Stiff Upper Lip

For anyone suffering a bout of post-millennial malaise, Stiff Upper Lip was a reminder that unhinged, elemental rock 'n' roll was the cure. While the blues were never too far from the surface in the band's strutting, cocksure discography–there was a touch more of the bayou here than anything since the Bon Scott era. Brian Johnson kicks off the album at least two octaves below his normal growl, before Malcolm comes in with a greasy riff and just like that–the band is blasting out another fist-hammering classic, "Stiff Upper Lip." No true fan of the band would tell you that AC/DC is about reinvention. They are about unwavering passion and belief in the power of rock 'n' roll. You can hear it in "Can't Stand Still"–a forceful boogie rock number where even the band itself has to applaud Angus' work at the end. The mid-album peak of "Can't Stop Rock 'n' Roll" is not only a musical highlight but its message seems to define the band itself.