Brian Checks in with the Fans

I know everyone was wondering--at least Bibi was. acdc.com had this note from Brian today:

"It's an inside job that forced me to reschedule those upcoming 6 shows! Inside being the operative word here. My insides were giving me lots of trouble, ulcers and such. They were really uncomfortable and painful, which required me to seek immediate medical attention. The doctor's looked me over, poked, scanned and prodded all possible areas. In the end they gave me a clean bill of health, but insisted that I take a bit of time to recuperate and rest up. We've been touring non stop since this time last year and have a lot more touring to do. Thanks for all of the get well wishes and I hope to see you all again very soon."

So, maybe it's not so bad. Hope he recovers completely soon!

Angus Young Outstanding--as usual--on Jailbreak

Okay, okay, Bibi admits taking the weekend off and feeling kitty-blue Monday and Tuesday. Not that she’s stopped listening to AC/DC cds. However, she will point out that she has a very busy schedule: watching myriad specks on the floor or in the air—there are so many of them to observe and contemplate—and that’s not counting the odd sounds Bibi hears that have to be explored, keeping up with Hendrix’s coming and going, food breaks, grooming takes hours of her time, and kitten naps to keep up her strength, well! The day is just sooo full. It’s a wonder Bibi gets any time to herself at all, plus has anyone considered the difficulties Bibi has typing??? Her dainty little paws are just not designed for keyboards.

Watching Angus in the video clips for the new box set has taken a lot of her time, too, she admits it. He’s oh, soooo wonderful to watch in action!

To the task at hand, er, paw, whatever. Today’s selection comes from ’74 Jailbreak. It’s an extended play set, only five songs, released in 1984. The tracks were previously on a couple of AC/DC albums released in Australia. The songs are very raw-sounding, which fits since they were done at the beginning of AC/DC’s career and by 1984, AC/DC was sounding much more polished. I really like them all, especially the cover of Baby, Please Don’t Go, and Soul Stripper has the distinction of Malcolm on lead, he's hot—check both of these out--but my fave is Jailbreak. It was the lead single from AC/DC’s Australian Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (1976). Already noted, it’s rough and ready, tough and jagged, coldly raw. Bon’s tough guy voice is well-suited to the topic—life in jail or find a way to break out and live outside the cage promised by the court’s sentence. Angus’s self-assured, cocky lead sounds like he’s ready to come and get us, along with the rest of the boys (which they were at this time of their lives), the driving rhythm and drums rocking. Great lyrics, telling us a story, purportedly an acquaintance of Bon’s or maybe just a story, who cares? It sounds like a band ready to rumble and give you grief, if that’s what you want. Total, classic AC/DC! They should rock like this forever if Bibi had her way.

Angus Young Rocks--in his own infomercial!

For all the AC/DC shoppers out there, they're releasing boxed set--the deluxe version, a mere $199 before shippping--is in a working amp. If you go here: http://www.acdcbacktracks.com/pages/3999219/ you will see clips showcasing the contents. There are two FABULOUS clips that have Angus acually playing a few of the hits using the amp. In one clip, You Shook Me All Night Long and in the other, he plays the opening of Back in Black and Highway to Hell. It's cool because it's just Angus in the schoolboy outfit and his Gibson playing those immortal (three) chords. Since I know so little about music, it could be he's playing more chords, just making a little kitty joke. Needless to say, but here it is anyway, he looks adorable! And sounds fantastic!

The cds, dvds and vinyl album sound great--rarities like Crabsody in Blue, facsimiles of tour posters, AC/DC guitar pick, etc.--but guess I will settle for the less deluxe version one of these days after Bibi wins the lotto.

For those of you with lots of disposable income who want to give Bibi a really nice gift, though, here it is.

Let There Be Rock, part deux

It’s uncertain how much Bibi can write today—she’s still so buzzed from finding out that the Houston concert tickets will go on sale October 10! That date is a very significant one for Bibi, so she thinks there must be a very good reason that the original ticket sale date was postponed and finally set for this date. We will see.

After yesterday's post, with Bad Boy Boogie, Problem Child and Let There Be Rock out of the way, Bibi is left with Go Down, Dog Eat Dog, Overdose, Hell Ain’t a Bad Place to Be, and Whole Lotta Rosie to proclaim a to-die-for pick. If you’ve heard the cd, you’re pulling for your own fave, no doubt, and you know the difficulty of saying one of these is the best. I’ll put Whole Lotta Rosie in a category of its own. In its way, it’s up there with LTBR—a total Angus show, which means the whole band is just rocking it out to bring down the house. Once you’ve seen it in concert, you cannot separate it from Angus’s over the top and oh so great performance, along with the rabid crowd interaction. Talk about a number the crowd would howl and whine piteously for if they didn’t get it, WLR is one of those that makes an AC/DC concert unforgettable.

Dog Eat Dog has those wonderful lyrics that speak directly to Bibi: Dog eat dog/eat cat too, AND it has the cachet of having been selected to augment set list as part of the European tour. Hell Ain’t a Bad Place To Be is clearly an AC/DC favorite. From my limited research, it seems to always be in the set list. While both of them are very good and certainly deserve to be heard in concert, on this album, they cannot compete with the final two, Go Down and Overdose. Given the emotion of the day, noted above, guess a two-fer is selected for today's TDF.

So contrary to much of Bibi’s upbringing and education, Go Down has become a treasured favorite of hers. First, AC/DC opens the album with it, real in your face attitude, and it’s got all the AC/DC earmarks: ready to rock opening, chugging rhythm that won’t stop, Bon telling us about his way with women and in particular, the effect this one has on him: Ain’t no one I know that’s as good as you…you got the lips to make a strong man weak and a heathen pray and you can put together the significance of the title and the lyrics, right? Once again, the Angus break is sublime and the interplay between him and the rest of the guys confirms for us their monster strength as a cohesive band. Yes, Angus gets the solos, but it’s all about the band. BTW—for the very sensitive, the middle part of the song is Bon giving us a blow-by-blow commentary with Angus and the guys giving us the musical equivalent of the unfolding events, so you have to get over it or hit fast forward, although you would miss an excellent song.

Overdose--few would have attributed this song to AC/DC. The persona Bon uses is usually a love 'em and leave 'em player and here, he's in that tough situation of being enthralled by a woman who's become an obsession. His dilemna is a familiar one to most of us, but mostly unexplored by AC/DC. Bon's voice and the band's accompanying music betray the distress of the arrangement and at the same time, the attraction: But listen honey, I don't mind/You're a habit I don't want to break.

LTBR is one of those cds that, once it's playing, it gets replayed for days. Talk about feeling overdosed! It's a whole lotta album, so consuming, but hell ain't a bad place to be sometimes, and it feels so good when that problem child, Bon, and those bad (AC/DC) boys are boogie-ing! Crazy but it's true/Ain't nothing I can do.

Brian Johnson alert!

Whoa, I had seen a post on acdc.com a couple of days ago that hinted at this:


AC/DC's Black Ice World Tour, which was set to hit Phoenix, AZ on October 1, will be postponed to a later date. Subsequent shows in Las Vegas, Louisville, Kansas City, Des Moines and Milwaukee will also be rescheduled. The tour will resume on October 16 in Washington, DC. Lead singer Brian Johnson recently underwent a medical procedure and at the advice of his doctor is taking some time to rest.


Really makes Bibi pause and think about the way things work out. For a good bit of time, she really considered getting tickets for Las Vegas. Basic common sense prevailed, for once, on that one.
All she can say now is: GET WELL VERY SOON, BRIAN!!! And let there be rock in our AC/DC world again soon thereafter!

For Those About to Rock--in Houston, November 8

Seems to Bibi that she's been waiting forever, but IT'S BACK ON--at least according to the Toyota Center webpage! Tickets go on sale, Saturday, October 10! Finally, cat naps can now be anxiety-free again. The little claws were worn down to nubs with worry, too! Wonderful to have the gloomy thoughts that AC/DC might not come to Houston on their way to Mexico City blown away; I know the treats will be even tastier now!

So looking forward to seeing Angus, and of course, the whole band. THANKS, MAL!!!

There was a 92-decibel band, oh yes

Bibi knows you’ve been breathlessly awaiting her TDF from Let There Be Rock, but as I’m sure you understand, this presents an almost insurmountable difficulty. Just like Highway to Hell, this album is so full of the finest rock music ever heard, with the title song at the pinnacle of best of the best, how to choose just one? I made a tough choice on HTH, but had to include praise for all the tracks, right? From LTBR, I’ve already selected Bad Boy Boogie (an AC/DC credo if there ever was one) from a live album and for whatever reason, although Problem Child is very good, I don’t really like it. That leaves six to choose from and while some of them are not well known, I love them all. So, to make the TDF choice easier, this post is dedicated to the incomparable Let There Be Rock, the song. Tomorrow’s post will reveal my to-die-for selection from LTBR, as if the title song were not in the mix.

Believe it or not, Bibi didn’t own LTBR for some time after falling for AC/DC. Maybe, her kitty world being so vast, she’d heard of the song, but had definitely never heard any of the other cuts. When she attended the turning point concert in December, Bibi was unaware of so much AC/DC lore and custom, she didn’t understand a lot of what was unfolding on the stage before her, like Hell Ain’t a Bad Place to Be or Whole Lotta Rosie (with the de rigueur Angus chant), or incredibly enough, LTBR. In concert Angus delights us by cutting loose in this song with, not one, but two of the most stunning solos ever performed. Strange but true; I thought I had lived a very complete life up until that point in time. Oh, how little did Bibi know.

Not sure what triggered it, although now I wish I had noted the date that I bought the LTBR cd because my life changed on that day. LTBR, third on the album, is yet another of those trademark AC/DC songs that could topple the Great Wall of China with its intensely primal essence, it’s such an anthemic, rock till you drop, great, loud work. And make no mistake, the louder, the better! Focusing on the studio version (since the concert version is an experience and essay all on its own), one is immediately hit in the face with a commanding, blasting guitar riff and a throbbing rhythm section that introduce a creation myth: In the beginning, in 1955, man didn’t know about a rock n roll show and all that jive…Question: 1955 as the start date for rock? Because Angus was born in 1955? No, it's an homage to an AC/DC idol, Chuck Berry. He released his first single in 1955. The subsequent Tchaikovsky reference is a continued acknowledgement to Chuck. And the epic continues, leading us to the sublime: No one knew what they was gonna do/But Tchaikovsky had the news/He said - let there be light, there was light/let there be sound, there was sound/let there be drums, there was drums/let there be guitar, there was guitar/(Bon Scott scream) let there be rock. Then, we hear and can visualize the incandescence of the universe a-borning as Angus scorches us with a blistering, killer solo that obliterates everything that came before. Malcolm and the rhythm section jump in and Bon intones: And it came to pass/That rock 'n' roll was born. Bon continues the epistle with Angus and the guys coming in—again and again--with more, sizzling back and forth that just cooks it till tender! There was a 92-decibel rocking band/And the music was good and the music was loud. By the end, after being slammed around but good by that rocking band, you’re just exhausted from the emotion and excitement of what you’ve experienced. Not going to overwhelm you with minutiae, and my oft-repeated: Angus is soooo fantastically talented and underrated. BUT, if you haven’t heard this one, you are missing something truly significant.

Angus Young is Adorable and Ballbreaker is a pretty good album

While Ballbreaker (1995) is not one of Bibi's favorite AC/DC albums, it’s definitely worthy of being listened to more often than it is. It's got some rockers, some blues, but it seems almost workmanlike for the guys, like they're not having as much fun as they usually do. That said, it opens with the very strong and easily identifiable acca dacca work, Hard as a Rock. Bibi saw this song on the No Bull DVD and fell in love, all over again, with Angus. He’s so undeniably a guitar god, and when you see him lean into the microphone with Brian and he says, harder than a rock, you can only say: he’s sooooo adorable! In the cd version his voice is a bit more raspy, but when I hear it, I still say: Angus is sooooo adorable! I know, I know, how could Bibi think that when the song is such a limited set of single entendre lyrics? To be honest, I don’t really pay attention to the lyrics in this one. I like the guitars, the rhythm, the words are secondary to the image of Angus singing. Yet, HAAR is not the pick of the day. That honor goes to the title track: Ballbreaker. Again, not too focused on the lyrics—I think we all get the gist of them—but on the music. The sneaky opening notes going almost immediately into a strident repetition of chords (they’re really good ones) and every now and then, Brian repeats the title in his trademark shredded-throat way. It all fits: the delivery from Brian, the self-assured lead threading it all together into the magic that AC/DC creates when the band is working with such a dedicated focus. Give it a listen.

Bibi has really enjoyed purring on about her AC/DC TDFs, although waiting to find out about the Houston concert has been a trying and tiring experience. Just exhausted every day worrying about it. Plus, her delicate, right front paw has been in pain, requiring a cortisone shot today, making the typing even more difficult than ever. She only hopes all the sacrifice and effort will pay off with the announcement that, of course, there will be a Houston concert before Mexico City.

ARE YOU LISTENING, MALCOLM???? Really hard to keep my fingers crossed for so long, even metaphorically, since I’m a cat.

Night Prowler, one of the best

Somewhere a clock strikes midnight/And there’s a full moon in the sky…A rat runs down the alley…I’m your night prowler, I sleep in the day…your night prowler, make a mess o’ you…and there ain’t nothin’, nothin’, nothing you can do! WHOA! Kind of scary, but oh, so alluring at the same time! With those undulating blues licks accompanying the lyrics, just slinking through the secretive, velvety and enveloping night. Can’t talk about that aspect too much or enough—just f-a-b-u-l-o-u-s!! Once again, we realize that Angus is so under-rated as a guitarist. Yes, it’s the TDF fave for today, Night Prowler, from the iconic, will-stand-forever as the Rock of Gibraltar equivalent of a classic rock album, Highway to Hell. There may be some foolish, annoying idiots who would argue the point, but there are no bad songs on HTH. This makes Bon’s death even more poignant, this being his last album.
HTH is so important in the AC/DC canon, a set list rundown is required. They kick us into gear with the title track, HTH. There’s a reason that HTH, with its steely, jackhammer sound is the first encore at AC/DC concerts. It’s emblematic of what they’re all about: a bunch of guys who desperately wanted to play rock n roll and were willing to do whatever it took to do so. Taking their considerable talents on the highway to hell, studded as it is with obstacles of all kinds: innumerable one night stands, crappy hotels, low pay, evil managers, you name it. With a drive like theirs, nothing and no one was going to stand in the way of the goal: a stage, every possible night, to do what they love, play in a rock band. And here we are today, howling for more.
Next, the irresistible, pounding, cockiness of Girls Got Rhythm jumps out at us. For the long-time Bibi blog followers, this one almost replaced You Shook Me All Night Long on the memorial service song list—it’s that good; Walk All Over You, with Bon telling some lucky girl: I know baby I ain’t got much/Resistance to your touch, along with some blistering riffs from Angus; Touch too Much—She was taking her time/I was losing my mind—and those inimitable AC/DC lyrics: She wanted it hard, she wanted it fast, she liked it done medium rare…hmmm. This one would have been my pick if Night Prowler weren’t there. Then, Beating Around the Bush, with its stutter step guitar and raving mad break is a real contender for which song rocks the most on this album. Listen to it and the rest is up to (pause) you. Shot Down in Flames was added to the set list in Europe, and thank you, Malcolm! Ironic, coolly insightful about guys’ lizard brain thought processes, she was standing alone over by the jukebox…I said, baby, what’s the going price/she told me to go to hell framed by a no bs rhythm and searing lead by Angus. I know I say this constantly, and I won’t disappoint you this time, Angus just burns it up—a wonder the SG doesn’t evaporate in the heat his fingers create. Following this sizzler, we get a breather with the playful, dance-y, everyone-wins Get it Hot: Gonna have ourselves a party/just like we used to do/Get it hot/Get it hot…No one’s playing hard to get/Just a good old rock n roll…Got myself a sweet little momma/who’s got nothing to lose. Love the way the guys mix it up! If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It) is another of the high energy, white hot rockers on offer and another of those songs you want to ask Malcolm about—why can’t it be in the set list? It’s criminal, there ought to be a law/Criminal, there ought to be a whole lotta law against NOT playing this one in concert. Love Hungry Man is a ballad (for AC/DC) and again shows off the versatility rarely acknowledged by the non-aficionados. Soulful, still got the solid rhythm section, the great guitar break, too. The album is completed by the almost sinister Night Prowler, today’s pick. You can understand how difficult it is to make the choice of one song over the others on this album, but if you took the opportunity to listen to all the tracks, you heard an absolutely, undeniably great set! Bibi, as you know, accepts few counter-arguments, and in this instance, she knows there will be none.

Angus Young: It was Love at First Feel (er, at first hearing your guitar playing)

Graaarrrgghhhrrr… Everyone, growl from deep in your throat: graaaarrggh and sing after me: Dirty Deeds and they’re Done Dirt Cheap! Then, let out a Bon Scott scream, yaaaaahh…yes, my fave to die for today is from this 1976 classic of bad boy behavior rampantly displayed. Love at First Feel, Big Balls (!), Problem Child are just some examples of the overall tone of the album. I really like LAFF with that unmistakable AC/DC good time message and humor, but the seal of TDF (to die for) has to go to either Rocker or There’s Gonna Be Some Rockin’ Tonight. The difference between the two that makes the selection tough is that Rocker is a more representative example of AC/DC rocking it (wanna jive, honey?) like a locomotive out of control, Angus ripping into his breaks with such intensity and headbanging abandon and TGBSRT is a kick-ass bluesy-rock jewel that starts off easy, showcasing Angus's genius riffs against the cocky confidence of the rhythm section.

How to choose? Bon’s in top wailing form in both. In Rocker, he’s on fire, along with the rest of the band: I’m a rockin’ rollin’ man/got slicked back hair/skin tight jeans/Cadillac car/and a teenage dream; in TGBSRT,he’s laid back, drawing out that Weeell, me and the boys are out to have some fun/Gonna put on a show/come on let’s go, pointing out that every night there’s a rock n roll Queen/Gonna quiver and quake/Gonna shake her thing. Don’t you wish you could be in the bar these guys go to? Man, what a great time would be had by all no matter which song is chosen. So, it’s Monday, I’ll decree both are winners! And who’s to argue with the decision making process? Number one: Bibi don’t take no back talk from nobody (although she usually speaks standard English) and D: both songs are so great, what’s the problem, dude?

BTW: I’ve mentioned Ride On (first recorded on DDDDC) before—what a great example of AC/DC’s range! It’s a booze-sodden, very personal lament about loss and loneliness; don’t listen to it if you’re already feeling down. But, don’t overlook it if you’re seeking complete AC/DC familiarity and you only know them as a rock out, head banging band. And, before I go, the song DDDDC is so completely, totally AC/DC all over: fun, mean, rude, kick you in the butt, rock n roll! The band’s aggressive and hot: grabs you by the throat from the outset, great riffs every time you think it can't get better. I love it, its attitude, its lyrics—I lead a life of crime…. You got problems in your life of love? --psychological insight, the key to being an effective hitman … that’s when the teardrops start, fella. Got a nagging girlfriend, but as one of today's oh-so-sensitive men, you ain’t got the guts… for a fee, I’m happy to be your back door man—we’re complicit in these crimes, right? I just know it’s Malcolm with that nasty, raspy voice: dirty deeds and they’re done dirt cheap. Yyyeeah. And that incomparable Bon Scott scream—fabulous! The whole album is a great listen, so do it!

Angus Young: Let There Be Rock in Houston, please

Sorry, sorry, sorry to the devoted readership! I had a pick for Friday, but was so dispirited about the will-there-won’t-there-be-a-Houston-concert that I couldn’t finish it. Today, Bibi is still not much consoled about this (hopefully) temporary set back, but I must carry on with my pledge to everyone needing to know the next to-die-for AC/DC classic. So, this post will reveal not only Friday’s selection, but one for the weekend, as well. I know you’re disappointed that there’s only one song for the entire weekend, just like your desk calendar (of cute cats?) that uses one page for Saturday/Sunday, but it will also allow Bibi to recharge. It’s been so stressful worrying about the Houston concert that additional naps have been required just to maintain a semblance of sanity. Be reassured, though, that Bibi has not gone off the deep end with the treats or catnip/alcohol in this time of dread and the litter box training has stayed intact.

Friday’s pick is from The Razor’s Edge, my least favorite cd. It’s played the least, but it will come as no shock to anyone that my fave is (and I am) Thunderstruck. And how could it be otherwise? This hard-edged, glorious rocking ode to wild, youthful abandon: broke all the rules, played all the fools, just blows you away! AND, Texas is mentioned! From its etched-forever-in-your-brain, meticulously played, guitar picking opening, to the booming repetition of the title and the primal chanting by Malcolm and Cliff, whew, it’s a rollicking, non-stop ride to and from Angus’s solo—he cuts loose with incredible confidence in that strong left hand and blasts away until Brian repeats those unforgettable lyrics: I was shaking at the knees/Could I come again please? Listen, just once—or better yet—see them play this in concert and you will, likewise, be Thunderstruck, by this one forever.

My weekend pick is from a live album, If You Want Blood. The one disappointment in this cd is that it does NOT include, If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It). However, that aside, this entire cd is well worth owning for any one song it showcases. They’re mostly monster AC/DC hits as well as being concert standards AND they are all superbly executed. If you’ve never been to an AC/DC concert, Bibi is oh, soooo sad for you, but your disappointment about this state of affairs can be somewhat assuaged if you get the dvd Live at Donington and this cd. I love all the cuts on the cd; AC/DC’s energy and in-your-face attitude is well-served, as well as their talent in sucking us inexorably into their rockin' world. So the winner is a tie: The Jack (Angus’s blues solo is out of this universe—it just wails) and Bad Boy Boogie, raw, wild, “gonna show you how good a bad boy can be.” No joking around, babe! BBB is no longer on the concert set list and that’s too bad. As much as we all love Brian, listening to Bon’s voice transforming BBB into that influence old people/parents obsess about when it comes to rock n roll, you can understand how they would worry. Parents of adolescents be warned: do not let your children listen to this song over and over. The spell cast by the lyrics and the music is irrepressible, all-entangling and unforgettable. You will never break the magic of these three chords—as Angus has said, they’re really good chords.

The Jack is true, old school AC/DC. Unrepentantly a guy song, it is such a cornerstone number, it’s not officially an AC/DC concert if this song is not played. I was set NOT to like it at the beginning of my AC/DC romance, I mean, c'mon, a song about an STD?, but the blues riffs and Angus’s virtuosity with them, making the song sound fresh each time he plays it, just will not allow such heresy. In this version, he’s particularly on--the SG giving us down and dirty blues every which way. You can hear and feel his devotion to the sound he’s creating--and it's fabulous! These days, it's also the song he does his strip to, and what I found amazing at the concerts was how he was still so focused on the blues licks, all the extraneous stuff aside. You could enjoy the fun, silliness of the onstage antics and still count on Angus do the song justice and allow you to just sink on into it. On this song, again, Bon comes through as the quintessential rock singer, feeling and revealing the pain and the glory of it all. EXCELLENT!!

Who Made Who: good question, great album

Web factoid: Without a doubt the most famous [Gibson] SG user, Angus Young, made the SG's beefy low end and biting highs a vital ingredient of his legendary rock riffing. Hmm...as my loyal readers accept, I know almost nothing about how music happens. It’s only through long, innately and immensely enjoyable hours of listening and reflection that I’ve figured out a few things about how the incomparable AC/DC sound comes into being and who does what. That factoid came from an online guitar magazine, so they must know what they’re talking about, right? I mean, universally agreed, Angus is an incredible guitar player and he could play any guitar well (witness his performance with the Rolling Stones on Rock Me Baby), and it is gratifying to see that this source views Angus as the most famous SG player, not Pete Townshend. Sign of the times, I guess.

In any case, this brings up the Pick of the Day from… Who Made Who. Like a shot, the readership asks: is this a trick question? Because you obviously think my favorite on this album is You Shook Me All Night Long. For the uninitiated, Who Made Who is an almost compilation album for AC/DC. The guys have always resisted the concept of a greatest hits work; it’s against their artistic credo to imply that their greatest hits have already occurred. So why did this collection of new (3) and past masterworks (6) come about, then? It was for a movie, Maximum Overdrive, at the request of writer/director Stephen King; if you’ve seen the movie, ‘nuff said. The movie stunk, although the music was great.

Anyway, back to YSMANL. Due to events we won’t go into here, a few years ago I developed a list of songs to be played at my eventual memorial service. First song selected: You Shook Me All Night Long. Over time, the list has evolved. The songs are all great, an eclectic mix, just like me, from Ella to Jimmy Cliff and Johnny Cash/Hank Williams, depending on which version of I Saw the Light SZG picks. The constant in the list is the centrality of YSMANL. What a killer tune! You can dance to it, rock out like a wild person, celebrating the vitality of the greatest rock band on earth, and by extension, celebrate the fullness of a life well-lived.

BUT, no, this isn’t my favorite on Who Made Who, after all. So, yes, it was a trick question because my favorite of the new material on this album is Who Made Who. It exemplifies what the SG factoid puts out there: the beefy low end and biting highs of the guitar as Angus rips into every one of the riffs with that implacable, will-not-be-denied attitude. You are totally swept away by the force of it, allied as it is to the rest of the band’s input. Yes, it’s loud, pumping and unrepentantly insistent—if you’ve got it cranked up to the right level—that’s the way God intended straight-on rock n roll to be played or heard. In this, AC/DC and God agree. At the same time, there’s humor and a playfulness to what they’re doing that is impossible to resist. WMW is a standout in terms of the lyrics, too—AC/DC goes existential, examining that age old question: where do we come from? Who made us? Too cool and so outstanding because the song created is a dance-y, almost pop song with the rhythm section back there just working it, so no mistake, it’s AC/DC. Brian’s whiskey voice carries the whole thing to another level when he asks: “Ain’t nobody told you?” Profound in sensibility, yet light in delivery, and so pleasing to the ears.

This CD is great, in general, since it has YSMANL, the iconic hits, Hell’s Bells and For Those About to Rock, the dubious, but way memorable lyrics of Sink the Pink. Just love this song! Find myself singing it sometimes: “Gimme water, gimme wine/Gonna show you a good time” over and over again. And, can’t go without hyping Ride On. Bon Scott never got credit for being a master lyricist, not only for tough, loud rock songs, but for the occasional dark, gritty, man-alone-against-the-world ballads like this one. He’s so real: all boozy, in a days-old shirt, smoking another cigarette in a dark, smelly, no name bar, whiskey bottle not so full anymore. Angus and the SG bring it, the blues licks underscoring Bon’s lament. Whoa, down and dirty! If you don’t know this side of AC/DC, check it out.

Angus, Bedlam in Houston! Please tell Malcolm you have to come to Houston!

Last night on acdc.com there was a panic among some of the folks, me included.  The Dallas and Houston dates were no longer showing on the list of upcoming concerts!  Today, this message was posted on acdc.com--and the dates are still not back on the list of concerts:  One bit of business between now and then:  if you're interested in tickets to the Dallas and/or Houston shows, the AC/DC Fan Club On-Sales for each show have been delayed.  Stay tuned to the News on ACDC.com for more information.

Yes, I emailed the Toyota Center and 107.5 right away, asking for information.  Now, one of the other acdc.com members says that he spoke to someone at Toyota Center this morning who said the ticket sales and maybe the concert were on hold so the tour schedue could be reviewed.  Agonized Bon Scott scream here. 
What a letdown it would be NOT to see them in Houston before the Mexico City concert.  In fact, I think today is ruined, at least I sense a dark pall over the day.  After a hopefully restorative nap, Bibi will struggle to finish the pick of the day though, since I know the faithful who read this blog were depending on it.  These kitty shoulders will somehow bear this huge burden of possibly dashed hopes as long as necessary.  Maybe if some treats were offered, the positive mood Bibi usually maintains will be revived and salvage part of the day.  We will see.

AC/DC at the Stade de France in 2010?

If you believe even some of the things you find on the web, it's been reported that AC/DC will be back at the Stade de France in the spring. I won't hold my breath, since there's no money for this sort of trek across the Atlantic, but WHOA!!! wouldn't it be so cool to see them there again? Maybe Bibi would even get there early this time. Already know where they stay in Paris, so no sweat on that count, which is a plus, too. Will keep you posted and who knows what the new year will bring, right?

Up to My Neck in You, Angus Young

In a vain attempt to stay calm in advance of ticket sale day for the Houston concert, I’m initiating a new series: My Current To-Die-For AC/DC Song and Why It Should Be Yours

First question: if it’s your to-die-for song, how can you have a different one every day? Good question! You are so right—how to move on to another song when, for example, today’s pick, Up to My Neck in You, is so, so, so perfect? Answer: for the purposes of this exercise—I said from the outset that it was one taken up in vain, since we all know it’s IMPOSSIBLE to be calm in this pre-purchase interval—I will force myself to change the cd in my car to another outstanding AC/DC selection every day. From each of those CDs, I will target my favorite song and let y’all know why you should be as taken with that song as I am.

As much as I love the entire Powerage track list, my favorite has to be UTMNIY, and why not? It has everything: powerhouse opening, tough pounding rhythm section blazing out at us from the get-go, Bon’s no nonsense delivery echoing words that ring true with all of us: Well I've been up to my neck in trouble/Up to my neck in strife/Up to my neck in misery/For most of my life /I've been a fool/And you know what a fool can do. Whoa, don’t we know the feeling all too well? Then, after the second verse, well baby my time is due/oh it’s way overdue, Angus just pours it on mercilessly with his extended solo…geez, no prisoners taken. Everything Angus does in the solo reinforces what Bon’s singing: his reluctant acknowledgement of surrendering to the power she has over him. He reveals that she can make him suffer and at the same time, the great feeling she may bestow on him (if everything’s going well). Baby you were too good, too good to be true/What you've got no one else could do/Now I'm up, I'm up to my neck in you/Yeah you came along when I needed you/Oh I'm up to my neck in you
And give Phil huge credit, the drum work supporting the solo is unbelievable. Okay, Phil’s great throughout, but I never noticed the superbly well-fitting, so necessary quality his drumming brings to the AC/DC sound as I do in this song.

Next question: if this song is so great, why don’t they play it in concert? Excellent question! Answer: when I finally get to meet Malcolm and/or Angus and I get past the incoherent mumbling section of the event, plus the courage to question the wisdom of the set list, I will find out. I only discovered UTMNIY relatively recently and I’m the poorer for it, but since that mind-blowing moment, I’ve talked about this song—and not just to myself—nonstop. History shows that it may or may not have been played in Houston on Sunday, July 2, 1978, when AC/DC opened for Aerosmith. (I know, I know, what? ?Aerosmith??) On acdc.com, one of the members said he was at an AC/DC concert where the song was played. Will check that out.

For now, suffice it to say: Up to My Neck in You is one of the best of the best. Excellent rhythm section, drumming by Phil Rudd outstanding; Angus’s solo is longer than in many of their songs and a fantastic extension of the words. He’s so into it, visceral, energy pumping riffs, with a playful, ironic attitude, you can just see him spinning, duck walking around the stage, reveling in the fantastic band interplay AND, the words, truly emblematic of the human condition! Thanks once again, Bon Scott! Let there (continue to) be rock, AC/DC!!

AC/DC Let There Be Rock--in Houston, November 8

omigod, omigod, omigod!!!!! Unbelievable, incredible, and finally!!! November 8 Houston! Bibi was feeling a bit under the weather and then...found out about the upcoming visit from the boys and aaaaaagggghhhh----extended Bon Scott scream here!!! Will it come to pass, will I be able to say: Angus Young, finally we meet. What a great, fantastic bit of news!
Guess I was more successful than I thought when I spoke to Malcolm's son in Amsterdam in June about this. A Houston concert, just for Bibi. That's the way I will remember it. Doesn't matter now that i won't see them in Las Vegas. No way I was going to pay to go to Dallas or Austin, but I was worried that I would see them only once more in Mexico City if they didn't play Houston.
There's gonna be some rocking on November 8, for sure! AND--Toyota Center to top it off--so cool! Reliant is okay, but now that I know what an AC/DC concert is, Toyota surpasses Reliant as a concert venue by a long shot. Another cool thing: December 14 was a Sunday and so is November 8. Whoa, coincidence or fate? What could this signify for Bibi?
Anyway, the Highway to Hell continues, so thanks, Angus for finally setting the date! Can't wait for the bad boy boogie you'll bring to us all. LET THERE BE ROCK!