The one album Rick Rubin called “the embodiment of rock and roll”
For his whole career, Rick Rubin has been known to surround himself with an eclectic mix of rock music. Although producers may be able to find their specific lane throughout their production history, Rubin has never been afraid to work with any band that would have him, being behind the board for artists as varied as Tom Petty, Johnny Cash, and Linkin Park. While Rubin has been trying to hone his craft for years, he still swears by one record as the epitome of rock and roll.
When first moving into the music industry, though, Rubin would not be the traditional rock and roll producer. Coming from a fan’s point of view, everything Rubin has ever touched has been about working for what the song needs rather than the technical aspects of the production.
Even when working on hip-hop albums in New York, Rubin knew what he liked and how to get it. When Run-DMC was initially making waves in the New York underground, what ended up propelling them to superstardom came from Rubin’s suggestion to bring Steven Tyler and Joe Perry from Aerosmith into the studio to cut a version of ‘Walk This Way’, which proved hugely successful for both artists.
As Rubin began working out his production style, though, his hard rock taste always gravitated back to the sounds of AC/DC. Like Rubin’s production style, the Young brothers were never concerned with making something for the sake of being flashy, storming out of the gate with crushing power chords that hit like a sledgehammer whenever they began.
When talking about the band’s body of work, Rubin always references Highway to Hell as the ultimate example of rock and roll at its finest. Regarding its influence, Rubin told Rolling Stone, “Highway to Hell is the most natural-sounding rock record I’ve ever heard. There’s so little adornment. Nothing gets in the way of the push-and-pull between the guitarists. For me, it’s the embodiment of rock and roll”.
Compared to Rubin’s other mixes, it’s easy to see the lessons that he took from the album as well. When looking at some of the albums Rubin produced for Tom Petty, many benefit from having a relatively dry sound, with the audience in the middle of the practice space as the band tear through some of their greatest material.
Outside of the sonic quality of the record, Rubin would also take influence from the simplistic elements of the group’s sound. Regardless of how many detractors talk about AC/DC making the same song repeatedly, the massive influence that have had on legions of rock bands has come from them refining their work to a tee whenever they walk into the studio.
When discussing how he makes rock and roll, Rubin talks about stripping all of the adornment away from the performance, explaining, “When I’m producing a rock band, I try to create albums that sound as powerful as Highway to Hell. Whether it’s The Cult or Red Hot Chili Peppers, I apply the same basic formula: Keep it sparse. Make the guitar parts more rhythmic”.
There is even evidence of Rubin applying that formula in action, asking Flea to pair down his basslines to create the iconic groove of ‘Give It Away’. Even though it might seem cheap to make rock bands play something simple, Rubin knows that the power lies in the groove that’s created rather than the flurry of notes.
Is Highway to Hell the best AC/DC album?
Well, maybe not quite.
There are many ways to analyse AC/DC’s music. You can look at the feel-good nature that accompanies willingly riding into oblivion, revel in the community surrounding the band, and explore the vocal performances of Scott and Johnson, but the driving factor behind the entire band is their simple yet effective rhythm section.
On Highway to Hell, we hear Angus and Malcolm Young at their very best. The riffs are simple yet stand the test of time, as songs like the titular track, ‘Touch Too Much’, and ‘If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It)’ still awaken something in hard rock fans to this day. But there’s a good chance most would consider both Back in Black and Let There Be Rock as the band’s pinnacle achievement on record.
