Following that album’s release, the band was already thinking about what their next step might be. That included heading into the studio again just a couple of months after the release of “High Voltage”, and putting down a new song that they then decided to release as a single. That song was called... “High Voltage”... which possibly was a little confusing to the fans base, as it was the same name of their debut album, and yet it didn’t actually appear on that album. According to some reports, the success of this single actually pushed sales of the debut album higher again as fans went in search of it for this song. That was going to be a disappointing search for some, but for others, they would have discovered an album that became a legacy for the band. This was the final song recorded by the line up that recorded the debut album. Tony Currenti had played drums on this track, and was replaced by Phil Rudd in early 1975, while Mark Evans was hired as bass guitarist. This, along with Bon Scott and the brothers Young, became the first truly stable line up of AC/DC.
Released in June of 1975, the single “High Voltage” had sparked the return of the band to the studio to actually produce their follow up sophomore album with this new line up. Not only did this album signify a change in certain aspects of the band, such as Malcolm Young sticking to playing strictly rhythm guitar and allowing Angus to stick to the lead guitarist role, it also cemented what would become the true AC/DC sound after a slightly mixed bag on their debut album. In Murray Engleheart's book ‘AC/DC: Maximum Rock & Roll’, long time co-producer Harry Vanda is quoted as saying, "I suppose there might have been one or two tracks on the first album, a few things that they were experimenting with, which probably later on they wouldn't have done anymore. So I suppose you could say that ‘T.N.T’ was the one that really pulled the identity; like, this is AC/DC, there's no doubt about it, that's who it's going to be and that's how it's going to stay”.
There would have to be very few people on the planet who could not at least cobble together a few words or hum the tune of the best-known songs here. The album opens up one of those tracks, "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)". It is the biographical song of any band, and one that, perhaps ironically, managed to help get AC/DC to "the top". It sometimes goes unnoticed in this day and age, but the introduction of the bagpipes into a hard rock song, which actually enhances the middle bridge of the song, is quite an achievement. Less successful is Bon Scott’s mimed attempt to play them in the video clip of the song on the back of a flatbed truck going down Swanston Street in Melbourne, though he of course did learn to play the instrument for the song. That in itself is a hilarious story, given that co-producer George Young recalled that Bon Scott had once been in a pipe band and encouraged incorporating bagpipes into the song. It quickly became apparent Scott had never played the instrument before, having in fact been a drummer in the aforementioned pipe band. However, Bon had bought himself a set and taught himself well enough to play on the track. It remains as popular today as it was when it was released. This is followed by the rocking beat of "Rock 'n' Roll Singer", which in a similar path to the opening track is a biographical song about the path to becoming... well... a rock 'n' roll singer! It is apparent by this stage of the album that the band has got their ship in order, and know what formula they are going to follow - a solid pounding drum beat, supported by a rumbling bassline, with clear, crisp guitar riffs setting the foundations of each song, allowing Bon Scott to star on vocals and Angus Young to flail away on guitar whenever he feels the need to. “Rock and Roll Singer” is the epitome of those solid ever faithful AC/DC tracks. There mightn’t appear anything special about it, but that is what makes it so listenable.
"The Jack" follows, with its slowed down tempo and toned down volume, a simple drum and rhythm throughout the song, and Bon relaying his story through a mix of almost-speaking vocals and then building to the oft-repeated chorus line, making it a favourite among teenagers especially, mostly who (in my day at least) had absolutely no idea what the band is singing about. I can fondly recall a school bus trip in high school where this album was played a lot, and this song got repeated playing, joined by the chanting of the chorus by the entire population of the bus. Not sure what the teachers thought, but there you go. Bon wrote the song on the premise of a letter Malcolm had received from a fan who claimed he had... left her with something... and Bon did the rest. The moody blues-based music is quite lulling, the chorus is just four words repeated ad nauseum – and yet it works. Closing out the first side of the album is "Live Wire", which remains one of my favourite all-time. The sombre opening of the bass and quiet guitar chords, to Phil Rudd’s hi-hat tap, and then the burst of guitar riff and drum beat, finally into the arrival of Bon’s vocals, that also begin in that quiet register before it all builds to the chorus. The song continues to build wonderfully through the second verse, into Angus’s solo, and the final exchange with Bion’s vocals fully charged, ending as the fist pumping hard rock anthem. Everything about it is simple on the basic level – the drum beat, the bass line, the rhythm guitar, the vocal delivery. But put it all together, with that amazing rise and build all the way through the song, and it becomes an absolute classic, one that is extremely underrated and yet truly brilliant. For me, it would be in my five favourite AC/DC songs.
Turn the album over, and we are straight back into the swing of things, as side two opens up with the timeless anthem and title track "T.N.T”. Once again built on that solid and yet iconic guitar riff and the chanting of ‘oi oi’, which does a sensational job of bringing the listener in to join in singing the vocals. The structure of the song, the characterisation of the lyrics and the way Bon sings them - It's hard to resist singing the chorus at the top of your voice, no matter where you are when you are listening to it. It is yet another anthemic track from the band that brings so many of them to the album. The band was still playing the pub circuit in Australia at the time, and having songs that brought the crowd into being a part ofthe performance is what helped to bring AC/DC to prominance, something that is written in stone on this album. "Rocker" that follows could almost be classed as filler, if it wasn't for the energy shown by Bon Scott's vocals through the song. It almost feels like an on-stage jam between the band, with Bon coming up with lyrics just to fill the gaps. It is a song steeped in the bands roots of blues rock, with the foot jammed on the accelerator and nothing left in the gas tank. Again its a simple format, and one that the band take great joy in ripping to pieces here.
"Can I Sit Next to You, Girl" is a re-working of AC/DC's first ever single, back before Bon Scott was in the band. The original was written and recorded when Dave Evans was still lead singer, but this is a different band here and a whole new persona out the front on vocals. It is patently clear that this is a much better version of the song, not only because Bon gives it a little bit more oomph than Evans, but because the band is sharper, cleaner and tighter. It shows its age by being of a different style from the majority of the tracks here, but it still sounds great after all these years.
The final two songs on the album were both recorded after the sessions for the first album were completed but before both Rudd and Evans came into the band. "High Voltage" of course was released as a single some six months prior to this album being released, and is a sister song to "T.N.T." and was inspired by the title of their first album. In 1993, Angus Young shared the origins of the title track with Vic Garbarini of Guitar For the Practicing Musician: "I remember sitting home one night before going into the studio and playing around with some chords, and I suddenly thought, let's try playing... A... C... D... C. Sounded good. And then I thought AC/DC...power..."High Voltage"! I sang the chorus part to my brother in the studio and he thought it sounded great”.
The final song on the album is "School Days', a cover of the Chuck Berry song. Now, while this may be an historically great song, and one can only assume that it was an influence on the band members in their youth, I feel it just muddies up the end of the album a little. "High Voltage" is really the best song to close with, letting it finish on a high. "School Days" doesn't tend to do that.
Growing up in Australia through the 1970’s and 1980's, AC/DC was always around, even if your parents weren’t listening to them. SOMEONE around the place was playing them, so you always had songs running around your head. The radio would occasionally pick up the singles and they would get their chance to shine for a brief moment before the next pop song came along. I was aware of the band at different times, more so from the time I reached the age of 15. The aforementioned bus trip on an excursion to Canberra was the first time I had heard this particular album, and I did so a number of times during those three days as a result. The move from listening to the radio to becoming interested in bands and entire albums occurred at this time as well, so it was all coming together for me, though perhaps at a meandering pace. This album was taped for me on a cassette at some time during that period, and it got played as much as anything else up until the time that the heavier band and music began to enter my life. In February of 1988, AC/DC toured Australia for the first time in seven years, and I got to see them at the Sydney Entertainment Centre from the front row. As a lead up to that concert, I had listened to this album and the others I had a lot, in preparation for the event, and it was probably during this period that I really began to listen to this album as a whole, rather than just the odd four songs that kept being the most noticeable and the most played.
Over the years, this has been one of my go-to AC/DC albums. It probably helped that for a while it was one of the few I owned on CD. But through that a greater love for the album grew. Beyond this album, up until Bon’s untimely passing, the albums grew in strength and depth, and the songs became more than just an almost two dimensional anthem type quality. And that in no way is meant to bring any derision on the songs of this album. Because what this album built for the band was a structure, the creating of the tightest rhythm section in rock music, one that became the bedrock of the band, that allowed Bon Scott and Angus Young to establish their credentials as the face of the band, the ones that brought the flair that could only be possible with the building of that rhythm section. And that rhythm section here truly brings the best from the songs that went on to establish the greatness of the band - “It’s a Long Way to the Top”, “The Jack”, “Live Wire”, “TNT”, “high Voltage”. From those songs came what followed, with a greater maturity and a desire to improve their song writing and performance, something that albums such as “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap”, “Let There Be Rock”, “Powerage” and “Highway to Hell” all proved true.
I don’t really need an excuse to take this album off my shelves and play it in the Metal Cavern, but this episode gave it to me anyway. And it is one of life’s simple pleasures. It is an album that requires no prodding to listen to, to sing along, to enjoy. From the opening strains of the opening track, this is unashamedly AC/DC. Sure, the cover of “School Days” might be an indulgence and one that is not completely necessary, but it also isn’t a bad version of the track either. And the album is here and gone before you know it, and most of the time you have to go back to the beginning and play it all over again, because once is never enough. It retains all of the charm it has always had. And, even though it should not have to be said, this album is the original and the best, not the bastardised version that Atlantic Records released as their international version, which they also titled “High Voltage”. When listening to AC/DC, this is the ONLY version of this album you should be listening to.
Despite a couple of moments that are a very slightly lacklustre, this is a true classic album. It was the making of AC/DC and was followed by more great albums, a couple that arguably are even better than this. But for me, this is where it is all captured, in this bottle called “T.N.T”, the very best of everything this band can offer. The super rhythm section, the brilliant riffage from Angus and Malcolm Young, and the unique vocal capacity of Bon Scott. The complete package.
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