More bad news for AC/DC

[nofi]

well, that was weird watching a frontman sitting down. they should have hung him from wires like a marionette, at least he could twitch a bit.

[Granny Gremlin]

He needs the money with a GnR reunion in his back? I doubt it. It was probably more a mix of vanity/hubris and childhood dream come true.

I'm sure there's a bit of that, but touring is high-overhead and low margin.  The GnR tour is run outa his bank; he may not make all that much back.. With ACDC he's a hired gun and possibly gets a straight up wage, but it could be points (not much better aside from the fact that he doesn't have to front the tour costs).

As for the drummers - in those clips there is very little difference other than tone.  Slade's is tighter, Rudd's looser and slower on attack; might sound a bit behind because of that but isn't really (unless one is really fixated on exact precision, and I suppose I am speaking to a German here, but I wouldn't be able to tell without actually playing along; I have been known to be intentionally loose with the time myself when the song struck me as asking for it).  Not like Bonham at all, who doesn't just misfire on 1 and 3, but intentionally carves out space between beats.  What cymbal work?  Hardly any in there (hat excepted - both playing 8ths vs more usual 16ths - diff is Rudd is a bit more open and Slade clamped down on the treadle more - again, affects the attack of the cymbal and might give the illusion of being a bit behind). 

[uwe]

Dear drummer,

if my bass ears are not totally wrecked, then on Let there be Rock,

- Herr Slade plays eight (or sixteen, depending on how you count the song) notes on the ride,

- Herr Rudd, however, quarter (or eight, ditto) notes on the hi-hat.

It makes a huge difference to me, Slade just sounds smoother and I'm all for smooth, elegant drumming.

[doombass]

Dear drummer,

if my bass ears are not totally wrecked, then on Let there be Rock,

- Herr Slade plays eight (or sixteen, depending on how you count the song) notes on the ride,

- Herr Rudd, however, quarter (or eight, ditto) notes on the hi-hat.

Rudd is decieving you. He strikes harder on 3 on the hi-hat which makes it both look and sound like he plays quarter.

In the latest issue of Classic Rock Mark Evans tells the story on Rudd recording that very track. They pretty much played it live.
After the first take Evans thought it would be: "The end of Phil Rudd for a couple of hours. But Phil said:' Let's go again now'. I thought he was gonna fu**ing explode! They used the second take".

[amptech]

The drums on let there be rock is amazing.. The hat work, groove, it´s just so lively. I never could understand why anybody can prefer Slade to Rudd, all he does is to play the songs to fast and to stiff.

Chris Slade is the three point bridge of drummers; maybe it does more ´tricks´but it loses all the charm and beauty of the original

[Basvarken]

The drums on let there be rock is amazing.. The hat work, groove, it´s just so lively. I never could understand why anybody can prefer Slade to Rudd, all he does is to play the songs to fast and to stiff.

Chris Slade is the three point bridge of drummers; maybe it does more ´tricks´but it loses all the charm and beauty of the original

+1!


And about Axl. He did sing all the words in all the right places. So yeah, he pulled that off.
But that doesn't make it a good performance. I still hate his singing (strangled cat on helium).
Don't care too much for Brian Johnson's singing either. But at least he's a sympathetic guy. 
And the way Angus & Co threw him off the wagon is not.

[Granny Gremlin]

- Herr Slade plays eight (or sixteen, depending on how you count the song) notes on the ride,

Its not a ride but  a right-hand mounted hat.  You can see the clutch sticking up from the top in the thumbnail of the loop comparison vid you posted.  Also it doesn't even sound like a ride; sounds like a closed hat (Rudd's openish hat sounds more like a ride than Slade's).  It confused me at first, but then I saw the clutch.  You can see it in the few shots of him in the other vid too.  I can't tell if he also has a more traditionally positioned left-side hat as well, or not.  I have seen drummers do this before; if just the one hat it's usually older gentlemen because it saves you the crossover and possibly some pain.  It's now (last 10 years or so) more easily achievable due to 'remote hihat' mounts - yes, there are drummers out there rocking 2 pairs of hats.

It makes a huge difference to me, Slade just sounds smoother and I'm all for smooth, elegant drumming.

Yes, he is much more rigid and stiff, both in playing style and tone (tight and focussedvs Rudd's looser tone with slower attack as I mentionned before) which some people prefer, certain trains-must-be-on-time-jawol types included.  Personally, I only like that sort of stiffness on more interesting beat patterns (lets be honest; there ain't no drummer who can't play this song well - it's a mmatter of whether a given individual likes their take on it or not - if you can't, quit or stop calling yourself a drummer until you've practised up; this is the basics; what you drum along to as a teenager to learn the ropes); like mathrock (see the drummer from Helmet/Battles; rigidly on time, but still funky, unlike Slade).  I am kinda leaning that way myself in a current drone-pop project; nothing recorded yet tho. 


As for Axl, I think, all things considered, he did a bang up job.  Better than I expected.  Yeah, it's weird to see ACDC just move on so non-nonchalantly, but it's not as if they haven't done that before, multiple times. 

[uwe]

"certain trains-must-be-on-time-jawohl-types included"

I love you for that comment, Jake, you darn insolent Canolack! That said, I'm habitually late (but reliable in the long term).



"It's not a ride but  a right-hand mounted hat." 

Learned something today, danke!



"And the way Angus & Co threw him off the wagon is not."

AC/DC is a merci- and ruthless operation. Makes Peter Grant seem like the Dalai Lama.



"mathrock"

What a wonderful (and apt) term!



"Rudd is decieving you. He strikes harder on 3 on the hi-hat which makes it both look and sound like he plays quarters."

Ok, that might be, I stand corrected.

[lowend1]

Ladies and gentlemen, Captain Pike on vocals!
I suppose that if Axl is prepared and able to do the shows, this is the best solution to the immediate problem of finishing the tour. Moving forward, as they say, I would rather see them pack it in than pick up a Johnson sound-alike, or heaven forbid, keep Axl in the lineup.
In short,  .

[Granny Gremlin]

[66Atlas]

Well if you believe this Loudwire list AXL is their best frontman yet

http://loudwire.com/top-hard-rock-metal-frontmen-of-all-time/#photogallery-1=44

Bon = 12th
Brian = 10th
AXL = 8th

Then again there are enough issues with that list that I pretty much consider it hogwash.

[uwe]

It's already been worthwhile for Axl, he can walk (or at least stand) again, AC/DC currents have magic healing powers (except for Brian Johnsons eardrums that is).

[wellREDman]

It's already been worthwhile for Axl, he can walk (or at least stand) again, AC/DC currents have magic healing powers (except for Brian Johnsons eardrums that is).

when did Angus turn into Paul Daniels?

[Basvarken]

I think Axl sounds better when he's sitting down...

[Dave W]

Good lord, is that Angus' great-grandfather?