Izdavač: Ostalo
Žanr: Hard Rok i Metal, Rok
Poreklo: Strani izvođač

Original, made in Brasil

Knjizica od 12 str.

Odlicno ocuvano

knjizica 5 Cd 5

Studio album by AC/DC
Released 20 October 2008
Recorded 3 March – 25 April 2008
Studio The Warehouse (Vancouver)
Genre Hard rock
Length 55:38
Label Columbia
Producer Brendan O`Brien
AC/DC chronology
Stiff Upper Lip
(2000) Black Ice
(2008) Backtracks
(2009)
Black Ice is the fifteenth studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. Released internationally on 20 October 2008, it was produced by Brendan O`Brien. It marked the band`s first original recordings since 2000`s Stiff Upper Lip, with the eight-year gap being the longest between AC/DC`s successive studio albums. Black Ice has the longest running time of any AC/DC studio album.

The album`s development was delayed because bass guitarist Cliff Williams sustained an injury and the band changed labels from Elektra Records to Sony Music Entertainment. The first composing sessions between guitarists/brothers Angus and Malcolm Young were in London in 2003. Recording happened during March and April 2008 at The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. O`Brien tried to recapture the rock sound of the band`s early work, as opposed to the blues orientation of Ballbreaker and Stiff Upper Lip, with suggestions such as adding `soul crooning` to Brian Johnson`s singing. The songs were mostly recorded live in the studio; engineer Mike Fraser used only sparse overdubs and effects to keep the tracks as close to the originals as possible.

Black Ice was released exclusively in physical formats, as the group did not sell its music digitally at the time. Walmart got exclusive rights to distribute the album in North America. Its release was promoted with an extensive marketing campaign, which included displays of AC/DC memorabilia. The four singles issued from the album were, `Rock `n` Roll Train`, `Big Jack`, `Anything Goes`, and `Money Made`. Black Ice peaked at number one in 29 countries, including Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany and the United States. It was the second best-selling record of 2008, behind Coldplay`s Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends and had shipped 6 million copies worldwide by December.[1] Critical reviews were generally positive, praising the music and its resemblance to the classic AC/DC sound, although some critics found the work too long and inconsistent. The track `War Machine` won the Best Hard Rock Performance category at the Grammys. The album itself was nominated for many awards, including the Grammy, Brit, Juno and ARIA Music Awards; and was supported by a world tour between 2008 and 2010.

Black Ice was the final album to feature the Back in Black-era lineup of the band, with founding rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young leaving the band in September 2014 after being diagnosed with dementia, eventually dying from the illness in 2017.

Production
Black Ice is AC/DC`s fifteenth studio album release in Australia and their fourteenth international release. The band took a break after finishing the Stiff Upper Lip World Tour in 2001, and resumed performing in 2003, with eight presentations that included AC/DC`s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and they opened three concerts for The Rolling Stones` Licks Tour.[2] During those two years, guitarists Angus Young and Malcolm Young wrote music separately, then met in a London studio to work on new songs.[3]: 2 

The production of Black Ice was delayed for several reasons. AC/DC left their label Atlantic Records, signed a deal with Sony Music[4] and changed labels within Sony from Epic Records to Columbia Records.[5][6] Bass guitarist Cliff Williams suffered an injury to his hand in 2005 and was unable to play for 18 months.[7] While Williams was recovering, the Young brothers perfected the songs they had written.[8] Angus revealed that there was no pressure from Sony for the band to release a new album, as the label was releasing DVDs and remasters of the AC/DC catalogue, and thus the group `could afford to sit back and say we`ll do another album when we think we`ve got all the goods.`[3]: 2  In a 2004 interview, vocalist Brian Johnson said that Angus had written harder riffs than those on Stiff Upper Lip and that he would be writing song lyrics for the first time since the band`s 1988 album Blow Up Your Video,[9] but his input would end up minimal, with all tracks on Black Ice credited to the Youngs. Johnson explained that the brothers had done most of the lyrical job, and his collaboration was that he `helped with melody and just filling in gaps that I thought needed filling in`.[10]

While producer Robert John `Mutt` Lange expressed an interest in working again with AC/DC, his schedule did not allow this.[11] When the Young brothers called Columbia Records` president Steve Barnett to announce the making of a new album, Barnett recommended producer Brendan O`Brien.[6] Angus said the band had considered talking to O`Brien since the 1990s, as `he seemed to us a very competent professional` and because he and the band would benefit from working with a producer they had not worked with before.[11]

On 3 March 2008, recording started at The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, where Stiff Upper Lip was recorded,[12] and lasted for eight weeks.[13] Engineer Mike Fraser, who has mixed all AC/DC albums since The Razors Edge, said they recorded in batches of three songs to `keep things interesting` and to avoid overextended sessions. According to Fraser, the band had not rehearsed the songs before entering the studio.[12] Despite `a couple of tweaks in the writing, sparkling up the choruses a bit better` during the recording, the compositions were mostly complete.[14] Still, the Young brothers had new ideas during production, including the song `Anything Goes`, which was written when the studio sessions were nearly finished.[3]: 4  The songs were mostly recorded live in the studio; the instruments and backing vocals were recorded in the live room, and the lead vocals were recorded in both the control room and an overdubbing booth. The performances were first recorded with analogue equipment, as Fraser considers that tape conveys `the sound of rock & roll`, and then digitised for mixing and overdubs. Fraser avoided altering the original recordings – `I used Pro-Tools purely as a tape machine` – with no effects on the bass and rhythm guitar, sparse delay and reverb effects on the vocals and other instruments, and overdubs only for the lead guitar and vocals.[12]

The first title considered for the album was Runaway Train. Malcolm suggested using a photograph of a famous 1895 derailment for the cover, but reconsidered after he found that Mr. Big had used it for their album Lean into It.[15] According to Angus, Runaway Train was rejected because it had been used by many musicians, including Elton John, Tom Petty and Eric Clapton, and he `wanted something unique, new, different`.[11] So he suggested Black Ice, which refers to gigs played during winter in Scotland. He said, `it rolled off the tongue` and it reminded him of `radio warnings up north of black ice.`[16] Angus was inspired to write the eponymous song by a similar warning heard on his car radio during production.[11]

Composition
`The AC/DC music that I remember most is Highway to Hell and Back in Black, which I view as pop songs done in a very heavy ferocious way. Angus and Malcolm were writing songs that had a lot of hooks and my only job was to make a record that made people say, `I`ve missed AC/DC, and I`m glad they`re back."

—Brendan O`Brien[6]
With Black Ice, Brendan O`Brien tried to recapture the rock sound of AC/DC`s early work on albums such as Highway to Hell and Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. He thought the two previous studio albums, Ballbreaker and Stiff Upper Lip, were blues-influenced.[17] O`Brien tried to focus on the choruses, which he felt were the best part of the AC/DC songs,[11] and encouraged the band to emphasise the `hooky, melodic side` of its song-writing, which Angus complimented, since he had `never been great with harmonies`.[3]: 3  Mike Fraser said the band aimed `towards The Razors Edge era, a little bit more up-tempo stuff.`[13] O`Brien made suggestions about the band`s performance, got Angus to play slide guitar on `Stormy May Day`,[3]: 3  and told Johnson to swap some screaming for `soul crooning` as Johnson was a soul singer. Johnson was worried that the rest of the band would think this did not suit the band`s style of hard rock and roll, but the band was quite receptive.[4] Because of the highly demanding singing style, Johnson only recorded his vocals for one hour a day.[8] The rhythm section continues the basic structure from other AC/DC records; Cliff Williams played bass lines of eighth notes,[18] and Phil Rudd`s drumming was a consistent 4/4 time, mostly on his snare, kick drum and hi-hat cymbal. Both musicians expressed contentment with their roles in the band; Rudd said, `I`m not repressing skills. Most drummers are scared to try this`, and Williams admitted he plays `the same thing in every song, for the most part`, but added `in AC/DC`s music, the song is more important than any individual`s bit in it`.[19] Angus said that when composing with Malcolm they share ideas to make each track `work together` to form a complete album,[21] and Johnson added `these songs belong together. It`s about five boys having a damn good time in a studio.`[22] With 15 songs and a running time of over 55 minutes,[18] Black Ice has the longest running time of any AC/DC studio record.[23] Malcolm said that `about 60 or 70 song ideas` were developed.[13] Angus said that the first attempt to sequence the album resulted in a track list comprising eleven songs, `but as the days went by each band member voted for a new track, and then another, and other one` so they decided to include all the recorded tracks.[11]

Most of the album`s tracks are about rock and roll itself–Angus stated, `Certain songs just seem to come to life when you add that phrase`.[3]: 4  However, other themes served as inspiration. `Money Made` is a criticism on how, according to Angus, in the US `everything is money these days`.[3]: 4  `War Machine` was based on a documentary on Hannibal, which led to the conclusion that the military has not changed since Ancient Rome.[3]: 5 [24] `Wheels` tells about Johnson`s passion for motorcars.[24] He described the album`s release as the `best one we`ve done`, he felt that while Back in Black was great for its time, Black Ice shows the band`s versatility.[4] Angus also said he admired the album`s diversity, saying `It is sufficiently varied to please people in varied moods`.[11]
All tracks are written by Angus Young and Malcolm Young.

Side one
No. Title Length
1. `Rock `n` Roll Train` 4:21
2. `Skies on Fire` 3:34
3. `Big Jack` 3:57
4. `Anything Goes` 3:22
Side two
No. Title Length
5. `War Machine` 3:09
6. `Smash `n` Grab` 4:06
7. `Spoilin` for a Fight` 3:17
8. `Wheels` 3:28
Side three
No. Title Length
9. `Decibel` 3:34
10. `Stormy May Day` 3:10
11. `She Likes Rock `n` Roll` 3:53
12. `Money Made` 4:15
Side four
No. Title Length
13. `Rock `n` Roll Dream` 4:41
14. `Rocking All the Way` 3:22
15. `Black Ice` 3:25
Total length: 55:38
Personnel
AC/DC[101]

Brian Johnson – lead vocals
Phil Rudd – drums, percussion
Cliff Williams – bass guitar, backing vocals
Angus Young – lead guitar, slide guitar on `Stormy May Day`
Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Additional personnel[101]

Billy Bowers – additional engineering
Mike Fraser – engineering, mixing
Alvin Handwerker (Prager and Fenton LLP) – management
Richard Jones, Geoff Banks, Rick St. Pierre – equipment technicians
Guido Karp – photography
Joshua Marc Levy – art direction, design, illustrations (containing vector graphics by You Work For Them, LLC)
George Marino – mastering
Brendan O`Brien – production
Eric Mosher – engineering assistance