AC/DC rocks Argentina on Live at River Plate DVD
AC/DC
Live at River Plate (DVD)
Columbia
www.acdc.com, www.acdcrocks.com
By Thom Copher
"We don't speak very good Spanish, but we speak rock and roll pretty good!"
says vocalist Brian Johnson to the gathering in Buenos Aries following AC/DC's
opening number, "Rock and Roll Train." Quite the understatement because, as
is universally acknowledged, there is nothing on the planet like AC/DC in
concert. Live at River Plate, captured in December, 2009 during the band's
gargantuan Black Ice World Tour, has it all: the fireworks, the screaming
crowd which knows every power chord and every lyric, inflatable props, real
explosions from real cannons... aah, let's not forget, the greatest music ever
made.
AC/DC has never been a band that relies on the element of surprise, so it
should be no shocker that River Plate is chock-full of standards which we've
come to expect. The band rips through the gamut which chronicles its nearly
four-decade history: cataloging from the Bon Scott-era "T.N.T." and "Dirty
Deeds Done Dirt Cheap," to "Hells Bells" and "Thunderstruck" from the Brian
Johnson years - including nuggets from the most recent CD, Black Ice - the
concert presentation gives the throbbing Argentinian masses (and DVD viewers)
exactly what they want.
Live at River Plate (DVD)
Columbia
www.acdc.com, www.acdcrocks.com
By Thom Copher
"We don't speak very good Spanish, but we speak rock and roll pretty good!"
says vocalist Brian Johnson to the gathering in Buenos Aries following AC/DC's
opening number, "Rock and Roll Train." Quite the understatement because, as
is universally acknowledged, there is nothing on the planet like AC/DC in
concert. Live at River Plate, captured in December, 2009 during the band's
gargantuan Black Ice World Tour, has it all: the fireworks, the screaming
crowd which knows every power chord and every lyric, inflatable props, real
explosions from real cannons... aah, let's not forget, the greatest music ever
made.
AC/DC has never been a band that relies on the element of surprise, so it
should be no shocker that River Plate is chock-full of standards which we've
come to expect. The band rips through the gamut which chronicles its nearly
four-decade history: cataloging from the Bon Scott-era "T.N.T." and "Dirty
Deeds Done Dirt Cheap," to "Hells Bells" and "Thunderstruck" from the Brian
Johnson years - including nuggets from the most recent CD, Black Ice - the
concert presentation gives the throbbing Argentinian masses (and DVD viewers)
exactly what they want.
Now, is River Plate predictable? The answer can only be a resounding "Hell YEAH!" which, no doubt, can be heard throughout
Buenos Aries' famed El Monumental stadium as the band launches into "Back in Black," "Whole Lotta Rosie," and "Shoot to
Thrill." The skeptic may ask, "Do we really need to see Angus Young do his striptease during "The Jack" for the umpteenth
time?" Well, as long as sold-out stadiums encourage little Ang to reveal it down to his skivvies while caterwauling the chorus as
if life itself depended on it, you'd better believe it.
If there is any inkling of surprise on River Plate, it's how darn GOOD the band sounds - after all, the guys ain't spring chickens
and one might expect the giddy-up-and-go might have got up and went (to a degree, anyway). The Holy trinity - Malcolm Young
(rhythm guitar), Cliff Williams (bass) and Phil Rudd (drums) - is spot on. Angus' lead playing (accompanied by his classic,
non-stop duckwalk/headbop) is both spirited and raunchy, reminiscent of bygone days when his blues-fueled licks first set the
standard for boogie 'n' booze rock. Brian Johnson - I have no idea how this guy does it, given his groveling style - delivers the
vocals at an early 1980s throttle. The band simply defies all logic of time.
As long as the schoolboy outfit carries the youthful rock and roll spirit, as long as "Highway to Hell" continues to rebel against
what authority tells us "we should do," as long as the cannons keep firin' and saluting those of us who rock, AC/DC will continue
on with The Greatest Show On Earth. Live at River Plate is the latest testament to that fact. As the song says: "The music
was good and the music was loud - Let There Be Rock!" Amen, brothers!!
Buenos Aries' famed El Monumental stadium as the band launches into "Back in Black," "Whole Lotta Rosie," and "Shoot to
Thrill." The skeptic may ask, "Do we really need to see Angus Young do his striptease during "The Jack" for the umpteenth
time?" Well, as long as sold-out stadiums encourage little Ang to reveal it down to his skivvies while caterwauling the chorus as
if life itself depended on it, you'd better believe it.
If there is any inkling of surprise on River Plate, it's how darn GOOD the band sounds - after all, the guys ain't spring chickens
and one might expect the giddy-up-and-go might have got up and went (to a degree, anyway). The Holy trinity - Malcolm Young
(rhythm guitar), Cliff Williams (bass) and Phil Rudd (drums) - is spot on. Angus' lead playing (accompanied by his classic,
non-stop duckwalk/headbop) is both spirited and raunchy, reminiscent of bygone days when his blues-fueled licks first set the
standard for boogie 'n' booze rock. Brian Johnson - I have no idea how this guy does it, given his groveling style - delivers the
vocals at an early 1980s throttle. The band simply defies all logic of time.
As long as the schoolboy outfit carries the youthful rock and roll spirit, as long as "Highway to Hell" continues to rebel against
what authority tells us "we should do," as long as the cannons keep firin' and saluting those of us who rock, AC/DC will continue
on with The Greatest Show On Earth. Live at River Plate is the latest testament to that fact. As the song says: "The music
was good and the music was loud - Let There Be Rock!" Amen, brothers!!