‘Flick of the Switch’: The disastrous AC/DC album that doesn’t deserve to be hated
When Angus Young was asked about which album he thought was the most definitive album AC/DC ever made, he was quick to respond with Let There Be Rock. His reasoning? Well, first things first, he liked the album, but there was more, as that record represented a turning point for the band that saw them unapologetically lean into their heavy guitar music.
At the time, AC/DC were surrounded by various trends that were taking over music, including new wave and punk rock. They were great guitar players and could have easily dabbled in these different sounds, but it wasn’t the kind of music they wanted to make. Let There Be Rock was the moment the band realised they were a hard rock band, and they would never divert from that fact.
When you listen to their albums, you can pick up on that incredibly well, as they don’t divert from that pounding guitar music at all. It means that sometimes, when you listen to them, their albums can begin to overlap with one another, and it can be difficult to separate one record from the next. However, the band don’t mind that; they know that their albums have a similar style, even if they were released decades apart.
That being said, despite their similarities, they went on a three-album run that, for many, is considered the greatest run of three consecutive records ever. The albums in question were Highway to Hell, Back in Black, and For Those About to Rock (We Salute You). These three records were huge for AC/DC for a number of reasons.
Highway to Hell was huge because it represented the band at their best with Bon Scott on frontman duties. After he passed away and they released Back In Black, that marked a new bend in the road for the band, where they had a similar style instrumentally, but Brian Johnson was delivering his gritty vocals. Finally, For Those About to Rock was the first number-one album that the band had, which is legendary in its own right.
After such a successful run, AC/DC didn’t know how to approach their next album, Flick of the Switch, and it led to some questionable decisions by Angus and Malcolm Young. They parted ways with their drummer, producer and manager, opting to work on the next record in isolation. Many believe that this is because they became paranoid after reaching the height of their fame; meanwhile, others believe it’s so they could focus on their next album more intensely, given there was a great deal of pressure on them.
Unfortunately, regardless of their rationale, it didn’t quite pan out. Angus and Malcolm pursued their rawest sound yet, essentially using similar recording techniques to a live album in a bid to make something incredibly fuzzy and energetic. It was a nice idea, but compared to how tight-sounding some of their previous records were, it just didn’t sit right for many fans.
The album isn’t widely celebrated, and most people call it the worst piece of music that the band have ever put out. While it’s not great, it doesn’t deserve the barrage of hatred that it gets. AC/DC were going through a number of changes and were up against a great deal of pressure; realistically, whatever they released would have been scrutinised, so they took the opportunity to try something new.
When you actually sit down and listen to the album in isolation, it’s still a pretty good record, and AC/DC deserve some credit for the fact that they were able to come up with an exciting idea despite being in an impossible situation. All in all, while Flick of the Switch might not be their best, it still stands out as a good piece of work and a great effort.
