T.N.T. (album) - Overview

Overview

T.N.T. marked a change in direction from AC/DC's debut album, High Voltage, which was released in February 1975. Whereas High Voltage featured some experimentation with the styles of its songs and had a variety of personnel filling multiple roles, T.N.T. saw the band fully embrace the formula for which they would become famous: hard-edged, rhythm & blues-based rock 'n' roll. They also simplified their personnel system, and would use it from then on out, which was Angus Young strictly playing lead guitar, Malcolm Young strictly playing rhythm guitar, and the drummer and bassist being the only ones to play drums and bass guitar on the albums. T.N.T. contains some of the band's best-known songs, including the title track, "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)", "The Jack", "Rocker", and "High Voltage".

Three singles were released from the album – "High Voltage" (July 1975), "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)" (December 1975) and "T.N.T." (?March 1976). "High Voltage" was the first song written and recorded for the album, the title inspired by that of the previous album. Issued as the first single before the T.N.T. sessions began, many fans thought it was from High Voltage. Chris Gilbey of Albert Productions later claimed this caused a late surge in that album's sales. T.N.T. was released in a gatefold sleeve, with the inside depicting the various members on mock-ups of police identification cards, listing apparent aliases and partially obscured personal details including birthdates (only Bon Scott's is readily visible and Angus Young's birthyear is shown as 1959 (not 1955) in keeping with his schoolboy persona as this made him appear 16 instead of his real age of 20).

T.N.T. also led to more AC/DC appearances on Australia's Countdown music programme, following those in support of the Australian High Voltage album. These appearances included a live performance of the song "T.N.T.", as well as a music video for "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)". Filmed on 23 February 1976, the video featured the band's then-current lineup, along with members of the Rats of Tobruk Pipe Band, on the back of a flat-bed truck travelling on Swanston Street in Melbourne, Australia. On 1 October 2004, Melbourne's Corporation Lane was renamed ACDC Lane as a tribute to AC/DC, with the decision being based in part on this video.