AC/DC released Ballbreaker in Australia on September 22, 1995, with Phil Rudd back behind the drums for his first studio album with the band since Flick of the Switch in 1983. Rick Rubin produced the record, with Mike Fraser sharing production duties. “Hard as a Rock” opened its 11-song running order, introducing a reunion whose recording sessions had proved considerably more complicated than getting five familiar musicians into the same room.
Rudd rejoined guitarists Angus and Malcolm Young, singer Brian Johnson and bassist Cliff Williams. His return restored the lineup that had recorded Back in Black. Fraser later told Highway to AC/DC that Rudd’s feel came naturally: the placement of his drum and cymbal hits was something other players had needed to learn.
Rubin had already worked with AC/DC on “Big Gun” for the 1993 film Last Action Hero. That collaboration led to a full album together, with the producer interested in the sound of their early records. Angus initially welcomed the approach. “He’s probably the first producer that’s never said ‘I want a hit single’,” he said in comments reproduced by Classic Rock. His enthusiasm centered on making an album without treating every track as a prospective radio single.
Capturing Rudd’s playing became an obstacle. Fraser recalled that the New York studio was too reverberant for the clean sound they wanted, particularly from the drums. The sessions moved to Ocean Way in Los Angeles, where the room better suited the recording. Reuniting the musicians had not automatically solved the problem of how to record them.
The move also complicated Rubin’s involvement. Classic Rock reported that he was working on Red Hot Chili Peppers’ One Hot Minute, dividing his attention between the two projects. AC/DC found themselves repeating performances as he considered different approaches to the songs. Johnson recalled becoming exhausted with playing the material again and again, while the Young brothers disliked having to share their producer’s time. The album’s straightforward musical aim had become a demanding studio process.
Fraser took on more responsibility during Rubin’s absences. In his 2006 Highway to AC/DC interview, he described helping choose takes and shape the recorded sound. Angus and Malcolm ultimately offered him a co-producer credit in recognition of that work.
The finished record contained 11 songs written by Angus and Malcolm. Johnson sang them, with Williams and Rudd completing the rhythm section behind the brothers’ guitars. “Hard as a Rock” and “Cover You in Oil” occupied the opening slots, while “Ballbreaker” closed the album. The band made official videos for “Hard as a Rock,” “Cover You in Oil” and “Hail Caesar,” giving the release several filmed performances beyond the studio recordings themselves.
Those songs also became part of the reunited lineup’s concert repertoire. On the 1996 Ballbreaker tour, AC/DC filmed a July performance at Madrid’s Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas for No Bull. “Hard as a Rock,” “Hail Caesar” and “Ballbreaker” appeared in the concert alongside earlier material including “Back in Black” and “Let There Be Rock.” The film preserved Rudd playing the new songs and the older catalog with the same musicians who had made the album.
