Stiff Upper Lip

05/23/2000 7:29 PM, Yahoo! Music
Mike Lipton

While AC/DC's releases in the '90s were summarily panned by both critics and fans, the band's meat-and-potatoes approach to rock 'n' roll has remained refreshingly consistent. If the band began as a second-generation rock group, its music--save for Brian Johnson's often annoying/dated vocals--stands the test of time surprisingly well, largely due to the timeless riffage of guitarist Angus Young.

Young may have learned his tricks from the U.S. school but, along with a small handful of stalwarts like ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons, heÆs one of the few to carry the torch of honest-to-God rock 'n' roll. Beginning with the title track, Stiff Upper Lip finds Young paring down his style to the barest of essentials, using a couple of meaty tracks to build the songs and lay the foundation for Johnson's crooning. Throughout, from the deliberate "House Of Jazz" and the "WonÆt Get Fooled Again"-sounding "Hold Me Back" to the simple-but-effective "Come And Get It," the band delivers a tight, solid, and flawless performance.

Johnson's delivery and lyrics are the weak points throughout--the driving "Safe In New York City" being one exception--rarely sounding anything but puny compared to Young's wall of guitars, and with all the finesse of Aerosmith's Steve Tyler.