Metal Underground.com

All those diehard AC/DC fans who are hyperventilating into a paper bag over "AC/DC: Iron Man 2" and reciting the mantra "AC/DC hasn't turned into Kiss ... AC/DC hasn't turned into Kiss ..." can just relax. This album isn't meant for you. You have all this stuff — plus or minus the "Powerage" B-Side "Cold Hearted Man" (which was on the "Backtracks" box set), and unless you're a total completist, you don't need to buy it.

The audience for this album is all those kids coming out of the theaters after watching the superheroic slam-bang and wondering who that kick-ass band that provided the soundtrack to the ass-kicking was. Voila, kiddies! Crank it up and piss off your parents and neighbors just as three generations of us already have (just don't be surprised if Dad wants to borrow your copy to relive his own glory days).

"AC/DC: Iron Man 2" is less about being a collection of greatest hits than about being a decent sampler of the band's history. Oh, sure, you've got "Back In Black," "Thunderstruck," "Let There Be Rock" and "Highway to Hell," but the disc is also full of album tracks, ranging from the new-but-30-years-old single "Shoot to Thrill," originally from the holy grail itself, "Back In Black," to the recent B-side and set list staple "War Machine."

As with "Backtracks," AC/DC seems to go for a 50-50 split between current singer Brian Johnson and the late Bon Scott, with Scott-era chestnuts like "Rock'N'Roll Damnation" and "Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be" alongside "The Razor's Edge" and "Evil Walks."

Those still clinging to the old Atlantic versions of some of this stuff are going to be amazed by how much better the catalog sounds since making its way to Sony/Columbia (those of us who bought the reissues already know). Where the original Atlantic version of "The Razor's Edge" had an almost muddy quality to it, now, you can clearly hear how guitarists Angus and Malcolm Young's parts snake around each other. The rhythm section, particularly bassist Cliff Williams, has a lot of extra heft, and, to quote Malcolm Young, the songs now are "a lot louder."

This is a great collection of songs — add in "You Shook Me All Night Long," "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap," "High Voltage" and "For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)" and you'd have a pretty convincing greatest hits collection. As it is, "AC/DC: Iron Man 2" is a superb sampler of one of the greatest rock bands of all time. I'm envious of those kids who'll be enjoying this stuff for the first time.