I just want to repost some thoughts I posted to Facebook:
I would be amiss if I did not acknowledge the passing of Malcolm Young. AC/DC was a huge part of my musical journey growing up. I had been listening to mostly folk and easy listening stuff when a friend first showed me Back in Black. I was completely blown away. I had no idea my speakers could even do that. I spent the next few years being obsessed with AC/DC....even though I eventually moved on to more complex music, there was always something about the pounding rhythms, blues mentality, and bathroom wit of AC/DC. They sometimes get hassled for retreading the same sound over and over again (even Angus himself once joked that the idea they had released the same album 13 times was a bloody lie......it was 14 times. LOL) but I actually disagree. To my ears, there was a definite shift in the sound when Robert John "Mutt" Lange came on to produce Highway to Hell, Back in Black, and For Those About to Rock. Everything that AC/DC had been before that became streamlined. I think it was Mutt who was responsible for taking everything they were, and making them focus on a more verse/chorus/verse/chorus/solo/chorus/end mentality. And while I can't deny the amazing product of those albums, I really think some of the magic was lost from those first 5 albums (the original High Voltage, TNT, Dirty Deeds, Let There Be Rock, and Powerage). Gone were the extended solo sections. Gone were the extended intros (Soul Stripper). Gone were the multiple solo sections (Let There Be Rock). Gone were the song ending codas (Down Payment Blues). Gone were the mid-song breakdowns (Sin City).
But through it all, Malcolm Young was the understated leader of the band. The anchor that held it all together. AC/DC already hasn't put out a really good album in 20 years. (although every album has at least one or two songs that recapture the magic). But I really think Angus needs to consider letting the legacy die with dignity. But OTOH, I honestly don't understand why Angus doesn't at least try to go back to some of the more honest material of the early days. What does he really have to lose at this point? What is the worst that could happen if he decided to let things breathe a bit and have a little fun with it?
In closing, I share with you one of my favorite songs from what is absolutely my #1 all time favorite AC/DC album. I'm certain that at least 5 songs in my top 10 list come from Powerage. It is AC/DC perfection to my ears.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hV70XXyiIaoI think my top 10 AC/DC songs would be:
1. Riff Raff
2. Soul Stripper
3. Down Payment Blues
4. Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be
5. What's Next to the Moon
6. Let There Be Rock
7. Up to My Neck in You
8. Go Down
9. Rock n Roll Singer
10. Shake a Leg
And that's just off the top of my head. I'll probably have a different list. Because I feel like Kicked in the Teeth, Beating Around the Bush, Walk All Over You, Inject the Venom, Overdose, Gimme a Bullet, Can I Sit Next to You Girl, Squealer, and Gone Shootin should all be on there as well.
Topic: The AC/DC Thread - RIP Malcolm Young (Read 12263 times)
