house of rock

AC/DC's second U.S. release took the raw energy from their debut, High Voltage, up a notch, producing another huge collection of driving, intense songs for serious headbanging, but adding a bit more professionalism into the equation. The songwriting and production are tighter and more focused, and standouts such as "Whole Lotta Rosie," "Problem Child," "Let There Be Rock," and "Bad Boy Boogie" almost have to fight with "filler" like "Go Down" and "Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be" for the spotlight; but really, there's not a wasted track here. Guitarists Angus and Malcom Young further define their grooves, and vocalist Bon Scott sounds like he's on the verge of combusting. Let There Be Rock is big and lean. --Lorry Fleming