Spenblog

In the long long ago, back when Christ was a child, I had long hair and was obsessed with classic rock. I was of the opinion that no modern rock could hold a candle to the classics (Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and most importantly here—AC/DC). I could not have been more wrong—and the passage of time has shown how many great rock acts were active at the time (Queens of the Stone Age, System of a Down, Green Day, etc.) but those artists were carving out a new niche that advanced the genre. None of those bands were trying to make good albums in the “Classic Rock” genre – meaning rock in the style of what was going on in the early to late Seventies. 

Enter Airbourne of Victoria, Australia. They are an unabashed AC/DC clone that plays original music in the style of prime 1976-80 AC/DC (see my blog on Highway to Hell and Back in Black). Their songs are simple, their lyrics are outdated, and there is absolutely nothing original about what they do. That said, in their debut record Runnin’ Wild, they play the absolute hell out of eleven songs that could just as easily have appeared on Highway to Hell, or Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. Airbourne channels Bon Scott and Angus Young’s intensity, energy, and joyful boyish ignorance. And they don’t make any effort to progress the genre, just to make a very good entry within it. With those modest parameters, they deliver in astounding fashion. 

The album is best paired with cold beer and good friends. Or maybe best enjoyed at the gym. But it is not an album to be contemplated or considered or reflected upon. And isn’t that itself some kind of artistic achievement? To make an album whose north star is being enjoyable and fun? 

Runnin Wild’s highlights: Stand Up for Rock and Roll, Blackjack, Hearbreaker, and the title track show such clear love and admiration for the music that inspired them. And what’s more—they are good songs in their own right. Airbourne functions like an AC/DC tribute band that plays B-sides from AC/DC’s prime that you have never heard before. And because they do so with such a deep understanding of what made AC/DC great, and with genuine enthusiasm and love of the game, you can’t help but enjoy it. 

Airbourne never made anything good again. I think they have a new album coming out this year. But for 11 tracks in 2007, they made magic. Check it out!