Ballbreaker is an album by the iconic hard rock band AC/DC, released in 1995. It was the band's first studio album in five years, since The Razors Edge (1990). The album also featured the return of former drummer, Phil Rudd, who had left the band in 1983 as a result of his problems with alcohol. The three singles released from this album were "Hard as a Rock," "Cover You in Oil," and "Hail Caesar." The album was produced by Rick Rubin, who is said to be a huge AC/DC fan. Rubin had previously worked with the band to produce the song/single "Big Gun," which was released two years before on the soundtrack to the movie Last Action Hero. It also marked a return to a dryer sound than its predecessors. Contributing to this was the use of older Celestion speakers by Angus and Malcolm Young and the latter's use of heavy-gauge Sonomatic guitar strings, which had not been produced for some time. At Rubin's suggestion, bassistCliff Williams used flatwound strings. Played with a pick, the tone is rounder and deeper than that of roundwound strings. The lyrics for Ballbreaker, as is the norm for recent AC/DC albums, were penned mostly by the Young brothers, and incorporate numerous sexual innuendoes and double entendres. Aside from the lyrics, the title track immediately became a fan favorite as one of the toughest, most energetic tracks the band had recorded in years. The album reached #4 in the US and #6 in the UK. Two weeks into the U.S. tour, four gigs were cancelled so that Brian Johnson could attend his father's funeral. During the tour, MTV cartoon characters Beavis and Butthead also appeared in the intro during concerts as well. The album was re-released in 2005 as part of the AC/DC Remasters series.
