Flick of the Switch is the ninth studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. The album was deemed a commercial disappointment after it failed to match the sales figures of the band's two previous releases, 1980's Back in Black and 1981's For Those About to Rock, and its release represented the beginning of the band's commercial decline. Despite this, opinions of Flick of the Switch have been quite positive in the years since its release, and the album has often been mentioned as one of the best releases of 1983. The third AC/DC album to feature lead vocalist Brian Johnson, the album is also the last to feature drummer Phil Rudd before his return on Ballbreaker (1995). The songs on Flick of the Switch contain much of the outlaw bravado ("Guns For Hire," "Badlands") and sexual innuendo ("Rising Power," "Deep in the Hole") that fans had come to expect from the Australian rockers. The song "Bedlam in Belgium" was inspired by the band's appearance at Kontich when a riot nearly broke out when police tried to close down the show after the band allegedly ignored a strict 11 p.m. curfew. On tour in support of the album, "Guns For Hire" was the set opener. The tour resulted in more upheaval in the band's inner circle when Malcolm, frustrated by mixed reviews for Flick of the Switch and dwindling audience numbers in certain cities, fired tour manager Ian Jeffrey. In his Bon Scott memoir Highway to Hell, author Clinton Walker observes: ...when the band reemerged in August 1983, with the album Flick of the Switch, they found they weren't able to just pick up where they'd left off. The production credit the album bore, to Malcolm and Angus themselves, was merely the tip of the iceberg of a purging the pair had affected throughout the entire band and its infrastructure. It's a classic syndrome: the successful campaigner who fears his own troops. But Malcolm and Angus never trusted anyone anyway. They sacked practically everybody: Mutt Lange, who had artistically engineered their breakthrough; drummer Phil Rudd; Peter Mensch, who had himself usurped Michael Browning, even de-facto photographer Robert Ellis was ousted. The replacement of Rudd by Englishman Simon Wright meant that there wasn't an Australian-born member left in the band. The Flick of the Switch cover features a simple, pencil-drawn picture of Angus, illustrated by artist Brent Richardson, that he himself had originally sketched out to reflect the simple, raw approach of the album, and Atlantic Records hated it. Angus had also wanted the album graphics to be embossed the same way that Back in Black had been but, according to Ian Jeffrey, Atlantic did not want to spend the money because they believed the album contained no hit singles. ... See MoreSee Less
Love this album. Still have my original album from 1983. Saw this tour, my first ever concert. The rehearsals video is awesome.
Love 💗 this album 💿. Very underrated.
Love this album. The first three Johnson albums were all great.
Great album. I still have the cassette from when I was 13 years old, I'm 47 by the way and I still play it! 🙂
My favorite “Brian” era lp!!!!
Fave AC/DC album
This album is much better than for those about to rock album 😎💪
I've always loved the album ever since it was released
It’s not a masterpiece but I really like it. Love Badlands, Landslide, Bedlam and Flick. It doesn’t have a classic song like For those about to rock but I think it’s a better album than FTATR.
I love this album..just raw energy like Powerage.
I love these details
My favourite album in the Brian era 👍
Underrated…..But i like much!! 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻
Title track will knock your head off.
One of their heviest, i love like all
Was a great album then, and is still so. I will spin it anytime...
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Happy St Patrick's Day! ... See MoreSee Less
11 CommentsComment on Facebook
😉👍🤘
Happy St. Patrick's Day 🍀
Happy St Patrick's day!
Happy St Patrick 's day.🤘😉😉
🔥🤘💀🍺🇺🇸🍀💯happy st. Patty's day💯🍀🇺🇸🍺💀🤘🔥
Happy St Patricks
Acdc
Happy St Agnus day? LOL
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2 CommentsComment on Facebook
Fantastic photo
Flick of the Switch is the ninth studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. The album was deemed a commercial disappointment after it failed to match the sales figures of the band's two previous releases, 1980's Back in Black and 1981's For Those About to Rock, and its release represented the beginning of the band's commercial decline. Despite this, opinions of Flick of the Switch have been quite positive in the years since its release, and the album has often been mentioned as one of the best releases of 1983. The third AC/DC album to feature lead vocalist Brian Johnson, the album is also the last to feature drummer Phil Rudd before his return on Ballbreaker (1995).
The songs on Flick of the Switch contain much of the outlaw bravado ("Guns For Hire," "Badlands") and sexual innuendo ("Rising Power," "Deep in the Hole") that fans had come to expect from the Australian rockers. The song "Bedlam in Belgium" was inspired by the band's appearance at Kontich when a riot nearly broke out when police tried to close down the show after the band allegedly ignored a strict 11 p.m. curfew. On tour in support of the album, "Guns For Hire" was the set opener. The tour resulted in more upheaval in the band's inner circle when Malcolm, frustrated by mixed reviews for Flick of the Switch and dwindling audience numbers in certain cities, fired tour manager Ian Jeffrey. In his Bon Scott memoir Highway to Hell, author Clinton Walker observes:
...when the band reemerged in August 1983, with the album Flick of the Switch, they found they weren't able to just pick up where they'd left off. The production credit the album bore, to Malcolm and Angus themselves, was merely the tip of the iceberg of a purging the pair had affected throughout the entire band and its infrastructure. It's a classic syndrome: the successful campaigner who fears his own troops. But Malcolm and Angus never trusted anyone anyway. They sacked practically everybody: Mutt Lange, who had artistically engineered their breakthrough; drummer Phil Rudd; Peter Mensch, who had himself usurped Michael Browning, even de-facto photographer Robert Ellis was ousted. The replacement of Rudd by Englishman Simon Wright meant that there wasn't an Australian-born member left in the band.
The Flick of the Switch cover features a simple, pencil-drawn picture of Angus, illustrated by artist Brent Richardson, that he himself had originally sketched out to reflect the simple, raw approach of the album, and Atlantic Records hated it. Angus had also wanted the album graphics to be embossed the same way that Back in Black had been but, according to Ian Jeffrey, Atlantic did not want to spend the money because they believed the album contained no hit singles. ... See MoreSee Less
46 CommentsComment on Facebook
Love this record!
I love this Album
Completely underrated!
Great Album!
One of my favorite albums of all time!
Excellent album
Love this album
Fantastic album
Love this album. Still have my original album from 1983. Saw this tour, my first ever concert. The rehearsals video is awesome.
Love 💗 this album 💿. Very underrated.
Love this album. The first three Johnson albums were all great.
Great album. I still have the cassette from when I was 13 years old, I'm 47 by the way and I still play it! 🙂
My favorite “Brian” era lp!!!!
Fave AC/DC album
This album is much better than for those about to rock album 😎💪
I've always loved the album ever since it was released
It’s not a masterpiece but I really like it. Love Badlands, Landslide, Bedlam and Flick. It doesn’t have a classic song like For those about to rock but I think it’s a better album than FTATR.
I love this album..just raw energy like Powerage.
I love these details
My favourite album in the Brian era 👍
Underrated…..But i like much!! 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻
Title track will knock your head off.
One of their heviest, i love like all
Was a great album then, and is still so. I will spin it anytime...
My favorite Brian era AC DC album!
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Never seen this photo of the boys before. Circa '78 looks like. ... See MoreSee Less
6 CommentsComment on Facebook
Fantastic photo
Love the picture
Little dudes big sound take over the world!!!
This is an AI rendering of an actual photo in which Malcolm is not wearing glasses.
www.highwaytoacdc.com/index.php?articleid=2984
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Thanks for being a top engager and making it on to our weekly engagement list! 🎉 Anne Westengen, Fernando Suarez Fernandez, Bradley Braaksma, Tarko Sandor, Manuel Monje, Jon Burns, Sean Clemons, Kurt Stro, Ewan Moxley, James Homer ... See MoreSee Less
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You're welcome, AC/DC rules!
Powerage vs. Let There be Rock. Powerage gets my vote! ... See MoreSee Less
93 CommentsComment on Facebook
Love them both
Never shoose ! Just love AC/DC🤘🏻🤘🏻
Kicked in the teeth is just such an explosive track. Such an underrated song...
Powerage
Crazy tie!!!
Yes👍 powerage is the best album of ac/dc
I go back and forth with these two. Such great albums!
Powerage!!!!!
Both
Let there be rock! Let there be roll!
Both are PURE GOLD!
I love Rosie 💜
powerage
Both are 5 out 5 ✨️
Yep
Both! I'm leaning towards Let There Be Rock
Powerage is the Best
These are my 2 favorite.... If I had to choose it would be POWERAGE!
I love them both
Let There be Rock is my favorite album by them
Powerage by a whisker best rock album ever
Let there be rock!
Both are fantastic. Powerage by a hair
I love them both
Power
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First acdc gig on this tour. Manchester Apollo
Brian and Angus! ... See MoreSee Less
5 CommentsComment on Facebook
Fantastic photo
Nagyon,! Nagy király!
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