September 21, 1990. I was 13 years old and vaguely aware of AC/DC. Little did I know, they were about to become one of my favorite rock bands.
My parents had a killer record collection, and I was never shy about exploring it. I can remember digging into sides by The Police and The Kinks and The Who when I was little; to me, the album’s covers were as interesting to me as the music on the records. And when my folks started bringing home CDs in the late ’80s and early ’90s, I was keen do dig into those, too.
AC/DC’s The Razors Edge was one of the first CDs I can remember putting on the home stereo. The cover screamed metal, and I was somewhat familiar with the band just as any kid who grew up listening to rock radio was. But outside of “Back In Black” and “Highway To Hell,” I didn’t know much. That all changed with The Razors Edge.
It’s AC/DC’s 12th studio album. It’s also considered a bit of a comeback album, as the band had started the ’80s strong, but had faded a bit at the end of the decade. I didn’t know any of that. All I knew was the video for “Thunderstruck” on MTV looked badass and that every song on this album kicked ass, from follow-up single “Moneytalks” to the holiday song (!?) “Mistress For Christmas” to the title track, which to this day is my favorite AC/DC song.
Everybody has their entry point to AC/DC. Mine was The Razors Edge and, as albums go, I think it’s a pretty damn good one.