I myself an enormous AC/DC fan did not know about this album until I was searching in the music store for AC/DC albums I didn't have. Of course you always see Back in Black, Highway To Hell, and High Voltage but this album was new to me for some reason. I already knew Riff Raff and Sin City but I bought this album and I was amazed. To think there was another great Bon album I didn't have just shocked me. I enjoyed this album a lot but I wouldn't go far enough to say it was the best AC/DC album because it really isn't but I will say it was worth the money and I'm very happy it's in my collection rather than sitting forgotten on a shelf until another person discovered it. If you want Powerage you might need to order it online because not every store has a copy.

Disclaimer/Qualifier: As far as AC/DC goes, i am firmly in the "Bon Scott" camp; Brian Johnson' voice may have been amazing on the first few albums he did with the band, but overall I prefer Bon's sound and lyrics. I also think that Angus and Malcolm came up with more consistently solid riffs back in the '70's.

"Powerage" probably gets passed over by most CD-buyers, because it doesn't have a single song that gets radio play (such as "Dirty Deeds" or "T.N.T." or "Highway to Hell" or even "Whole Lotta Rosie"). But this is definitely one of my favorite AC/DC albums and the fact that "Powerage" doesn't have any familiar radio hits makes it in many ways a more exciting listen.

What you get is a collection of great riffs that maintains intensity and interest almost from start to finish. "Rock and Roll Damnation" is very catchy, and unusual in that it has no guitar solo - proof that there was more to this band than just Angus' insanity! "Down Payment Blues" and "Gone Shootin'" showcase the band's slower, darker side, while "Riff Raff" takes its cue from Led Zeppelin's "Rock And Roll" - but this riff is way cooler than the Led Zep track.

The most famous song off this album is probably "Sin City" and with good reason - it'll always be one of the great odes to Las Vegas (or any other gambling town), and it features an instantly catchy chord progression with a backbeat that calls to mind "Hell Ain't No Bad Place To Be."

If not for the last two songs, which kind of tread water and bring the album to a lukewarm conclusion, this CD would rate five stars. As it is, I still recommend it to anyone who likes straight ahead rock music.

The remaster does a wonderful job of restoring the power to these recordings; I bought the first issue of this CD back in the 90's and it just sucked - the sound was thin and poorly mixed. The new reissues are a million times better sounding.

Ah, how far to go here? Well, I'm older now, and I'm as 'zen' on this subject as any other. Sooo...

Powerage is the best rock 'n roll of album of all time. Not the most important or most influential; not with the widest variety nor highest reach(although this IS AC/DC's widest & highest album); not the most seductive or inspiring; but the best.

Sgt Pepper, Exile On Main Street, and Physical Grafitti are all timeless masterpieces too, but whatever Elvis, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Little Richard & Jerry Lee Lewis were aiming at all those years ago, Powerage hit dead center.

An amazingly raw, blistering sound, but at the same time incredibly tight grooves. Hard rock you can headbang AND dance to, indeed. Like someone once said, AC/DC does what no one else can do, better than anyone else.

This was the first album w/Cliff Williams and he kicked the band up to a whole new level. Fantastic production by Vanda/Young, the last one they did before Mutt Lange took over. The remastering is indescribably brilliant, showcasing the equally brilliant interplay between Angus & Malcolm. The lead & rhythm guitars are distinct, loud, and powerful. No way you'd believe this album was released in 1978 if you didn't already know.

And what rhythms and leads they are. Nine incredible riffs, instantly memorable. Easy to play(the riffs NOT the solos, of course), perhaps, but almost impossible to write. And the seven solos are among Angus' best, especially on Gone Shootin'. Fast solos, medium solos, slow solos, and on Damnation & Bullet no solo at all.

There is simply not a wasted or extraneous second here. Yngwie, Satriani, Vai, and all the rest of the shredders never wrote anything close to Sin City or Riff Raff. This album is the one that clearly places Angus alongside Hendrix, Page, & Gibbons.

Bon's best lyrics, devastating beats from Cliff & Phil. Highway To Hell's production sounds thin & poppy(despite the great songs), and Back In Black's writing seems somewhat uninspired and derivative in comparison. Imagine the best qualities of Overdose, Touch Too Much, and Shoot To Thrill wrapped together and you have Powerage.

Back In Black has a great sound and all the legendary anthems, no question, but this is the real apex of the "cooler than a body on ice, hotter than the rolling dice, wilder than a drunken fight" ideal. And all topped off by Bon giving you a wink/nudge and offering you another beer after each track.

I have friends that aren't into heavy music at all, but I always tell them that like Miles Davis' Kind Of Blue is to jazz, Powerage is the hard rock album for people that don't like hard rock.

Buy this album and you WILL burn tonight.

The gazillion-seller "Back In Black" broke one of rock's greatest bands into the big time for good, but on sheer power and songwriting, nothing compares to "Powerage", the best album ever recorded by AC/DC.
Unlike the other Bon Scott-era albums that followed the predictable goofy AC/DC mold (reminding us that rock n' roll was originally intended to be fun), some serious thought to hooks and a tad bit of experimenting with the tried and true formula went into "Powerage".
The opener "Rock N' Roll Damnation" is a typical rocker that gets the album off to a good start, but as soon as "Down Payment Blues" begins, we see a sense of dynamics and a build-up to a furious climax that, prior to this song, was not a typical Young brothers element. Other cuts like "Gimme A Bullet" and "What's Next To The Moon" show off hooks that are more melody oriented than we're used to, but still have the vintage AC/DC power chording and tempo that keep them from being wimpy. The standout cut is "Riff Raff", a complicated lick and hook that is reminiscent of the heaviest Rick Derringer. Bon screams for all it's worth over titanic guitars at a breakneck pace. For those who are just now exploring earlier AC/DC work, it simply must be heard to be believed.
"Sin City" offers a riff that is a sign of things to come, primarily "What Do You Do For Money Honey" and "Touch Too Much", and the closers, "Up To My Neck In You" and "Kicked In The Teeth" are in the "Whole Lotta Rosie" vein.
What makes this band great is a tenacious clinging to a winning and consistent formula, and most important, obviously loving every minute of it. Poseurs will always burn out quickly, but those bands who truly believe in their music have the lasting power that enables them to reach across multiple generations, ala AC/DC, ZZTop, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, to name a few. "Powerage" is the premier Bon Scott-era album.

I definatly think that this was ac/dc's greatest effort with bon scott, i think it blows away the overrated/overplayed "highway to hell" stait to hell.this is really what this band is all about, albums like this that are just strait out blues based hard rock. i think this album and "flick of the switch" are ac/dc's greatest recordings. my favorites are "sin city" "down payment blues" "gimme a bullet" "riff raff" and "whats next to the moon". maybe they should give this album airtime instaed of highway and bib all of the time.