Super Hero Rock and Roll4 Out of 5 Stars
AC/DC have studiously avoided releasing any kind of best of or greatest hits albums, much to the consternation of many a record executive. In fact, at the time of this posting, they remain one of the last remaining holdouts among the major bands to refuse to put their songs on download sites. Which makes their decision to release their songs as a companion to "Iron Man 2" as close to an ersatz best of than "Who Made Who" (the soundtrack to superfan Stephen King's "Maximum Overdrive" flick) was in 1986.
The good thing about the "Iron Man 2" soundtrack is that AC/DC have been steadily making albums since "Who Made Who," and that was when releases were still being created with 12 inch vinyl in mind. Also, at the time of "Who made Who," AC/DC were at a creative stall with the albums "Fly On The Wall" and "Flick of The Switch." They regained their momentum for the next set of albums including "Razor's Edge" and "Black Ice." That gave the man at Marvel over two more decades of Angus, Malcolm, Bon and Brian to pick from, along with all that extra space on CD to fill.
The payoff is pretty darn good. That divides up into 6 cuts for Bon Scott and 9 for Brian Johnson. Amazingly, there are no crossovers from "Who Made Who" and that leaves off some obvious favorites like "For Those About to Rock" and "You Shook Me All Night Long." There are still plenty of rocking staples to be found here, ala "T.N.T.," "Thunderstruck," "Highway To Hell" and "Back In Black." But there's also a few picks that defy expectations, like "Cold Hearted Man's" first showing on a proper AC/DC single disc, or "War Machine" from "Black Ice." The riffage is heavy and the aim is hard.
Given that "Iron Man 2" is a movie that runs mostly on explosion and testosterone, that meant that such efforts as "Caught With Your Pants Down," "Big Balls," "Sink The Pink" or other sophomoric jokes were passed over in favor of "Shoot To Thrill," "Thunderstruck" or other combat ready guitar blasters. It centers the CD and gives it, even with the shuffling of songs between Brian Johnson and Bon Scott, a feeling of cohesion. After all, AC/DC has a rep for being ballbusting hard rockers, and this riff-tastic package flies right to the heart of that assertion. Perfect for road trips or keggers, AC/DC's "Iron Man 2" makes an excellent bookmark into the band's almost 40 years of rocking.
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