There are of course those old timers that say AC/DC bastardised the Blues and made a career out of it and we say good on them, if it weren’t for bands like Krokus (who got there slightly earlier but less successfully) and AC/DC the Rock landscape would be a very different animal. It therefore makes complete sense to reinterpret their best-selling album as a blues record and with the idea of highlighting and contributing to the charity Beyond Blue it’s also more than worthwhile.
Thanks to Darren Griffis, a Queensland musician who has been touched by depression we get a great take on that classic from a host of Australian Blues artists. We all know the songs after all, and as the second best-selling album of all time we should, but that in a way makes the project all the more edgy.
The good news is that it more than works, sure sometimes better than others but hey not every track is a household name though surprisingly many still get a run out when AC/DC play live. ‘Hells Bells’ may be a little light on for some but it might well be the biggest grower here with Jane Michelle stripping it right back and killing the chorus.
Of course staples like ‘Shoot to Thrill’, ‘Back in Black’, ‘You Shook Me all Night Long’ and closer ‘Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution’ (Lloyd Spiegel take a big bow) may be no-brainers but it’s the lesser known tracks that make you really think.
Gail Page does a great balls-out take on ‘What You Do For the Money Honey’ and Marshall Okell perhaps does best of all with ‘Giving The Dog A Bone’ but there’s not a dud on here and organiser Griffis even chips in with one of my favourite tracks ‘Shake a Leg’.
This is great!
TRACKLIST
Hells Bells ( Jane Michelle / Geoff Achison )
Shoot To Thrill ( Chase The Sun )
What Do You Do For Money Honey ( Gail Page / Jan Rynsaardt )
Giving The Dog A Bone ( Marshall Okell )
Let Me Put My Love Into You ( Shaun Kirk )
Back In Black ( Lachy Doley )
You Shook Me All Night Long ( 8 Ball Aitken )
Have A Drink On Me ( Genevieve Chadwick / Cass Eager )
Shake A Leg ( Darren Griffis & Playskool )
Rock And Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution ( Lloyd Spiegel / Cass Eager / Jono Dalimore )
