The Razors Edge

AC/DC cracked the seal on the ’90s with one of the best riffs of their career. That would be “Thunderstruck”, the opening track on <i>The Razor’s Edge</i>. Some shuffling occurred prior to the band recording this adrenaline shot of an album in British Columbia. Drummer Simon Wright stepped out to work with Dio and veteran drummer Chris Slade was brought in for the ever-present pummeling back beat. Brian Johnson stepped aside as lyricist for this album, leaving Malcolm and Angus completely in charge of songwriting for the first time. It was a smart move. In addition to “Thunderstruck”, the band brought out “Moneytalks”, probably the closest thing the band ever came to writing a pop song. Then there was “Are You Ready”—one of their fiercest calls to action. The gritty edge and booming chants on this album were a welcome reminder for a new generation that pure, unadulterated rock ’n’ roll was fiercely alive and well.