In my humble opinion, Powerage is one of the more underappreciated AC/DC albums. The 1978 release didn’t sell nearly as well as 1976’s Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (US 6x platinum), or its immediate successor Highway to Hell (US 7x platinum). It didn’t even sell as well as Let There Be Rock (US 2x platinum). Personally I chalk this up to lack of ear-grabbing singles, but what do I know. Therin lies the perceptual problem with Powerage specifically, and with certain albums in general. If there isn’t a hit single, and there pretty clearly isn’t one on Powerage, then the album is essentially lost. Forgotten by all but the most die-hard fans. There is probably only the one “hit” single on Let There Be Rock, and it’s still not an overly popular one (even if she is a whole lot of woman). While the lone single released from Powerage, Rock ‘n’ Roll Damnation, certainly sounds like an AC/DC single, it just isn’t in the same stratosphere of popularity of a Dirty Deeds or Highway to Hell. So what does that make the album as a whole? Fantastic, that’s what.

It’s a great album. Interesting and distinct songs. Good lyrics, catchy riffs, solid beats. What’s not to love? Without much doubt, it ranks right up there with Highway to Hell as my favourite AC/DC albums. While the highs may not be as high as Highway, it arguably has fewer lows. I don’t want to say too much about Highway to Hell, as that’s next up in the My Collection rotation, so I’ll just leave it at that, and get to what’s what on Powerage.

Right out of the gate we have the sinlgle from the album, Rock ‘n’ Roll Damnation. As I mentioned before, it certainly sounds like a single, but for whatever reason it doesn’t get the lovin’ that AC/DC singles usually do. That’s too bad, as it does hold up pretty well as a side 1, track 1. Down Payment Blues sounds completely and utterly like Bon Scott. Along with Rock ‘n’ Roll Singer, these two songs are how I would describe him musically to someone who had never heard of him. After another solid track in Gimme a Bullet, we get to one of the two hiccups on the album. It’s not that I don’t like Riff Raff, it’s just that it wears on my. I find it overly repetitive, and not very interesting. It does seem a little tragic that some awesome Angus guitarwork is mired in the middle of the song, as that’s really the only redeeming quality.

Now, one of the qualities of this album is that tracks 5 through 8 are arguably better than tracks 1 to 4. That’s pretty rare, but starting with Sin City (which should have been a single) you are treated to four tracks of gold, highlighted by the criminally under-rated Gone Shootin’. This is easily my favourite track on the album. It’s just so damn, cool. Following this is a great track to end an album on, Up to My Neck in You. Unfortunately it isn’t the last song on the album. Here we have hiccup number two, Kicked in the Teeth. I see this as almost Riff Raff part 2. I honestly this the album would have been much better without this track. Up to My Neck would have been a great track to end on. Kicked in the Teeth just can’t maintain any good rhythm. It seems ovely janky and disjointed. Kind of like my writing, I suppose, but still a bad way to end an album. It just sort of, ends. Without the ending, and with a slightly better opening, I think this album would be remembered as the classic it should be.

I can’t really blame them for the poor ending. I have no idea how to write endings either, but you still need to do something better than just an abrupt end, followed by silence. Too bad you can’t fade away in writing…