The great thing about AC/DC is that you know exactly what you're getting when you buy it. Their formula is simple, crunchy riffs, insane solos from Angus, Brian (or Scott) throwing their throats out, sing a long choruses, and a bottom end that kicks your (...).

Blow up Your Video is no different. Sure some songs are better than others, and there are better AC/DC albums than this (Back in Black, Highway to Hell), but the formula is still there. AC/DC always stuck to their guns. When a lot of our favorite bands have gone out into la la land and released really bizarre stuff, AC/DC were there to keep us anchored. They may never have an Unplugged Session on MTV or release a 'concept' album, but I don't think AC/DC fans want them too. When it comes to rock n roll, AC/DC are meat and potatoes and there ain't nothing wrong with that.

Favorite tunes on this album: Heatseeker, That's the way I wanna Rock n Roll, Meanstreak, Some Sin for Nuthin, and Go Zone.

Blow Up Your Video is one of my favorite AC/DC albums, because almost all of the songs on here are incredibly catchy and give AC/DC a new, innovative feel.

1.Heatseeker- One of the albums' hits, this upbeat song keeps the rock pace the whole time. 8/10
2.That's The Way I Wanna Rock 'n' Roll- One of my favorites, because the chorus is catchy and the fast beat never stops. 9/10
3.Meanstreak- One of AC/DC's catchiest songs ever. The guitar during the verses is awesome. 10/10
4.Go Zone- A good solid rock song that does not disappoint. 8/10
5.Kissin' Dynamite- I love the guitar riff during the verses, and the chorus. Just a great song. 8/10
6.Nick Of Time- One of my favorite songs, because the chorus sounds innovative and it is catchy. 9/10
7.Some Sin For Nuthin'- One of the only songs on this album that isn't really a standout track. 7/10
8.Ruff Stuff- More sexually-charged lyrics add to this songs already good beat. 8/10
9.Two's Up- Sort of an ominous song, but catchy and great nonetheless. 9/10
10.This Means War- One of the two songs on this album that aren't really that good. It's fast, but repetitive. 7/10

This album is surprisingly among the greats with "Back In Black" and "Highway To Hell". So that means buy it immediately.

Yes,that's right.It was 1988 and MTV had succeeded in sucking the life out of rock 'n' roll: Awful hair-bands and wanna-be's flooded the airwaves.(remember Warrant's Cherry Pie?) AC/DC's new album at that time said it all: 'Blow up your Video!' This album and tour had alot of monumental events. The first being the return of Harry Vanda and George Young (Older bro to Malcom and Angus) as producers. The second being the last album with drummer Simon Wright (Dio).

Wright is a very talented drummer( I caught one of his drumsticks at the Long Beach show in '88!) Phil Rudd was taking time away to fly helicopters. The third event was Malcom leaving the band right before the US leg of the tour. (He was replaced by his nephew,Stevie. Malcom went into re-hab for booze.)

Unfortunately, this was their weakest album.Only the first two
tracks rock real good. The energy and lyrics dry up right after that. Phil had been missing since'83and the balance of the band
had been thrown off a bit. On paper, this album should have been one of their great ones. It was a hit on the US charts. It got lots of radio airplay. It just isn't remembered as great, like Back in Black or Highway to Hell. It falls short. Still, AC/DC never sold out or changed their image to conform to the plastic late 80's trends in music. Angus said it best: "We didn't want to be part of that mainstream rock out there. We never wanted to be packaged and sold. We never went out there to sell our souls."
Let that be a lesson for Poison and Motley Crue!

This album is very dear to me for two reasons: 1) it's from my favorite band, AC/DC, and 2) it was released January 1, 1988, the EXACT same day I was born.

1. Heatseeker - 10/10 - It's a bird! It's a plane! It' - a heatseeker! Brian Johnson boasts about needing no life preserver and needing no one to hose him down, about charging up the sky and burning up the town.

2. That's the Way I Wanna Rock N Roll - 10/10 - A foot-tapping delight. This is the song that gave this album its title: half-way through the song, Brian says he's going to "blow up my video, shut down radio, told bossman where to go, turned off my brain control." I guess that's the way he likes to rock 'n' roll.

3. Meanstreak - 10/10 - I love this song simply because of its clever lyrics:
I've found myself in Abu Dhabi, just a mirage in the night
But, I ain't seen nuthin' to get me off my ass
I could walk, yeah, 'fore I could crawl
I just don't know who I wanna be, the Count of Monte Cristo or the Sheik of Araby?
And I'm the perfect culture vulture in the face of poverty
And I always kick the castle that's been built up on the beach, haha!

4. Go Zone - 10/10 - I actually draw a connection with this track and "Ride On" from AC/DC's earlier years because it mentions a "red-light district."

5. Kissin' Dynamite - 10/10 - A song about a woman who can kiss with the best of them. She's compared to a fireball in the shadow, a storm that's gonna show, an overwhelmed volcano, a thunder in the mountain, the lightning in the sky, and the eye of a tornado.

6. Nick of Time - 10/10 - The best I can summarize about this song is that its basically about: a fast train running late on the wrong track, bad blood and news about a rope with nothing to lose, a mad bull seeing red and charging, hoping to kill the singer; everybody trying to frame him and making him toe the line; a slow plane in a storm that leaves the singer sweaty and strained, and then has to bail out of the plane into the black abyss below, the sound of the engine being the only thing he can hear, he counts ten and prays, asserting that the nick of time will save him anyday; everybody loves a hero who lives in danger; losing sleep, getting grief, getting no relief, being punched in the face for reasons you don't know, a mob chasing you like you were the Holy Grail in hopes of lynching you; everybody trying to frame him and making him toe the line

7. Some Sin for Nuthin' - 10/10 - In this song, Johnson declares that, while some sin for gold, some sin for shame, some sin for cash, some sin for gain, some sin for wine, and some sin for pain, he isn't going to be the fool who's going to have to sin for nothing. It also says that: heroes are hard to find because they don't make the news till they're doing time; shcemers turn the screw, get the word, and drop on you; dealers are looking around; the wheel is turning around; Nero was an evil man who was born way before his time; he led the Romans down below; you get it right and away you go; you have to lay down the rules, push up the price, turn on the heat, and put yourself on ice; don't sin for nothing, because you're getting nothing for nothing.

8. Ruff Stuff - 10/10 - I don't care what anyone else says about this song, it is very deep and almost remniscient of "You Shook Me All Night Long." This is my favorite song on this album. Here is the story it tells: I like 'em big and I like 'em small. If I had to take the oath, I would take them all. Gimme that ruff stuff, it's what I want! She's a saint, she's a sinner, she's a rave, rave, rave! She's the one, she's a winner, in every way, way way! She don't want love, no cabaret that's out. She likes to play around. That suits me fine; I like it better when she reads my mind! And I don't want a woman with a ball 'n' chain, don't wanna play that game... just gimme that ruff stuff! I want ruff stuff! Baby, gimme ruff stuff! You don't want ruff stuff? Don't want your face around here! Make you shake, make you shiver, make you pray, pray, pray! Gonna make you quake, make you quiver, and turn you grey, grey, grey! I don't need brakes, they slow me down to much. They keep me out of touch. They lock me in. I like it better when I pull the pin! And I don't want a woman with a ball 'n' chain, don't wanna play that game... just gimme that ruff stuff! I want ruff stuff! Baby, gimme ruff stuff! You don't want ruff stuff? Don't want your face around here! I like them big and I like them small. And if they asked me to take an oath, oh, I would take them all. Gimme that ruff stuff... gimme that ruff stuff! I want ruff stuff! Baby, gimme ruff stuff! Gimme more ruff stuff! Whoa, ruff stuff, baby! Baby, gimme ruff stuff, yeah! Takin' all the ruff stuff! I want it, yeah! Don't want your face 'round here, I said... don't want your face 'round here... oh, I don't want your face 'round in my backyard anymore!

9. Two's Up - 10/10 - Basically, it's Brian Johnson's version of "Sin City."

10 This Means War - 10/10 - The name says it all.

Once more, AC/DC makes another fine album. Great tunes here,
in tradition of preceeding AC/DC albums.
With "Blow Up Your Video" you get a good example of how AC/DC kept it all real. They didn't go with what was current, they didn't buy into the hype of fashion and publicity.
They just had a will to rock, and the will, and geuis to do so.
Although not as good as other 80's albums, (Black...For Those...Switch...) it is better than "Fly On The Wall" (although that's a pretty good album.) Out of all 10 songs, the best would be "Heatseeker", "That's The Way I Wanna Rock N Roll",
"Some Sin For Nuthin'", "Ruff Stuff", and "Meanstreak".
"Meanstreak" has an undeniable funk, and you can't help but get something either bobbing or tapping in time to it's beat.
"Some Sin..." is a slower, burning number, with a good hook, and classic rock feel, plus a dash of R&B.
"Heatseeker", one of the live show staples, just plain rocks out.
With the twelve-bar blues structure, and good...everything.
"That's The Way..." is yet again, a fast paced rocker, with kick and bite to it, paying tribute to the good old days of rock.
(An add for Chevy cars used a clip of this song which mentions a Chevy in a magazine, once.)
"Ruff Stuff" is a pure, all-out hook-fest.(as described in the booklet). With a good melodic tint to it, and an equally melodic hooky riff, this song is one of their best, and has a somewhat "different" sound for AC/DC.
And the others are good, too. If you can only buy two albums from the new set of re-masters, get this, and my personal favorite, "Flick Of The Switch". You'll go home happy, and have these songs stuck in your head for quite a while (but that's a good thing, isn't it...)