Let There Be Rock
Encyclopedia
Let There Be Rock is the fourth studio album
by Australian hard rock
band AC/DC
, released in March 1977. All songs were written by Angus Young
, Malcolm Young
and Bon Scott
.
It was originally released in Australia on Albert Productions
. A modified international edition was released on Atlantic Records
in June 1977.
, who previously played on T.N.T.
(1975) and Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (1976).
On 3 April 1977, AC/DC filmed a live performance of "Dog Eat Dog" for Australia's Countdown. In July 1977, the band further promoted Let There Be Rock by filming a music video
for the album's title track. Recorded in a church in Sydney's Surrey Hills known as the Kirk Gallery, it featured Scott as a priest
and the rest of the band as altar boys.
The album cover features fretting image of Buffalo
's Chris Turner's fingers on a guitar neck. This edition was eventually repackaged with the international version's cover (see image), marking the first time an Australian AC/DC album cover was matched to its corresponding international edition.
In 1980, AC/DC released a live concert motion picture titled AC/DC: Let There Be Rock. In 1997, an expanded audio recording of this concert was released on CD as Let There Be Rock: The Movie
, on discs 2-3 of the Bonfire box set
.
version of the album made available for international release contained the same tracks as the Australian release. However, Atlantic Records
removed the racy "Crabsody In Blue" from the later international version. It was replaced with a shortened version of "Problem Child" from the Australian version of the album Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, released in September 1976. "Crabsody In Blue" was later released on the box set Backtracks
, which was released in 2009. All international CD releases contain the modified track listing.
The international version's cover also marked the debut of the band's logo, designed by Gerard Huerta. The photograph used for the cover was taken on 19 March 1977 at the Kursaal Ballroom, Southend, Essex, UK.
In 2001, Q magazine named Let There Be Rock as one of the 50 Heaviest Albums Of All Time.
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by Australian hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
band AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
, released in March 1977. All songs were written by Angus Young
Angus Young
Angus McKinnon Young is a Scottish-born Australian musician, and the lead guitarist, songwriter, and co-founder of the rock and roll band AC/DC. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with other members of AC/DC in 2003 and is known for his energetic performances,...
, Malcolm Young
Malcolm Young
Malcolm Young is a Scottish-born Australian guitarist, best known as a founding member, rhythm guitarist, backing vocalist and songwriter for the Australian hard rock band AC/DC. Young was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003, along with the other members of AC/DC...
and Bon Scott
Bon Scott
Ronald Belford "Bon" Scott was a Scottish-born Australian rock musician, best known for being the lead singer and lyricist of Australian hard rock band AC/DC from 1974 until his death in 1980...
.
It was originally released in Australia on Albert Productions
Albert Productions
Albert Productions, a division of music publishing and recording company Albert Music, is one of Australia's longest established independent Australian record label to specialise in rock and roll music. The label was founded in 1964 by Ted Albert, whose family owned and operated the Australian...
. A modified international edition was released on Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
in June 1977.
Overview
Let There Be Rock was also the last AC/DC recording to feature bassist Mark EvansMark Evans (musician)
Mark Whitmore Evans is an Australian bass guitarist who was an early member of hard rock band AC/DC from March 1975 to June 1977. His playing featured on their albums T.N.T, High Voltage, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, Let There Be Rock and 74 Jailbreak...
, who previously played on T.N.T.
T.N.T. (album)
T.N.T. is the second studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, released in December 1975. Seven of the album's nine songs were written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young and Bon Scott...
(1975) and Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (1976).
On 3 April 1977, AC/DC filmed a live performance of "Dog Eat Dog" for Australia's Countdown. In July 1977, the band further promoted Let There Be Rock by filming a music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for the album's title track. Recorded in a church in Sydney's Surrey Hills known as the Kirk Gallery, it featured Scott as a priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
and the rest of the band as altar boys.
The album cover features fretting image of Buffalo
Buffalo (band)
Buffalo was an early heavy metal band formed in Sydney, Australia in 1971. The band left a legacy with Australia's heavy metal, pub rock and alternative rock movements. The band had evolved from the Brisbane blues-rock outfit Head, which was originally formed in 1968 by Dave Tice and Peter Wells...
's Chris Turner's fingers on a guitar neck. This edition was eventually repackaged with the international version's cover (see image), marking the first time an Australian AC/DC album cover was matched to its corresponding international edition.
In 1980, AC/DC released a live concert motion picture titled AC/DC: Let There Be Rock. In 1997, an expanded audio recording of this concert was released on CD as Let There Be Rock: The Movie
Let There Be Rock: The Movie
Let There Be Rock: The Movie – Live in Paris is a live double CD by the hard rock band AC/DC, released as "Disc Two" and "Disc Three" of the Bonfire box set in 1997....
, on discs 2-3 of the Bonfire box set
Bonfire (album)
-Let There Be Rock: The Movie - Live in Paris:-Volts:-Back in Black :-AC/DC: Let There Be Rock :-Volts :-References:...
.
International release
As with AC/DC's previous albums, there are differences between Let There Be Rocks Australian and ultimate international editions. The original vinylGramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
version of the album made available for international release contained the same tracks as the Australian release. However, Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
removed the racy "Crabsody In Blue" from the later international version. It was replaced with a shortened version of "Problem Child" from the Australian version of the album Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, released in September 1976. "Crabsody In Blue" was later released on the box set Backtracks
Backtracks (AC/DC album)
Backtracks is a box set by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. It was announced on 29 September 2009 and was released on 10 November 2009. This is a collection of the band's studio and live rarities together in one boxset. There are two editions; a Deluxe Edition and a Standard Edition...
, which was released in 2009. All international CD releases contain the modified track listing.
The international version's cover also marked the debut of the band's logo, designed by Gerard Huerta. The photograph used for the cover was taken on 19 March 1977 at the Kursaal Ballroom, Southend, Essex, UK.
Australia (and original international vinyl)
International
- Most CD releases feature this track listing along with a slightly longer version of "Go Down".
- Track 5, "Problem Child", was originally released on Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap in 1976. This is a shortened version of the original.
- For the original vinyl release, in all markets other than the USA and Japan, "Crabsody in Blue" was featured instead of "Problem Child".
Personnel
- Bon ScottBon ScottRonald Belford "Bon" Scott was a Scottish-born Australian rock musician, best known for being the lead singer and lyricist of Australian hard rock band AC/DC from 1974 until his death in 1980...
- lead vocals - Angus YoungAngus YoungAngus McKinnon Young is a Scottish-born Australian musician, and the lead guitarist, songwriter, and co-founder of the rock and roll band AC/DC. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with other members of AC/DC in 2003 and is known for his energetic performances,...
- lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure... - Malcolm YoungMalcolm YoungMalcolm Young is a Scottish-born Australian guitarist, best known as a founding member, rhythm guitarist, backing vocalist and songwriter for the Australian hard rock band AC/DC. Young was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003, along with the other members of AC/DC...
- rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, backing vocals - Mark EvansMark Evans (musician)Mark Whitmore Evans is an Australian bass guitarist who was an early member of hard rock band AC/DC from March 1975 to June 1977. His playing featured on their albums T.N.T, High Voltage, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, Let There Be Rock and 74 Jailbreak...
- bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals - Phil RuddPhil RuddPhillip Hugh Norman Rudd is an Australian drummer. He is best known for his membership of rock band AC/DC from 1975 until 1983, and again from 1994 to present. After the 1977 departure of bass guitarist Mark Evans, he became the only Australian-born member of the band...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
Production
- Producers: Harry VandaHarry VandaHarry Vanda , is a Dutch-born Australian popular music singer, guitarist, songwriter and record producer.-Career:...
, George Young - Engineer: Mark Opitz
- Mastering supervisor: Michael Fraser, Al Quaglieri
- Mastering: George Marino
- Digital assembly: Eugene Nastasi
- Art direction: Bob Defrin
- Liner notes: Murray Engleheart
Charts
| Chart (1977) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Kent Music Report Kent Music Report The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998... Albums Chart |
19 |
| US Billboard 200 Albums Chart | 154 |
| UK Chart | 17 |
Certification
Reception
Reception to Let There Be Rock was generally positive; according to Allmusic, which gave the album a rating of four and a half out of five stars, AC/DC played "sweaty, dirty, nasty rock" and the band had "rarely done that kind of rock better than they did" on Let There Be Rock.In 2001, Q magazine named Let There Be Rock as one of the 50 Heaviest Albums Of All Time.
External links
- Lyrics on AC/DC's official website