Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap

While Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap sounds like every other AC/DC album, it is distinguished by a lyrical puerility spectacular even by Bon Scott's standards. Two tracks--"Love at First Feel" and "Squealer"--are ruminations on the morality of sex with schoolgirls. "Big Balls," ostensibly a narrative from the perspective of an aristocrat socialite, is actually a somewhat labored excuse for the band to chant "We've got big balls." This juvenile posturing was, to a large degree, AC/DC winding up their burgeoning foreign audience by playing to stereotypical expectations of Australians. On Dirty Deeds, however, AC/DC try too hard. Only on "Ain't No Fun (Waiting Round to Be a Millionaire)" is Scott's laconic wit deployed to real effect: the sheer glee in the line "Get your fuckin' jumbo jet off my airport!" is almost worth the album's purchase price. --Andrew Mueller

• High Voltage
• Highway to Hell
• Let There Be Rock
• Powerage
• For Those About To Rock We Salute You
• Back in Black
• The Razor's Edge
• If You Want Blood You've Got It
• Who Made Who
• '74 Jailbreak (Dlx)