Bass Lines--Way Underrated, Like Butch Walker

Bibi knows the allure of the lead guitar player--e.g., ANGUS YOUNG, lead guitar player par excellence--but what would the band's sound be without the bass guitar player?  Let's face it:  we say we love Angus, for example, but true fans love the work that the artist has produced.  For AC/DC, that work includes all the band members.  We love the sound of it, the words (even if we can't actually understand what the words are), the attitude expressed, the entirety of the song/songs.  Bibi focuses on Angus, as AC/DC intends, but it's the whole AC/DC package that Bibi is enthralled by.  Everybody knows that one of AC/DC's strengths is the tight, rock solid, killer rhythm section, led by Malcolm Young, reinforced by Phil Rudd on drums and as Bibi once said to AC/DC's bass player, Cliff Williams, with his irreplaceable bass line.  Actually, Bibi referred to one of Angus's primo show-off songs, Let There Be Rock, and giving Angus his due, said to Cliff that the song would not be as great as it is without Cliff in the mix. 

  There was a 92 decibel rocking band



http://youtu.be/DNZXjPES7Cs

Of course, there's no way a living human being will not be totally overcome by Angus in this song. He's so un-fucking-believable in this one. (Don't get Bibi started: Angus is ALWAYS un-fucking-believable, this is just one of the best songs EVER!)


Cliff seemed pleased to be acknowledged.  But, each time I've met Cliff, he's been such a sweetie, so his reaction was completely in sync with what I had come to expect from him.

What brought this to mind today?  Was thinking about the Blues Brothers; watched it again the other night.  What a movie!  Action/adventure, finding your path tale, musical, they just don't make 'em the way they used to.  sigh  Bibi was in Chicago in late December and really liked it.  Thought of the almost end of the movie which took place at Richard Daley Plaza.

Of course, there's this number. 

 Bend over, let me see you shake your tail feather!

With Donald "The Duck" Dunn playing bass, never fails to get Bibi moving.
  Of course, SO many scenes in The Blues Brothers are so memorable, like Bibi said:  they just don't make 'em like they used to.

And I hope you ALL know:  Butch is a fucking awesome bass player!  We know it's true because, well, we LOVE BUTCH and his music.  AND, he said it on Twitter.  Who could ask for more in terms of validity?   In the meantime, "do the twist, do the fly, do the swim, and do the bird..."   Have a fab, wonderful, dancing around day!!!

AC/DC News from Malcolm!

Have taken some flak from the fb friends for taking up with Butch Walker and my quick n dirty response has been that Angus Young isn't touring, with small chance of a soon-to-be-announced tour.  A few weeks ago, Brian Johnson made news by saying that the guys were busy working and in the next year or so, could hit the Highwy to Hell again.  In the meantime, I had discovered Butch Walker, but was really counting on that upcoming AC/DC tour.  Butch is truly great, but the blog name says it all:  Bibi loves Angus.  So, sad to read the Malcolm update to the Brian news today: 

"He confirmed they’re working on a potential follow-up to 2008′s Black Ice. But he warned fans are in for a longer wait than expected, after singer Brian Johnson suggested there would be new material next year.

Young explained: “You know what Brian’s like. He just says things and then walks away. It’ll be a little while – a year or two anyway.  I’ve been doing some jamming on some song ideas but I do that all the time, as do the rest of the band. We are still working. But we had a long rest between Stiff Upper Lip and Black Ice, so I think we need a couple of years to recuperate and work on it a bit more.”

He added it’s unlikely any world tour in support of a future release will grow to the scale of the AC/DC Black Ice trek, which lasted almost two years and sold nearly five million tickets.  His son Ross pitched in: “It would probably be a bit less, a year or 18 months. That was very long last time.”

Glad to see that Ross is around as a spokesperson for his dad--he seemed like a nice guy when I met him in Amsterdam AND he took the picture of Angus n me--but the news is (big sigh) so disappointing.  The wait (ing) to see AC/DC, like Tom Petty says, is the hardest part.  It's really great that none of AC/DC are the kind of guys we'll snicker about in the TMZ news, but not having any news from them  does make the last time I saw them--June 18, 2010--seem like a  r e a l l y  long time ago.
There should be a font that signifies great sadness, tinged with regret, that could express how I feel about this right now.   I know, what a drama queen.  Malcolm did say they're working; a very positive sign, although it brings to mind that it was years between Stiff Upper Lip and Black Ice.  We will see.  We will see. 

Miss you, Angus!!!

Bibi Meets Angus Young, finally!

You could say dirty deeds were done dirt cheap on Sunday, November 8, when AC/DC rocked the house down with their high-power, explosive, exhausting show. Well, maybe not dirt cheap, but feeling that surge of anticipation when the house lights went down and you knew that FINALLY AC/DC's long awaited concert was about to begin, whoa, PRICELESS!!! The crowd reaction was intense: devil horns flashing, all our emotion pouring out in shouting, fist pumping, Bon Scott screams, and pure adrenalin. The song list was familiar to Bibi and alright! Angus and Brian were electric--Brian was working the crowd, Angus a whirling, duck walking, guitar god. Of course, the hits got the greatest roars of approval, but around me, no one sat down for the entire concert, there was just too much energy coming from the stage to settle down. It was a raucous, wild time, really loud--as God intended a rock concert to be--completely absorbing, life affirming, rock n roll will NEVER die kind of experience. As each song began, the crowd roar would drown everything out and then as everyone sang along, you could see Brian was eating it up, egging us on to total voice obliteration. By the time Angus blasted into Let There Be Rock, everyone was sweat-drenched, nearing exhaustion, but so ready to rock on with the greatest band on earth.

Began the evening with a meet n greet for some acdc.com folks, an experience in itself. What a great bunch of people!Got to show off my flag, too! I was so happy that Rolan coud go with me--he's a huge acca dacca fan, like me, and we had a great time! The evening did take a slight turn for the worse as I was walking to the car: a *x%$# person came up behind me and stole may devil horns! My voice was gone, of course, so when I yelled at him, couldn't hear me.

Of course, the next part, at AC/DC's hotel, led to almost total recovery really quickly. On Saturday night, David and Vanessa (acdc.com-ers from Denver) and I had met, had dinner at Hard Rock and just happened to visit the bar at a nearby posh hotel. While seated there, with a view to the front entrance, I thought I was imaging things when Phil Rudd walked in and scooted quickly to the elevators. But no, a few minutes later, I recognized two of the security guys from Europe with Brian and Cliff! Cliff and his companion got into the elevator, but Brian spent a few minutes with Vanessa and David. I felt like I needed to hold back, after all, I'd had my moment in Brian's sun in Amsterdam. Vanessa and David were ecstatic and I was feeling pretty good, too! So glad I was there!

After the concert on Sunday, a few of us gathered outside the hotel and YES, YES, YES, finally got to meet .... ANGUS YOUNG, ROCK GUITAR GOD EXTRAORDINAIRE!!!! Got to re-meet Cliff, got his autograph and also, really cool, got to speak to the elusive Phil and got his signature. The smallish crowd (maybe 15 of us) then got the thrill of a lifetime when Malcolm and Angus worked our line, one at each end, so all of us got both autographs and, when requested, photos with each of them! Bibi felt really honored that Ross, Malcolm's son, agreed to take the photo of me and his uncle. I could barely speak and at that, I can't say all of it was coherent. Guess Angus has gotten accustomed to that kind of behavior, though. I know others have mentioned this, but until I experienced it myself, I didn't really feel how Angus and Malcolm are so kind and gentle with the fans, so generous with their time and energy, especially after the incredibly energetic, body-punishing show. It meant so much to me that Angus actually listened to what I was saying and responded, although, of course, I was totally blown away that I was even speaking to him. Also, surprized that next to Angus and Malcolm, Bibi seemed like a giant.

Still processing the whole experience and treasuring my High Voltage cd cover that now bears the autographs of Cliff, Phil, Malcolm and Angus. Unbelievable!

Hope to post tomorrow night from Mexico City....hasta la vista, y'all!

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.

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, 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.

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!!