As both a celebration and a testament to their success and tightness as a band, UK indie rockers Third Lung have just released a reimagined version of the AC/DC classic “It’s a Long Way to The Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll)”. This is the band’s first release through the esteemed label Marquee Records, and they had to celebrate that record deal with a huge release like this.
The reason we say the band has made a full-blown reimagined, and not a simple cover is because of how they re-arranged a lot of elements in the track. For instance, the track begins with some clean guitars playing the chord progression along with high-pitched vocals that are soft and passionate- a huge contradiction from the original track. The verses work so well with the refrain right after them in this new slow-paced version.
The pace keeps building up and the song builds tension and anticipation to the main attraction: The heavy bridge/outro section. Up to the third-minute mark, you can compare this track to a combination of styles between British pop and modern rock but the vocals felt Robert Plant inspired cause there was a lot of head voice with little to no distortion…another new element for me, as I was used to this song with Bon Scott‘s characteristic screeches.
As for the bridge section itself, it was so well-timed and it felt so impactful and successfully touched on the rock ‘n’ roll vibes in the lyrics thanks to the distorted guitars, pummeling drums, and the powerful bassline. At the end of the day, this rendition of the song showed some differences that were so necessary for that section to be as effective as it is now, and I will always remember it as its own thing due to the number of details and the great work that Third Lung have put into making this track their own and not just copying the original. Go check these guys out cause they are worth (multiple) listens and I’m sure you’ll find this song pretty soon in all the best AC DC cover playlists.
