With STIFF UPPER LIP, AC/DC continued down the same road of consistency driven by Angus Young's workmanlike riffing and Brian Johnson's raspy yowl. As it had done for the two decades leading up to this release, the Australian quintet ignored outside musical trends. AC/DC charts its own straight-and-narrow course with equal parts swagger ("House of Jazz"), grinding defiance ("Can't Stop Rock 'N' Roll"), and smoldering menace ("Meltdown").
As is the band's wont, AC/DC seasons the set with a handful of tried-and-true hard-rock anthems, including the call-and-response "Satellite Blues" and the crackling tomcat-anthem title track. Not surprisingly, quite a bit of sexual innuendo bubbles up throughout STIFF UPPER LIP, particularly on "Come and Get It" and "Give It Up." Ever the rock & roll traditionalists, AC/DC even includes an indictment of all things politically correct, "Damned."
Recorded at The Warehouse Studio, Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada.
AC/DC: Brian Johnson (vocals); Angus Young, Malcolm Young (guitar); Cliff Williams (bass); Phil Rudd (drums).
Rolling Stone (3/30/00, p.65) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...[It] is everything we've come to expect from the band and absolutely nothing more. A wonderfully juvenile set of leering rawk....old-school all the way; this is the classic BACK IN BLACK lineup bashing out minimalist arena rock..."
Q (1/01, p.90) - Included in Q's "50 Best Albums of 2000".
Q (5/00, p.107) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...Skullbusting riffs behind a cloth-capped...screecher....It's business as usual, but what a mighty business it is."
CMJ (3/20/00, p.34) - "...keeps up with the blues rock tradition on which [they've] built [their] massive reputation. For those about to rock, Brian Johnson, the Young Brothers, and Cliff and Phil salute you once again..."
Melody Maker (3/21/00, p.47) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...The song remains the same....You know the tunes will be basic, bashed out with a shinbone in the midst of a terrifying boozing session, and the vocals are sure to screech an endearing mixture of bravdo and innuendo....Listen and worship..."
Mojo (Publisher) (4/00, p.91) - "...AC/DC are back in business; and business...is good....The overall impression is of a band deconstructing its music to its basic elements...and having a lot of fun putting it all back together."
NME (Magazine) (2/26/00, p.37) - 9 out of 10 - "...AC/DC are the greatest....The 'DC are elemental...[They] bring the rock. All you really need to know is that STIFF UPPER LIP is more of that good 'ol 'DC stuff....[The album] would be a 10 out of 10 if it had cannons on it..."
AC / DC - Stiff Upper Lip Songs
Stiff Upper Lip Music Review
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Angus in Gold
second best album
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