Fly on the Wall

Fly on the Wall is the tenth album on which AC/DC greatly pared decoration and pushed through on thick riffs and a straight beat alone. The guitars of Angus and Malcolm Young sturdily build the core of the songs, and Brian Johnson’s raised voice dashes roughly over them. In the mid-1980s, it is a record that deliberately held to the basic form. On “Shake Your Foundations” and “Sink the Pink,” the plain, clear drive that moves the body — the band’s strength — comes to the fore, while from the drive of the title track “Fly on the Wall” to the momentum of “Danger” and “Stand Up,” every song commits to hard-edged rock and roll. Including the gritty texture of the sound, the band’s unadorned stance is inscribed directly. Its significance lies in holding its own style straight rather than chasing trends. A clean-handed choice to win on the raw force of riff and beat alone, without relying on flashy production, feels good. Prioritizing the pure drive of rock and roll over commercial flair, it is a hard-edged, powerful record in AC/DC’s manner.