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!!!

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!

You Shook Me All Night Long says it all

Bibi has already praised Highway to Hell for the masterpiece it is and Back in Black has been universally declared one of the greatest albums ever composed. Even if we didn’t know the background of Brian becoming part of AC/DC and helping to create BIB, both as lyricist and lead singer, it’s one unbelievably great album. The fact that with BIB, AC/DC essentially came back from the abyss with songs that so cogently express everything they’re about and their absolute belief in themselves, Back in Black is astounding no matter how many times you listen to it. Brian’s voice complements the killer guitar riffs superbly, combination so incredibly alive, they challenge a listener to take issue with them. It’s like Angus, AC/DC personified, is in your face, saying: what??? The entire band declares: Bon’s not with us, but he will always be part of our music in spirit and with this album, we honor his memory; we will rock till we drop. Repeatedly, throughout the songs, they confirm this, but the last track of the album sums it up: rock n roll ain’t noise pollution/Rock n roll will never die. Purists will go one way or the other depending on their specific tastes, but Bibi says (so listen up) IT’S AC/DC—WHAT’S THE PROBLEM? Bon was a fantastic front man and AC/DC rocked with him. Brian is a great front man and AC/DC rocks with him, plus, we can’t get Bon back. Either one totally expresses AC/DC’s music credo: live hard, rock harder. End of argument, if you insist there is an argument that pits Bon vs Brian.

There are no weak cuts on BIB, although I don’t like a couple of them as much as I like all the others, but what (besides HTH) can compare to a work that includes You Shook Me All Night Long, Shoot to Thrill, Back in Black and Hells Bells, anyway? And, is there a finer natural two-fer in the world than Back in Black and You Shook Me All Night Long (they follow each other on the album)? Okay, there’s the Highway to Hell and Girls Got Rhythm sequence on HTH. For this album, for me, the TDF choice is so undeniable: You Shook Me All Night Long. I’ve actually heard people say: yeah, an AC/DC concert without YSMANL, okay. WHAT IDIOTS!!! Should they even be allowed to speak at all if they’re going to say stupid stuff like this? I don’t think so. What next? No HTH or beer at an AC/DC concert? Dogs and cats living together? Life without convertibles? Cats writing blogs? Men on the moon? Oops, okay, but you get the idea. Jeeeeezzzzz, some people!

The point is, the concept of a rock n roll good life would not exist without the exuberance, the sheer joy of living expressed by YSMANL. The joint threatens to crash down, the fans go even more insane, a roar almost drowns out the moment Angus and the SG give us the unmistakable, sparkling, opening notes. Phil joins in, just beating his drum kit silly, then Brian sings those immortal words: She was a fast machine/She kept her motor clean/She was the best damn woman I had ever seen. Beyond transcendent, to the sublime, and I’ve been there three times. The rest of the song celebrates the classic rock fantasy: guy meets hot girl. What makes this iteration of the fantasy better than most is, of course, AC/DC’s pure rock band talent and their humor, including considerable insight: Taking more than her share/Had me fighting for air/She told me to come but I was already there. Great, great song!

Bibi won’t be giving a blow by blow comparison between HTH and BIB, do it yourself and have a really good time, but try Walk All Over You and Touch Too Much vs What Do You Do for the Money and Giving the Dog a Bone. Excellent! Once you listen, I predict, you have to say that it’s a draw between the two albums. Each stands on its own as a testimony to AC/DC as the greatest rock band in the universe.

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!!