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.
Showing posts with label Bon Scott. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bon Scott. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
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.
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.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
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.
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.
Monday, September 21, 2009
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!
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!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
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!!
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!!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
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.
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.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Bon Scott, Long May He Be Remembered
It's Bon's birthday--he would have been 63.
Watched a 28-minute video of an AC/DC from 1977 last night. Kept saying, just one more song and you've got to stop, until, the entire video had played. Bon and Angus just would not let me go. They played Let There Be Rock, Rosie, TNT, Rocker to a seemingly comatose audience. Angus was all over the stage and eventually in with the audience. Bon danced and sang his heart out--fabulous! He'll live on as long as AC/DC, that's for sure. After all, isn't the song we all wait for Highway to Hell?
We won't ever forget you, Bon!
Watched a 28-minute video of an AC/DC from 1977 last night. Kept saying, just one more song and you've got to stop, until, the entire video had played. Bon and Angus just would not let me go. They played Let There Be Rock, Rosie, TNT, Rocker to a seemingly comatose audience. Angus was all over the stage and eventually in with the audience. Bon danced and sang his heart out--fabulous! He'll live on as long as AC/DC, that's for sure. After all, isn't the song we all wait for Highway to Hell?
We won't ever forget you, Bon!
Thursday, June 4, 2009
High Voltage--the first, still so good
For awhile now, my car cd selection has been High Voltage only, over and deliriously over again. When I bought it in mid-December in those early days of my AC/DC infatuation, it was my number three choice after Highway to Hell and of course, Back in Black. Once I heard it, though, I kept coming back to it, cranked up to eleven, listening all the way through each time, eventually wondering why, why, and how Rolling Stone could label it “a new low in rock n roll.” Did that reviewer even listen to any of the tracks on the album? Or, is the evidence all too convincing? Rolling Stone has been an irrelevant rag ever since the mid 70’s. If rock n roll was ever about feeling good and saying it really loud, look no further than High Voltage. Far from a low, it’s a raucously joyous high of a ride through rock dreams and girl fantasies by guys that clearly won some, maybe lost quite a few, but those they won were memorable, possibly even for all parties involved.
Leave aside It’s a Long Way to the Top and The Jack—sure, go ahead try to ignore them—and focus on only five of the cuts: Rock n Roll Singer, Live Wire, Can I Sit Next to You Girl, TNT, and High Voltage (I’ll obsess over Little Lover another time, okay?) and you’ve got a straight on, kick ass, rock n roll set that—raw and ready--crashes the house down. We’re willing captives to a bunch of cocky, rowdy, rock band guys who, in their first album, no less, already know: “I got the devil in my blood, Tellin' me what to do (and I'm all ears). Gonna be a rock 'n' roll singer, gonna be a rock 'n' roll star.” They make no promises they can’t keep: “send you to heaven, take you to hell, I ain’t fooling, can’t you tell?” and play their hearts out night after night, no doubts in their collective mind that they are going to make it as rock stars and/or with all the girls they meet (on their rocking highway to hell): ‘cause I’m TNT, I’m dynamite. When Bon yells “stick this in your fuse box” and Angus lets it rip with his killer guitar solo, well, who can even think straight, much less question their creds? By that point, we desperately want to be or be with these guys--“hotter than a rollin’ dice. Wilder than a drunken fight.”
Moving on to a dive-y bar with a live band, admit it, who hasn’t wanted this exhilarating question on a Saturday night? “Can I sit next to you, girl?” Especially if it’s coming from the no name, kinda cute, wannabe rocker up there on the stage? If he had the guts to ask, could she say no? As listeners, we're outsiders getting an unforgettable and irresistable feel for the rock band life highs and lows, and we’re included as a necessary element of the total experience--so awesome! The crowning jewel among these rubies and pearls of rock gemstones is High Voltage. AC/DC is rarely given credit for lyrical styling, but High Voltage is a superb example of Bon Scott’s diamond in the rough, spot on writing gift. The cool hook is setting the song as a series of questions: from family, or (possibly) a girlfriend’s father, and maybe, one day, an interviewer: why I grow my hair, why I’m in a band, why I like to sing, why I like to play. Only one answer, one reason: the band does it for HIGH VOLTAGE ROCK AND ROLL!!! When Bon screams: wine, women and song, jeez, all the rock elements—words, drums, guitars--come together and the power the music gives the band washes over us mere mortals as we’re swept up in AC/DC’s pulsating rhytm and rush into complete abandon to the moment.
The free for all feel of the seamless collaboration between words and music so evocatively conjures up the band's--and our--rock n roll dreams and adventures, real or only wished-for, that today when we listen, we’re inexorably sucked into a dizzy, wild tumble of right here, right now lyrics with no subtle meanings to confuse or distract us, scorching, pure guts guitar breaks exquisitely laid over heart pounding drums and aggressively hard as a rock bass and rhythm guitars. Just give yourself up to the sweaty, driving, good-time energy and love it, love it, love it.
Whew…anybody for a cigarette? Before listening to High Voltage again…cranked up to eleven….
Leave aside It’s a Long Way to the Top and The Jack—sure, go ahead try to ignore them—and focus on only five of the cuts: Rock n Roll Singer, Live Wire, Can I Sit Next to You Girl, TNT, and High Voltage (I’ll obsess over Little Lover another time, okay?) and you’ve got a straight on, kick ass, rock n roll set that—raw and ready--crashes the house down. We’re willing captives to a bunch of cocky, rowdy, rock band guys who, in their first album, no less, already know: “I got the devil in my blood, Tellin' me what to do (and I'm all ears). Gonna be a rock 'n' roll singer, gonna be a rock 'n' roll star.” They make no promises they can’t keep: “send you to heaven, take you to hell, I ain’t fooling, can’t you tell?” and play their hearts out night after night, no doubts in their collective mind that they are going to make it as rock stars and/or with all the girls they meet (on their rocking highway to hell): ‘cause I’m TNT, I’m dynamite. When Bon yells “stick this in your fuse box” and Angus lets it rip with his killer guitar solo, well, who can even think straight, much less question their creds? By that point, we desperately want to be or be with these guys--“hotter than a rollin’ dice. Wilder than a drunken fight.”
Moving on to a dive-y bar with a live band, admit it, who hasn’t wanted this exhilarating question on a Saturday night? “Can I sit next to you, girl?” Especially if it’s coming from the no name, kinda cute, wannabe rocker up there on the stage? If he had the guts to ask, could she say no? As listeners, we're outsiders getting an unforgettable and irresistable feel for the rock band life highs and lows, and we’re included as a necessary element of the total experience--so awesome! The crowning jewel among these rubies and pearls of rock gemstones is High Voltage. AC/DC is rarely given credit for lyrical styling, but High Voltage is a superb example of Bon Scott’s diamond in the rough, spot on writing gift. The cool hook is setting the song as a series of questions: from family, or (possibly) a girlfriend’s father, and maybe, one day, an interviewer: why I grow my hair, why I’m in a band, why I like to sing, why I like to play. Only one answer, one reason: the band does it for HIGH VOLTAGE ROCK AND ROLL!!! When Bon screams: wine, women and song, jeez, all the rock elements—words, drums, guitars--come together and the power the music gives the band washes over us mere mortals as we’re swept up in AC/DC’s pulsating rhytm and rush into complete abandon to the moment.
The free for all feel of the seamless collaboration between words and music so evocatively conjures up the band's--and our--rock n roll dreams and adventures, real or only wished-for, that today when we listen, we’re inexorably sucked into a dizzy, wild tumble of right here, right now lyrics with no subtle meanings to confuse or distract us, scorching, pure guts guitar breaks exquisitely laid over heart pounding drums and aggressively hard as a rock bass and rhythm guitars. Just give yourself up to the sweaty, driving, good-time energy and love it, love it, love it.
Whew…anybody for a cigarette? Before listening to High Voltage again…cranked up to eleven….
Thursday, May 21, 2009
AC/DC (Angus) Showcases Past Videos
Back in the day, we did have cable and it makes you wonder what I was watching on tv if I didn't see any AC/DC videos. (It could be that Bibi wasn't actually around back then, but let's not get into that time continuum-physics thing on this blog.) Anyway, before the Black Ice Tour began, Angus apparently did an hour-long show on MTV reviewing some of those videos. You can see the first part of the program, with Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap and Let There be Rock: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAvI-ZYqTsw&feature=related . Bon is so wonderful in Let There Be Rock, what a face! The camera loved him! DDDDC captures the raw, live quality AC/DC has always had and their wild fan appeal that transcends specific time periods. whew--that sounds really heavy.
Since Bibi doesn't have cable now, we will never know what the rest of the hour was like. But Angus seemed really game in terms of delivery and odd bits of patter. I'm sure that if I spend hours and hours trolling the web, I could find the rest of that show....hmmm, maybe later, if I'm not busy napping or watching specks on the floor.... or studying my physics books, Aristotle, you know, the usual. Will let you know.
Since Bibi doesn't have cable now, we will never know what the rest of the hour was like. But Angus seemed really game in terms of delivery and odd bits of patter. I'm sure that if I spend hours and hours trolling the web, I could find the rest of that show....hmmm, maybe later, if I'm not busy napping or watching specks on the floor.... or studying my physics books, Aristotle, you know, the usual. Will let you know.
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