AC/DC Finished?

[lowend1]

Doesn't sound encouraging...
http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/conflicting-reports-surface-regarding-acdcs-future/

[TBird1958]

 Sad if that's true about Malcom, he's actually one of my fave guitarists.

[lowend1]

Last year sometime, Brian Johnson said in an interview that "one of the guys has been very ill", but that a full recovery was expected. News like this does tend to find its way out eventually, though. Malcolm is the soul of that band - I think it would be nearly impossible to continue without him.

[Dave W]

I hope it's not true that he's had a stroke. There are conflicting reports.

[Basvarken]

Sad news indeed. Or rather; sad rumours.

In this day and age huge bands seem to have to keep going because there is too much money involved. AC/DC have always said they would not continue if any of the guys had to stop. IMHO that would be the only right thing to do. But let's hope Malcolm recovers.

[uwe]

I hope Herr Young, senior, gets well soon, but his health has been shaky in the past and they have done tours without him. Johnson had to be coaxed into recording Black Ice, he believed he couldn't do it convincingly anymore because of his age (I saw him live on the Black Ice tour, he was fine as was the band). This doesn't need to be the end of AC/DC, Malcolm can always retire as a Brian Wilson type figure that writes and produces.

AC/DC survived the death of Bon Scott after all and even took a leap in popularity, no one believed that at the time.

[Granny Gremlin]

That was in the 70s and they were still a youthful niche act though.  Have they really toured without Malcom before?  That surprises me (personally I'd feel ripped off if I bought tickets). 

ACDC have just barely avoided the decrepitude that affects most aging rockers (as epitomised by The Stones); just barely.  A sure sign of this is all their best records being behind them (after 2-3, you know you're over the hill).  This is much worse with the Stones, who are a good comparison in this regard.  Even though Keith doesn't do much anymore on stage (between Ronnie and whatever young gun they hire for a given tour; and especially compared to Malcom) you still expect to see him hunched over in offtime strum follow-through, or it ain't the Stones.  No evil elf in school uniform shuffling across the stage playing a doubletime lead part and it's just not ACDC anymore.

[uwe]

Does this sound grotesquely un-AC/DCish to you? Be truthful, Jake! It's Malcolm's nephew Stevie stepping in for him (due to Malcolm's alcoholism) on the 1988 tour. If you had been there that night you wouldn't have had a better view and if no one would have told you beforehand you would not have noticed but cheered on.



Let's face it: 90% of the people in those stadiums didn't care or didn't know and did not realize. They wouldn't recognize Malcolm Young on the street. To them AC/DC is the music (his music, granted) and the two frontmen, Angus and Brian.

KK Downing's lead and rhythm playing as well as his "Flying V and leather, blond mane"-look were instrumental (no pun intended) to Judas Priest's sound and image, he was also a major songwriter, but Priest didn't really miss a step replacing him. Yes, a few true believers miss him, everyone else likes the youthful enthusiasm and easy attitude of the new guy. And, yes, I do hear the difference when Roger Glover is ad hoc replaced in, uhum, "that band that isn't as popular as the Sex Pistols" one day ahead of a gig due to a bad arm and they get some talented finger player in and it mars the DP experience for me, but would you care or 90% of the people who came to hear Smoke on the water?

I can understand the grief of Malcolm's bandmates about him not being able to play anymore, but AC/DC will not be selling one ticket less if they tour with someone credible taking his place. With all due respect, I believe there are a handful guitarists out there who can ape Malcolm's rhythm playing well enough to sustain the illusion for the regular concert goer. Very few instrumentalists are really irreplaceable in rock bands when it comes to live performances.

[lowend1]

Very few instrumentalists are really irreplaceable in rock bands when it comes to live performances.

True. There is probably even somebody out there who could replace Steve Morse in Deep Purple...

[uwe]

That guy in Blackmore's Night wouldn't be bad ...  Yngwie Malmsteen once volunteered for it, the Purps thought better, out of the frying pan, into the fire ... Satriani made the grade, got an offer, but turned staying with DP down after the world tour (I saw him once, he did fine, but prefer Morse's rhythm groove), as he says today not wishing to play in Blackmore's shadow forever.

Morse is a tricky one - he is not Mr Charisma on stage nor has he played on any holy trinity of DP albums, on the other hand he is technically so good and idiosynchratic in his style that it needs a good player to replace him - but there are thousands of kids out there who are technically great players and who would give their left nut to play in a band almost as musically honed and adept as the Sex Pistols.

[Granny Gremlin]

Does this sound grotesquely un-AC/DCish to you? Be truthful, Jake! It's Malcolm's nephew Stevie stepping in for him (due to Malcolm's alcoholism) on the 1988 tour. If you had been there that night you wouldn't have had a better view and if no one would have told you beforehand you would not have noticed but cheered on.

Actually yes, something seems off about the intro/lead line but maybe it's just tuning or warped audio in the old analog recording... it does seem like he's not playing it right ... [checking album version] yep - timing, dynamics and feel is all wrong or at least different; he's only playing one note (duotone) for the first few bars and then it sounds like a few flubs in there when he tries to bring the rest in (or at least sloppy playing - no matter how hot/sweaty/tired Malcom was he was never that sloppy - I heard them live on their home turf 3 years ago; dude is rock solid and yes, they played this song).  Tsk, tsk, Uwe that you didn't notice.  Also, it's totally bullshit that the nephew is pretending to be the real thing down to the moves.  Be honest and be yourself.  You could call me out on critisising being too Malcom visually, and not Malcom enough musically,  but I am one who values consistency - if you're different, be different, if you're filling shoes, then bloody well fill them. 

[uwe]

I shouldn't have told you!  Darn little AC/DC geek,



don't you just loathe the fact how I saw them in 1976 in a smaller hall close up and still with Bon Scott?  AND I DIDN'T EVEN LIKE THEM!!!!!!

Doesn't change the fact that I hope for the little A-chordin' rrrrrrhythm munchkin to get well soon.

[gearHed289]

Sometimes ending it is just the right thing to do. Like Zeppelin after Bonham's death. The Who should have done the same.

[luve2fli]

Latest from the AC/DC camp:

On 16th April 2014, in response to earlier reports that the band may be retiring due to Malcolm Young being seriously ill and unable to perform, Brian Johnson commented that AC/DC are not retiring, stating "We are definitely getting together in May in Vancouver. We're going to pick up guitars, have a plonk and see if anybody has got any tunes or ideas. If anything happens we'll record it." AC/DC subsequently announced on their Facebook page that Malcolm Young would be taking a break from the band due to his health.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/music-news/10769783/ACDC-We-are-not-retiring.html

Guess they're going the way of the Who after all ...... hey, if you've still got something to say with musical relevance - go for it. I'd love to hear a follow up to Black Ice.

[uwe]

Sometimes ending it is just the right thing to do. Like Zeppelin after Bonham's death. The Who should have done the same.

And Plant has stuck to his guns about it all these years/decades - I find that very impressive. His refusal to return for anything other than special events has kept the Zeppelin aura intact.