Brian Johnson’s sex album
If you want a complex and challenging band that isn’t afraid to dive into interesting narratives throughout their music, AC/DC probably aren’t the one for you. It’s their simplicity and their energy which is so appealing; the three-chord rock song, paired with electric solos and Brian Johnson’s gritty vocals, make for nothing but hard rock, a sound as undeniable as it is straightforward, and one which has sold out stadiums for decades now.
When it comes to the themes that AC/DC write about, they tend to stick to the three pillars of rock, which are sex, drugs, and rock and roll. A lot of the time, they might combine two or even three, but they don’t tend to stray far from those three topics. Every now and then, some of the band’s lyrics about sex have landed them into trouble, with people brandishing them as sexist, as AC/DC aren’t afraid to be explicit about who they sleep with and the best ways to sleep with said people.
Any lyrics that openly talk about the R-rated will be met with contention. Realistically, the thing that can be taken away from AC/DC’s lyricism is that the band likes what their music is about, especially sex—so much of their music talks about one-night stands, past lovers and the act of sex itself.
‘Shook Me All Night Long’ is one of AC/DC’s most famous songs, and it talks about a one-night stand the band cannot forget; the same goes for songs such as ‘Whole Lotta Rosie’ and ‘Cover You In Oil’. One of their most on-the-nose songs comes from the 1995 album Ballbreaker, ‘Hard as a Rock’, which the band would play live against a backdrop of clips of animals getting it on. There is no metaphor with AC/DC; their lyrics may as well boil down to, “You ever had sex? Good, isn’t it?”
As such, when asked to name some of his favourite albums of all time, it’s hardly a surprise that AC/DC lead singer Brian Johnson went for one which he makes love to. Records such as The Rolling Stones’ self-titled LP and The Beatles’ Help! made the list because of their artistry, but Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong were mentioned for a very specific reason.
“Sit with a beautiful girl, with a beautiful bottle of wine, and see what happens,” said Brian Johnson when discussing The Best of Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong on Verve. “PS: turn off all electrical devices!” The album was released in 1997 but recorded between 1956 and 1957. It’s a compilation album of some of the best works of Fitzgerald and Armstrong in the ‘50s.
Music is a lot like the bedroom in that there is no right way to do things, and everyone likes to experience it differently. That means the music you put on during sex is going to vary. However, given Johnson has dedicated so much of his creative career to talking about the sexual experience, his recommendation might be a pretty good one to take notice of.
