She gonna blow you all sky high

Continuing my trip back in time through the album charts

28/08/83 : Flick Of The Switch : AC/DC

Our third visit with AC/DC and I found their 1980 album far preferable to their 2020 album, so I have some hope for this (but not an awful lot).

Well, it's safe to say it doesn't stray too far from their previously winning formula, so if you like Back In Black then I suspect you're going to like this - but I'd struggle to describe it as progress and a whole album's worth does get a little tiresome for me.  The title track and "Guns For Hire" are fine examples of "that sort of thing" though and I liked "Landslide" because it was slightly different (only slightly mind) from the rest of the album.  The album cover really doesn't work well against a white background though, does it?  And no, neither of us never came anywhere near to owning this one so we slip to 8/18. 

We're at #4 in the charts for a third week in a row - this was a new entry which only managed a 7 week run (which was nothing back in the day) and then a further 2 week run, disappearing from view in November '83.  Above it were the Jacksons and Beach Boys compilations and Wham! and we also have two other (far more interesting imho) new entries in the top 10 - Depeche Mode at #6 and Level 42 at #9.

Wikipedia tells me it was viewed as a bit of a disappointment at the time, but has undergone a critical re-evaluation in the intervening period - it still sold over 2 million copies globally though, so it was hardly a complete failure.

"Customers also listened to" either AC/DC albums, solo albums by one of the group or AC/DC tribute albums - the fans aren't going to be tempted too far from the well, it seems.  Which isn't a well I venture too very often - I'm obviously never going to listen to this again, but I didn't hate it as much as I might have done.

21/08/83 - A very un-80's sound
04/09/83 - The first album I bought