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Thirty years ago this week rock and roll received the massive kick in the arse it so desperately needed. It came from the steel toed boots of Brian Johnson and was called Back In Black.

Back In Business would have been more apt.

Never has one band been under so much pressure to deliver the album that proved there was life after death. In this case the death of Bon Scott.

But thanks to a cocksure Geordie, an up and coming producer and the wily old ways of the Young brothers there was never going to be any doubt that AC/DC would return as all-conquering heroes.

Through the mists of time the iconic Back In Black may well have morphed into an even better record than it really is.

And the word hype was made for an album which continues to be discussed in glowing terms by fans and critics alike.

But is there a bad song on the thing?

Four of the 10 are good, rather than great. Let Me Put My Love Into You is a Whitesnake song is disguise and Johnson’s shriek is no substitute for Coverdale’s crooning.

Then there’s Shake A Leg, Have A Drink On Me and What Do You Do For Money Honey. All three tracks are OK but alongside the tunes which populate the remainder of Back In Black they often sound distinctly average.

And that’s because the remaining six tunes on what might be the best rock and roll album ever are stone cold classics. Not simply AC/DC classics – classics of the genre.

Hells Bells and Shoot To Thrill are back-to-back killers and Given The Dog A Bone is Aussie rock songwriting at its simple and effective best.

But the best is yet to come as Side Two (we prefer to judge the original in all of its vinyl glory) kicks off with the globally recognised title track before letting rip with You Shook Me All Night Long.

And then there’s the ultimate set closer in the shape of the raucous Rock And Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution.

AC/DC have never managed to pack so many cast iron winners into one album since. And they never managed to be quite as prolific in the Bon Scott era. Three decades on and Back In Black deserves every plaudit it continues to receive – and more.

Like fine wines, good records get better with age. But is there an album you’ve heard lately which will be the Back In Black of its generation? We’d like to hear from you if there is such a fine body of work but we’ll reserve our judgement for now – and give one of the greatest albums of all time one more nostalgic twirl.

All this week we’re focusing on the bands to watch at Download 2010 and there’s no doubting the biggest draw on day one – as AC/DC celebrate their return to Castle Donington!

The Aussies thrilled stadium crowds across the world in 2009 and they’re not in the mood to do it by half at Download this summer – bringing their own stage to the famous Monsters Of Rock site!

Expect the full array of hits and the full arsenal of special effects from the ageless Aussies fronted by a genial Geordie.

For your guide to the greatest rock and roll band on the planet read on! Read the rest of this entry »

AC/DC – That’s The Way I Wanna Rock N Roll (A Young/M Young/ Johnson) b/w Kissin Dynamite (A Young/M Young/Johnson) & Borrowed Time (A Young/M Young/Johnson)

1988

The second single culled from the Blow Up Your Video album, this raucous track is often overlooked by older members of the AC/DC army and yet it’s just as good as any singalong anthem the band has rolled out over the years.

Backed with Kissin Dynamite – the track which inspired the German metal upstarts of the same name – and Borrowed Time there’s plenty of rifftastic action crammed into the That’s The Way I Wanna Rock N Roll 12 incher.

And while we’d put our mortgage on the fact that none of these tracks will make Friday’s Download set, fans can expect more of the same from the Young brothers and BJ in just six days’ time. Read the rest of this entry »

@ Newcastle Trillians, May 20 2010

Welcome to Rockodile Dundee. Dave Evans is so much a stereotypical Aussie you almost expect a stripe of sun block down his nose, a four pack of Foster’s lying on the amp and corks hanging from his straw hat.

And the music is straight out of the roughest, toughest, mean and dirty bars Down Under. It’s blunt and, at the same time, brilliant. It’s no-nonsense and yet it makes perfect sense to anyone who’s been through life’s ups and downs. Read the rest of this entry »

@ Newcastle o2 Academy, November 28 2009

In the build up to this hotly anticipated gig it was a case of more questions than answers. Would a band out on the road with AC/DC for the best part of a year still have the hunger and stamina to make a success of their long awaited UK headline tour?

How would Everyday Demons come across live? And have one of 2008′s brightest prospects turned potential into star quality under the watchful eye of Brian Johnson and co.?

So many questions and only one Answer. But what a convincing Answer it was. Read the rest of this entry »

The Answer were about to conquer Britain at the start of the year – before opting to conquer the world, riding on the back of big name fans AC/DC.

But the boys are back in town across the UK during the next few weeks aiming to make up for lost time and make the most of their headline status.

Bass player Micky Waters caught up with rushonrock – five months after we caught up with the guys at Glasgow’s Hampden Park. Read the rest of this entry »

Don’t hold your breath but it’s ‘rock week’ on X Factor on Saturday.

There have been various pictures of the Lenny Kravitz-esque Jamie Afro wearing an AC/DC T-shirt splashed across the press.

And the big name guests are Bon Jovi – set to perform their new single after announcing a series of o2 Arena shows for 2010. Read the rest of this entry »

A rather intriguing rumour has reached rushonrock HQ – and initial investigations suggest it could be right.

It is understood a band of die-hard Newcastle fans are uniting to rework the club’s most famous anthem – The Blaydon Races. And we understand the song, if it sees the light of day, will be released as a tribute to former Newcastle United and England manager Sir Bobby Robson, who passed away earlier this summer.  Read the rest of this entry »

To anyone outside of London the North East must seem like a tiny little corner of an unwelcoming world, where in-breds and flat cap wearing weirdos speak like Brian Johnson and dress like Ginger on a bad day.

But we don’t really care about that. Because we’re bloody good at what we do and, most importantly, shouting about it from the rooftops. Johnno, Spike and Paul from the Quireboys and even Teesside crooners David Coverdale and Paul Rodgers never miss an opportunity to namecheck Newcastle, Blyth, Saltburn, Middlesbrough or wherever. Read the rest of this entry »

Glasgow will welcome back two of its most famous sons tonight when Angus and Malcolm Young bring Hampden Park alive (we hope!) on the final date of the Black Ice European Tour.

With a month-long break guaranteed before they crank it up again in the USA later this summer, there can be no excuses for big Brian Johnson and his pals. And with the prospect of lazy days by the pool supping Brown Ale ahead we’re expecting a full-on assault from the greatest rock and roll band on the planet. After that we reckon they’ll deserve a little time off. Read the rest of this entry »