DC – Razor’s Edge (1990)

The Razors Edge is the twelfth studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC released in September 1990. It was the band’s eleventh internationally released studio album and the twelfth to be released in Australia. It was a major comeback for the band, featuring the hits “Thunderstruck” and “Are You Ready”, which reached #5 and #16 respectively on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart, and “Money talks”, which peaked at #23 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album reached #2 on the US Billboard 200 and #4 in the UK, a smash commercial success that returned the band to the popularity of its glory years of the late 1970s and early 1980s. The album has been certified 5x platinum (5 million copies sold) in the US, and was re-released in 2003 as part of the AC/DC Remasters series.

1. “Thunderstruck” 4:52
2. “Fire Your Guns” 2:53
3. “Moneytalks” 3:48
4. “The Razors Edge” 4:22
5. “Mistress for Christmas” 3:59
6. “Rock Your Heart Out” 4:06
7. “Are You Ready” 4:10
8. “Got You by the Balls” 4:30
9. “Shot of Love” 3:56
10. “Let’s Make It” 3:32
11. “Goodbye and Good Riddance to Bad Luck” 3:13
12. “If You Dare” 3:08

Brian Johnson – lead vocals
Angus Young – lead guitar
Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Cliff Williams – bass guitar, backing vocals
Chris Slade – drums, percussion

Thursday, March 7, 2024 6pm ET: Feature LP: AC/DC Live (1992)

AC/DC Live is the second live album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, released October 12, 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” (similar in shape to old CD longboxes) 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.

1. “Thunderstruck” 6:34
2. “Shoot to Thrill” 5:21
3. “Back in Black” 4:28
4. “Sin City” 5:40
5. “Who Made Who” 5:16
6. “Heatseeker” 3:37
7. “Fire Your Guns” 3:42
8. “Jailbreak” 14:43
9. “The Jack” 6:57
10. “The Razors Edge” 4:36
11. “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” 5:03
12. “Moneytalks 4:20
13. “Hells Bells” 6:01
14. “Are You Ready” 4:34
15. “That’s the Way I Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll” 3:57
16. “High Voltage” 10:32
17. “You Shook Me All Night Long” 3:54
18. “Whole Lotta Rosie” 4:30
19. “Let There Be Rock” 12:17
20. “Bonny” 1:03
21. “Highway to Hell” 3:53
22. “T.N.T.” 3:48
23. “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)” 7:09

Brian Johnson – lead vocals
Angus Young – lead guitar, backing vocals on “T.N.T.” and “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap”
Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Cliff Williams – bass, backing vocals
Chris Slade – drums, percussion

Monday, February 19, 2024 9pm ET: Feature LP: AC/DC – Who Made Who (1986)

Who Made Who is a soundtrack album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. Released on May 26, 1986, the album is the soundtrack to the Stephen King film Maximum Overdrive. The album was re-released in 2003 as part of the AC/DC Remasters series.

1. “Who Made Who” 3:27
2. “You Shook Me All Night Long” 3:30
3. “D.T.” 2:53
4. “Sink the Pink” 4:13
5. “Ride On” 5:51
6. “Hells Bells” 5:12
7. “Shake Your Foundations” 3:53
8. “Chase the Ace” 3:01
9. “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)” 5:53

Angus Young – lead guitar
Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Cliff Williams – bass guitar, backing vocals (tracks 1–4, 6–9)
Brian Johnson – lead vocals (tracks 1–4, 6–9)
Simon Wright – drums (tracks 1, 3, 4, 7, 8)
Bon Scott – lead vocals (track 5)
Phil Rudd – drums (tracks 2, 5, 6, 9)
Mark Evans – bass guitar (track 5)

Saturday, February 10, 2024 6:15pm ET: Feature LP: AC/DC – For Those About To Rock (We Salute You) (1981)

For Those About to Rock (We Salute You) (referred to as For Those About to Rock on its cover) is the eighth studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. It was the band’s seventh internationally released studio album and the eighth to be released in Australia. It was released on November 23, 1981.The album is a follow-up to their highly successful album Back in Black. For Those About to Rock has sold over four million copies in the US. It would be AC/DC’s first and only No. 1 album in the U.S. until the release of Black Ice in October 2008. In their original 1981 review, Rolling Stone magazine declared it to be their best album. In Australia, the album peaked at No. 3 on the Kent Music Report Albums Chart.

The album, recorded in Paris, was the third and final AC/DC collaboration with producer Robert John “Mutt” Lange. The album was re-released in 2003 as part of the AC/DC Remasters series.

In a 1982 interview with Creem’s Sylvie Simmons, Angus Young commented on several of the album’s songs:

“Evil Walks”: “As the name says, evil walks. It’s everywhere. Actually it’s just a catchy title with a catchy tune. We were playing it at the beginning and I said, ‘those chords sound dead evil.’ And that’s usually how we do it – just sitting around and nattering and thinking and jamming away, and someone says something like ‘evil walks’ and that’s it. Some crud just sent me a letter – addressed to Bon too – sending us these stupid things. Some people are sick. If they want to go God-bothering they should go God-bother the Pope. He needs it. We don’t…I had one idiot trying to blast away in my earhole. He started with ‘Do you believe in God?’ and I said ‘I’ve no interest in it so leave me alone.’ Their main beef is songs like ‘Highway to Hell.’ But they’re just titles. It’s only a song.”

“C.O.D. (Care of the Devil)”: Most people think COD – cash on delivery. I was sitting around trying to come up with a better one and I came up with ‘Care of the Devil’. We’re not black magic Satanists or whatever you call it. I don’t drink blood. I may wear black underwear now and again but that’s it.”

“Let’s Get It Up”: You can take it one of two ways. Let’s get it up, meaning musically up, or…”

“Snowballed”: “Meaning you’ve been conned, fooled again. And we figured we’d been tricked enough in our time, so we came out with that. It could be the woman you’re paying alimony to, anything.”

“Put the Finger on You”: “That’s basically a gangster line like they do in the movies…We’re not putting the finger on anyone in particular. It’s always been the other fucking way around.”

“Inject the Venom”: “That’s a power thing like ‘For Those About to Rock’. It just means, have it hot.” Brian Johnson: “There’s one line that says, if you inject the venom it will be your last attack. Which is like a snake – once it bites you it’s got nothing left.”

“Night of the Long Knives”: “It’s like a horror movie. Another power thing. It just sounded nice.”

“Breaking the Rules”: “It’s like when somebody says ‘you can’t do that’, at school or whatever. They were always saying that to me at school. You do it anyhow.” Brian Johnson: “But at the same time it says don’t start any fooking revolutions, don’t be a big fooking hero, just break the rules in your own way. Don’t just do what the man says and go ‘aye, okay.’ Do it the way you wanted to.”

1. “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)” 5:43
2. “Put the Finger on You” 3:25
3. “Let’s Get It Up” 3:53
4. “Inject the Venom” 3:31
5. “Snowballed” 3:23
6. “Evil Walks” 4:23
7. “C.O.D.” 3:19
8. “Breaking the Rules” 4:23
9. “Night of the Long Knives” 3:25
10. “Spellbound” 4:28

Brian Johnson – lead vocals
Angus Young – lead guitar
Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Cliff Williams – bass guitar, backing vocals
Phil Rudd – drums

Thursday, January 4, 2024 12pm ET: Feature Artist: AC/DC

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 line-up 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 Iron Maiden and Saxon. AC/DC were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003.

AC/DC underwent several line-up changes before releasing their debut album, High Voltage (1975). Membership subsequently stabilized after the release of Let There Be Rock (1977), with the Young brothers, Rudd, Williams and Bon Scott on lead vocals. Seven months after the release of Highway to Hell (1979), Scott died of alcohol poisoning and the other members considered disbanding. However, at the request of Scott’s parents, they continued together and recruited English-born singer Johnson as their new front man. Their first album with Johnson, Back in Black (1980), was dedicated to Scott’s memory. It became the second best-selling album of all time.

The band’s eighth studio album, For Those About to Rock (1981), was their first album to reach number one in the Billboard 200. Prior to the release of Flick of the Switch (1983), Rudd left AC/DC and was replaced by Simon Wright, who was himself replaced by Chris Slade six years later. AC/DC experienced a commercial resurgence in the early 1990s with the release of The Razors Edge (1990); it was their only record to feature Slade, as Rudd returned in 1994. Rudd has since recorded five more albums with the band, starting with Ballbreaker (1995). Their fifteenth studio album, Black Ice was the second-highest-selling record of 2008 and their biggest chart hit since For Those About to Rock, eventually reaching number one worldwide.

Saturday, December 23, 2023 6pm ET: Feature LP: AC/DC – Back In Black (1980)

Back in Black is the seventh studio album by Australian rock band AC/DC. It was released on July 25, 1980 by Albert Productions and Atlantic Records. It is the band’s first album to feature lead singer Brian Johnson, following the death of previous lead singer Bon Scott.

After the commercial breakthrough of their 1979 album Highway to Hell, AC/DC was planning to record a follow-up, but in February 1980, Scott died from alcohol poisoning after a drinking binge. Instead of disbanding, they decided to continue on and recruited Johnson, who was previously vocalist for Geordie.

The album was composed by Johnson, Angus and Malcolm Young, and recorded over seven weeks in the Bahamas from April to May 1980 with producer Robert John “Mutt” Lange, who had worked on their previous album. Following its completion, the group mixed Back in Black at Electric Lady Studios in New York City. The album’s all-black cover was designed as a “sign of mourning” for Scott.

As their sixth international studio release, Back in Black was an unprecedented success. It has sold an estimated 50 million copies worldwide, and is one of the best-selling albums in music history. The band supported the album with a yearlong world tour, cementing them among the most popular music acts of the early 1980s. The album also received positive critical reception during its initial release, and it has since been included on numerous lists of “greatest” albums. Since its original release, the album has been reissued and remastered multiple times, most recently for digital distribution. On December 9, 2019, it was certified 25x Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

1. “Hells Bells” 5:10
2. “Shoot to Thrill” 5:17
3. “What Do You Do for Money Honey” 3:33
4. “Given the Dog a Bone” 3:30
5. “Let Me Put My Love into You” 4:16

1. “Back in Black” 4:14
2. “You Shook Me All Night Long” 3:30
3. “Have a Drink on Me” 3:57
4. “Shake a Leg” 4:06
5. “Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution” 4:15

Brian Johnson – lead vocals
Angus Young – lead guitar
Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Cliff Williams – bass guitar, backing vocals
Phil Rudd – drums

In Memoriam: Colin Burgess (1946 – 2023)

Colin John Burgess (November 16, 1946 – December 16, 2023) was an Australian rock musician who was the drummer in The Masters Apprentices from 1968 to 1972. He was later the original drummer with hard rock band AC/DC between November 1973 and February 1974. The Masters Apprentices had top 20 singles chart success with “5:10 Man”, “Think about Tomorrow Today”, “Turn Up Your Radio” and “Because I Love You”. In 1998 The Masters Apprentices, with Burgess, were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame. He performed in various bands with his brother, Denny Burgess, on bass guitar and vocals, including His Majesty.

Friday, August 4, 2023 11pm ET: Feature LP: AC/DC – Highway To Hell (1979)

Highway to Hell is the sixth studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, released on July 27, 1979. It was the last album featuring lead singer Bon Scott, who would die early the following year on February 19, 1980.

1. “Highway to Hell” 3:29
2. “Girls Got Rhythm” 3:24
3. “Walk All Over You” 5:10
4. “Touch Too Much” 4:28
5. “Beating Around the Bush” 3:55
6. “Shot Down in Flames” 3:23
7. “Get It Hot” 2:35
8. “If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It)” 4:38
9. “Love Hungry Man” 4:18
10. “Night Prowler” 6:13

Bon Scott – lead vocals
Angus Young – lead guitar
Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Cliff Williams – bass, backing vocals
Phil Rudd – drums

Thursday, July 14, 2023 1am ET: Feature Live LP: AC/DC – If You Want Blood You’ve Got It (1978)

If You Want Blood You’ve Got It (written as just If You Want Blood) is the first live album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, and their only live album with Bon Scott as lead vocalist. It was originally released in the UK and Europe on October 13, 1978, in the US on November 21, 1978. The album was re-released in 1994 on Atco Records and in 2003 as part of the AC/DC Remasters series.

1. “Riff Raff” (from Powerage) 5:59
2. “Hell Ain’t a Bad Place to Be” (from Let There Be Rock) 4:10
3. “Bad Boy Boogie” (from Let There Be Rock) 7:29
4. “The Jack” (from T.N.T.) 5:48
5. “Problem Child” (from Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap) 4:40
6. “Whole Lotta Rosie” (from Let There Be Rock) 4:05
7. “Rock ‘n’ Roll Damnation” (from Powerage) 3:41
8. “High Voltage” (from T.N.T.) 5:05
9. “Let There Be Rock” (from Let There Be Rock) 8:33
10. “Rocker” (from T.N.T.) 3:24

Bon Scott – lead vocals
Angus Young – lead guitar
Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Cliff Williams – bass guitar, backing vocals
Phil Rudd – drums

Tuesday, July 4, 2023 7pm ET: Feature LP: AC/DC – Let There Be Rock (1977)

Let There Be Rock is the fourth studio album by Australian rock band, AC/DC. It was originally released on March 21, 1977 in Australia and was the last AC/DC album to feature Mark Evans on bass.

1. “Go Down” 5:17
2. “Dog Eat Dog” 3:35
3. “Let There Be Rock” 6:06
4. “Bad Boy Boogie” 4:27
5. “Overdose” 6:09
6. “Crabsody in Blue” 4:44
7. “Hell Ain’t a Bad Place to Be” 4:14
8. “Whole Lotta Rosie” 5:24

Bon Scott – lead vocals
Angus Young – lead guitar
Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Mark Evans – bass guitar
Phil Rudd – drums, percussion

Monday, May 29, 2023 8pm ET: Feature LP: AC/DC – Blow Up Your Video (1988)

Blow Up Your Video is the eleventh studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. The album was re-released in 2003 as part of the AC/DC Remasters series.

Writing sessions for Blow Up Your Video took place in London’s Nomis Studio in July 1987, with the band convening at Studio Miraval in Le Val in Provence in the south of France in August and September with Harry Vanda and George Young, the production team behind the band’s early albums. This was also the final studio album to feature drummer Simon Wright.

In a 2008 Rolling Stone cover story, George Young admitted to David Fricke that the Blow Up Your Video session was when he realized his brother Malcolm, who had always been a heavy drinker, was in the grips of alcoholism: “I saw the signs. Malcolm had a problem. I said if he didn’t get his act together, I was out of there. I don’t recall it having any effect.”

The band recorded 16 tracks during the sessions, including the unreleased songs “Let It Loose” and “Alright Tonight”, as well as other versions of “Heatseeker”, and “That’s the Way I Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll”. Two additional songs, “Snake Eye” and “Borrowed Time”, were recorded but not featured on the album. The song “Down on the Borderline” was recorded, but not released until 1990 as a B-side. All three of these songs were later included on Backtracks in 2009. Demo tracks for the songs “Let it Loose” and “Alright Tonight” were stolen and bootlegged, so they were omitted from the final album cut.

Blow Up Your Video is the last album to feature Brian Johnson as a lyricist/songwriter (all songs on subsequent albums were written by the Young brothers).

The title of the album was taken from a line in the song “That’s The Way I Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll”. In 1988 Angus Young explained the title to MTV Australia: “We were probably a band that’s best seen in a live situation and that’s how the title came about… ‘Cause everything’s automatic these days. A kid can flick on the button on a TV, he’s got a remote control and he can zoom through everything and get it coming in from all over the world. You can turn on your radio and get rock coming in from America. For us, the best thing as a band it was always we were great onstage.”

1. “Heatseeker” 3:50
2. “That’s the Way I Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll” 3:45
3. “Meanstreak” 4:08
4. “Go Zone” 4:26
5. “Kissin’ Dynamite” 3:58
6. “Nick of Time” 4:16
7. “Some Sin for Nuthin'” 4:11
8. “Ruff Stuff” 4:28
9. “Two’s Up” 5:19
10. “This Means War” 4:21

Brian Johnson – lead vocals
Angus Young – lead guitar
Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Cliff Williams – bass guitar, backing vocals
Simon Wright – drums, percussion

Friday 2/24/23 10pm ET: Feature LP: AC/DC – Powerage (1978)

Powerage is the fifth studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, released April 28, 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 (aside from the Australia-only High Voltage album) 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.

1. “Rock ‘n’ Roll Damnation” 3:37
2. “Down Payment Blues” 6:04
3. “Gimme a Bullet” 3:21
4. “Riff Raff” 5:12
5. “Sin City” 4:45
6. “What’s Next to the Moon” 3:32
7. “Gone Shootin'” 5:06
8. “Up to My Neck in You” 4:13
9. “Kicked in the Teeth” 3:54

Bon Scott – lead vocals
Angus Young – lead guitar
Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Cliff Williams – bass guitar, backing vocals (all tracks except “Cold Hearted Man”)
Phil Rudd – drums
Mark Evans – bass guitar (on “Cold Hearted Man”)

Friday 1/6/23 8pm ET: AC/DC – Dirty Deeds Done Cheap (1976 – 1981)

Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap is the third studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, originally released only in Europe and Australia on September 20, 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.

1. “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” 3:52
2. “Love at First Feel” 3:13
3. “Big Balls” 2:38
4. “Rocker” 2:52
5. “Problem Child” 5:47
6. “There’s Gonna Be Some Rockin'” 3:18
7. “Ain’t No Fun (Waiting ‘Round to Be a Millionaire)” 6:58
8. “Ride On” 5:54
9. “Squealer” 5:15

Bon Scott – lead vocals
Angus Young – lead guitar
Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Mark Evans – bass guitar
Phil Rudd – drums
George Young – production, bass guitar on track 3

Thursday 1/13/22 6pm ET: RadioMaxMusic Special: The Music of 1981 A to Z – Part 8

This RadioMax special features our Library of music from 1981 A2Z.

We complete letter H and begin I. We feature music from: Police, Peter Cetera, Lulu, Pretenders, Abba, The Who, Glen Campbell, Terri Gibbs, Foreigner, Ronnie Milsap, Phil Collins, Donald Byrd, Carly Simon, Bangles, U2, AC/DC, Santana and many more. . .

6pm to 10pm ET