Stiff Upper Lip [Reissue]

1	Stiff Upper Lip 3:35
2	Meltdown 3:41
3	House of Jazz 3:56
4	Hold Me Back 3:59
5	Safe in New York City 3:59
6	Can't Stand Still 3:41
7	Can't Stop Rock 'N' Roll 4:02
8	Satellite Blues 3:46
9	Damned 3:51
10	Come and Get It 4:02
11	All Screwed Up 4:36
12	Give It Up 4:13

Barnes & Noble

It's been more than a quarter-century since AC/DC bulldozed its way across the hard-rock landscape, leaving scores of tattered eardrums and kicked-in craniums behind -- which would make this an ideal time for quiet reflection on that history, right? Not in this universe, mate: The Aussie assault-machine has had five years to refuel, and it sounds as if most of that downtime has been spent revving the turbo-chargers to achieve maximum thrust. Angus Young's brute-force riffing remains virtually unchanged since AC/DC's onset, which gives plenty of old-fashioned Neanderthal punch to straight-forward chuggers like "Come and Get It" and the splendidly sleazy title track. Most of the dozen tracks (notably "Come and Get It" and "I Feel Safe in New York City") further the band's classic take on the meaning of life -- namely getting drunk, getting laid, and getting out of town -- with renewed emphasis on Brian Johnson's razor-gargling voice. There's not a power ballad in the bunch, but then again, you don't go to a steakhouse expecting watercress sandwiches, do ya? David Sprague

All Music Guide

Stiff Upper Lip, AC/DC's 15th studio album, may not reach the heights of Back in Black or Highway to Hell, but it delivers strongly and satisfyingly. It's the record that the highly touted, Rick Rubin-produced Ballbreaker should have been: a simple, addictive, hard album, bursting with bold riffs and bolstered by a crunching, thrillingly visceral sound. Sure, there are absolutely no new ideas, but that's the point. AC/DC know their strengths and they embrace them. And why shouldn't they? Nobody writes a better riff than Malcolm and Angus Young; each song has a riff so catchy, it feels like you've heard it for years. Is there anything earth-shaking? Hardly, but it's largely terrific nonetheless, just because AC/DC are so good at what they do. It's simple music, to be sure, but it's unassumingly musical and, in a way rather smart. If making music like this was really that easy, why can't anybody else do it this well? Some bands are capable of knocking out one record like this -- one, maybe two. AC/DC do it nearly every time out. They've never really stretched, yet that's why they have one of the most reliable catalogs in rock & roll. When you put on one of their records, you know what you're in for, and they always deliver. With Stiff Upper Lip, they're not at classic status, but they're still top-notch. This may not be the first AC/DC record for a collection, but once you're into their scene, it's a fine place to be. [Legacy reissued the CD in 2007.] Stephen Thomas Erlewine