AC/DC retiring today?

That's the rumor:

http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6052320/acdc-retirement-rumors-rumble-on-down-under

If so, goodbye to one of the best there ever was.

 

Love, love, love AC/DC... How can you not?

I don't know that I would call them underrated, but they do seem kind of underappreciated, considering how great and influrential they were.

 

Rumor is Malcolm Young suffered a stroke and can no longer play guitar.

Two things stand out to me about AC/DC:

1. They had extended success with two different lead singers. Van Halen is one of the few other bands that can say that.

2. They never, to my knowledge, recorded a ballad. Not sure how many successful bands can say that.

 

I believe Keith Richards' line about AC/DC -- and I'm paraphrasing rather than looking it up -- was that it only had one song, but it was an incredible song.

It's a shame if that's true about Malcolm Young. He's the glue of that band, and he's responsible for writing (and playing) the slamming rhythm guitar that's driven AC/DC's song(s).

 

I saw them in concert five times and three of the times the crowd got violent during the opening act, something I don't think I've seen very often at concerts. Queensryche was booed off the stage, White Lion was good for about 20 minutes, and were fine for Wait, Tell Me but as soon as they played When the Children Cry, stuff started getting thrown. The lead singer of Love/Hate looked scared from the minute he took the stage.

Cinderella and L.A. Guns both did pretty well.

 

Big Balls is a ballad.

 

Favorite AC/DC song?

My vote would go to Highway to Hell.

So many great ones though...

On the Blow Up Your Video and Razor's Edge tours they did a 20-minute live version of Jailbreak, which was just the greatest thing ever.

I'm listening to Heatseeker right now...

 

1. Who Made Who
2. Have a Drink on Me
3. Hells Bells
4. Thunderstruck
5. Highway to Hell

 

Hells Bells would be my No. 2, although it's hard to hear it without seeing Trevor Hoffman walk to the mound.

 

Bon Scott era:

Whole Lotta Rosie
Touch Too Much
It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock N' Roll)
Ride On
Jailbreak

Brian Johnson:

Have a Drink On Me
Thunderstruck
You Shook Me All Night Long (played out I know, but still one of the all-time greats)
Hells Bells
Sink the Pink

By the way, the video for It's a Long Way to the Top, shot on the back of a moving flatbed truck in downtown Melbourne circa 1976, is awesome in its primitiveness:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x28pm8_ac-dc-it-s-a-long-way-to-the-top_music

 

For those about to rock (We salute you) is another great one.

FIRE!

 

Can't believe I forgot It's a Long Way to the Top. BAGPIPE SOLO!