On This Day In METAL History – November 23rd – AC/DC “For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)”
On November 23rd, 1981 – AC/DC released their eighth studio album, For Those About to Rock (We Salute You. This album went on to become AC/DC’s first time to reach #1 on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart. For Those About To Rock (We Salute You) went on to sell four million (plus) copies in the United States. Singles from this legendary album included the title track and Let’s Get It Up. Other notable classics on this album are: Inject The Venom, Put The Finger On You, C.O.D. and Evil Walks.
Above: back cover of album jacket, with track list and album credits.
This memorable and influential AC/DC album was recorded in Paris, France. Released via Atlantic Records, the total playing time on this album is: 40:10 and was produced by the legendary Robert John “Mutt” Lange. This marked the second studio album for AC/DC with the great Brian Johnson on lead vocals. It is hard for me to realize, that three decades have passed since the release of this album. It may sound cliché, still, it feels like it was yesterday when this album released. What is so amazing is after all these years, AC/DC will be releasing, within days, yet another new studio album: Rock Or Bust. Amazing.
Above: album jacket gatefold featuring live band photo.
I remember receiving For Those About To Rock (We Salute You) on vinyl, as a Christmas gift from my parents, back in 1981. Even back then, I always got the impression that everyone was into AC/DC; heck, it still feels that way in 2014 and rightfully so. Even though it’s been so many years passed, my favorite song on this album is Let’s Get It Up. During my first weeks of owning this album, I remember putting the needle down to just this song at least a couple of dozen times a day. Or so it seemed. I remember, as a young teen, locking myself away and enjoying this album, as if it was sweet sonic nectar from the Rock Gods. This album still psyches me out to this day, I shall gladly confess.
To this day, I consider For Those About To Rock (We Salute You) as the heaviest AC/DC album ever released. I’ll let the songs do the talking for me. Many may agree or disagree with me. Best Metal Buddy Scott Coverdale disagrees with me. He claims Flick Of The Switch from 1983 is AC/DC’s heaviest release. I respect his point too. I guess it all depends on how any album hits you, one person’s heavy does differ from another.
Above: back cover to the CD. Somehow, over the years, someone decided to change the order of the track list. Compare for yourself, with the back cover to the vinyl album jacket at (near) top of this post. It’s one of those go figure mysteries.
I unfortunately never did catch AC/DC on their tour supporting this terrific album. Being 15 years old without a driver’s license didn’t help. Plus my Metal buddies back then were either my age or younger. Forget asking the parents back then, the last thing they wanted to do was drop off a group of early teen boys at an AC/DC concert at night and in a major city; things were totally different back then, where I lived anyways. As I look back on it all now, my parents did the right thing.
I did eventually get to see AC/DC in concert; only on two occasions which I am still very grateful for. The two times I caught AC/DC in concert were: 1988’s Blow Up Your Video Tour (with Scott Coverdale) and the Razors Edge Tour back in 1990 (with my future wife). Both concerts were at the Hartford Civic Center, (now known as the XL Center), in Hartford, Connecticut. Therefore, I guess I am overdue to see AC/DC live again! Everyone seems to have an album or group of albums that just takes them down Metal memory lane; I have dozens of those albums and this AC/DC gem is righteously one of them. Metal be thy name. – Stone.
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* For more info on AC/DC:
LONG LIVE AC/DC.
LONG LIVE METAL.
Stone.
Metal Odyssey > Heavy Metal Music Blog 
November 23, 2014 at 3:05 pm
AC/DC was the first band that introduced me to metal. After hearing Back In Black for the first time on my cousin’s ginormous new stereo speakers, I was hooked. Bought every AC/DC album after that, and remember how cool the LP cover on For Those About To Rock was – the edge always stood out in the wooden crate I kept my LP’s in! My first guitar was a maroon SG copy, and I even dressed as Angus Young, Bon Scott & Brian Johnson for fun. Never got to see them live but plan to this tour – even without Malcom, it will still be a dream finally come true for me. \m/ \m/
November 23, 2014 at 9:56 pm
Thanks for sharing the Metal memories, Mike! Very cool. Yeah, remember the HUGE speakers, back then? In those days bigger was better… now it’s smaller and sleeker is better… LOL! It’s understood that AC/DC introduced you to Metal… doesn’t it seem like after ‘Back In Black’ came out, the Metal seemed to steamroll in! Good times. \m/\m/
I hope you do get to see AC/DC on this tour, cuz… YOU ROCK!!