AC/DC - Iron Man 2

April 24, 2010, 14 years ago

(Columbia)

"Metal" Tim Henderson

Rating: 9.0

review ac dc

AC/DC - Iron Man 2

The soundtrack of summer 2010? Of course we've heard all these tunes many times before, but not in this order! And the perfect match; arguably the hottest band at the moment right now, doing battle alongside the hottest action hero, Iron Man Tony Stark. And ala Who Made Who (Maximum Overdrive flick), the entire soundtrack is AC/DC tunes. I know, we all got the tracks in some format or another, but the fact that these are highlighted again makes this an entertaining exercise of reminiscing. Keep in mind, these songs are the fuel for Stark as he tries to save the world, battling new villain Whiplash (Mickey Rourke)! And as a crazy fan of these Aussie icons, it's kinda cool to see what tracks would be chosen for such a film - no unreleased ditties though. We can all pretty much agree that if you put your AC/DC iTunes on high voltage shuffle, not one weak track would appear. Too many highs to mention, very few lows to even bother making note of. So let's review how each track on Iron Man 2 stands up in 2010:



'Shoot To Thrill' - although I'm not too impressed with the 'swing factor' the band has put on this track during their live shows, the studio version is still a gritty, fist-pounding chunk of metal anger that is the centre-piece of the flick. It doesn't get much heavier than this.



'Rock 'N' Roll Damnation' - an anthem if there ever was one, a loud n' proud Bon Scott still leading the 'DC parade some 30 years after his death.



'Guns For Hire' - perfect match thematically, from their most under-rated album, Flick Of The Switch. A back-to-basics Young brothers-produced song that sears with flailing axes and raw intrigue. A real beauty from a sadly overlooked piece of band history.



'Cold Hearted Man' - a slow-moving rarity pulled from Backtracks, originally found on the European LP pressing of Powerage. Perfectly symbolic given Stark's injury, the track plods along, giving us a little breather. Enough Scott punch and blues slide to keep it out of the ballad category.



'Back In Black' - Didn't producer Mutt Lange want this off the record!? No matter, still a work of genius 30 years later, with that infectious groove and drive until the break where full-on 'DC boogie takes hold. This song does not age and is a perfect snapshot of the band on fire.



'Thunderstruck' - possibly the greatest live show opener ever. Period. This fist-pounding anthem epitomizes AC/DC to a 't'.



'If You Want Blood (You've Got It)' - I love this buried Highway To Hell track ... in fact the entire second side of Scott's last 'DC full-length is full of gems. Anther Stark symbolism (heart-blood - get it?!) - this is the Bon Scott bite we dearly miss.



'Evil Walks' - I still stand by this remark; For Those About to Rock (We Salute You) is quite possibly the greatest sounding hard rock album ever. The Young (Angus and Malcolm) axes ooze a certain warmth and shimmering beauty, whereas the Cliff Williams/Phil Rudd backbone is solid and exudes perfection. Johnson's snickering and swagger is unmatched. A soaring chorus is met with a sturdy march as the band sends shivers up your spine.



'T.N.T.' - it ain't a party until this track gets cranked. A top-notch nugget that personifies the band and Scott's electrifying presence. Raw, riotous and righteous all in one!



'Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be' - a motto for all of us metalheads plain n' simple. Bon is grinning at us from 'down under' right now.



'Have A Drink On Me' - I dunno man, all I hear are caps hitting the floor and smoke in the air. And the build-up to the finale is a work of art, bottles like rockets in the air, fists-a-flying and the scent of cheap perfume and bar mildew. Ain't it a perfect picture!



'The Razor's Edge' - a puzzling record for me no doubt, although it was an immense success. A sombre tone resonates and will during many of the darker scenes the Iron Man franchise possesses. Not overly memorable, but a sensible fit.



'Let There Be Rock' - enough said. The title says it all. And isn't this AC/DC speed metal? Not much this raw and raucous in 1977 and it still screams pit-party.



'War Machine' - the weakest track on the compilation from arguably the low-point of the band's career, Black Ice. Bland and lazy. Sorry lads, but this is weak.



'Highway To Hell' - probably the band's most famous tune and has barely weathered. Yes, more hip n' cool than 'You Shook Me...', which you'll notice is not on the record. It's been road-tested by every band on the planet and a fitting finale for Bon Scott. The perfect close to this hits package.



Iron Man 2 opens May 7 in North America. Check out all the cool formats for the compilation at this location.






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