The Smiley Smile Message Board

I know that hard rock isn't really discussed much on here. 

But considering that AC/DC is one of the most iconic hard rock bands of all time, I think it's worth noting the recent events in their world. 

Guitarist Malcolm Young was forced into retirement due to dementia in late 2014. 

Drummer Phil Rudd has some run ins with the law that forced him out of the group.

Now, due to hearing loss with singer Brian Johnson, the band was forced to postpone a March arena tour in the US.

Now, there's a lot of he said / she said going on about how Brian Johnson was told that he could work around the hearing issue, which conflicts with reports that he was told his touring days were over. 

Reports have stated that US will make up the shows with a replacement singer. 

Brian has apparently said he was unaware that the band plans to go on without him, and has tried to contact Angus Young to no avail.

It would be pretty sad if the saga of AC/DC ends in this fashion.

While I'd never pretend to have the moral authority to tell a band when it can or can't continue or shut things down, this sounds like an example of why I often think bands' mistakes are carrying on too long. Sure, people may enjoy getting out to see an older band, even as its shows become more and more a nostalgia trip, fewer and fewer members. And AC/DC in any form isn't quite the casino-focused revue of some other acts. But yeah ... it's a shame.

As for my personal thoughts on AC/DC, I'm lukewarm. Some of those tunes, let's be serious: they're stone classics of rock music. But I'm OK with just those classics, I don't need more. That said, even my friends who don't like hard rock music almost to a T universally admire and like AC/DC.

(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/e8/af/49/e8af49248f8966c88ac9947785976ebe.jpg)
If Nick Cave likes them, they can't be that bad.*


*Rule does not apply to opiates.

Captain,

You're right.  I think everybody loves at least one AC/DC song.  I've known a lot of people with a lot of different musical tastes, but I have never once heard anybody say a negative word about AC/DC and their music. 

AC/DC is also the only hard rock band that will get girls dancing at a club without some bogus house/EDM remix of their songs.  And I was thankful for that, for on the nights that I was unfortunately enough to have to be at a club (usually for work in my early 20s), AC/DC would provide a nice break from the dance music. 

Some bands seem to transition to the nostalgia thing OK.  But it would be jarring to see AC/DC suddenly go that path, as they've remained a relevant band. 

Not my kind of thing, but saw a televised concert and they had the audience in the palm of their hand. And I have a soft spot for Brian, whose ex-wife lives (lived?) a stone's throw and a considerable upswing in income) from where my mother used to live

This----and only this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uelFpaLNYNU

The thing about AC/DC which separates them from virtually every other "Hard Rock" band is that they understand the importance of "Roll."

But yes, watching all our favorites get old mostly sucks.

One of the best, most important and influential rock bands of all time. Simple as that. Brilliant blues & rock and roll.

No arguments here.  I'm glad I got to see them at least once.  Saw them on their 2000 Stiff Upper Lip Tour.  Amazing show. 

It does seem that everybody loves them; even great musicians that I respect rave about AC/DC. I don't get it. Maybe if I could just focus on the guitar work, which seems pretty good, or the drumming, which seems solid; but that guy screaming! And it's not a Little Richard scream, it's just ...I don't know, maybe what a chicken sounds like screaming! And the lyrics! Every song seems to be about how great it is to go to hell, or some pornographic lyric. I just don't get it why everyone in the world loves this band.

Well, there's the talent in the band like you mentioned.  The songs are easily recognizable.  They're a high energy band.

And while they do talk about sex, drinking, and even Hell, it's not vulgar. 

I suppose if I could simplify the allure of AC/DC, I could do so in one word - fun. 

It's not vulgar? AC/DC makes the Rolling Stones and Van Halen seem like choirboys. "She told me to come but I was already there"

I think it's more that they aren't explicit. I heard that line, that song, hundreds of times and had no idea what that meant. I knew the song overall was something to do with that boring boy-girl stuff, but as a little kid, that's about all I knew. That particular line? Kind of nonsensical. Like, she didn't notice that he was already right there beside her? Frankly I think that's often the case with non-profane or non-explicit lyrics: adults freak out over the corrupting filth, and kids can sing right along without quite knowing what the hell is going on.

(I'd actually hate to get into all the examples I'm sure I could come up with from my own youth. I was kind of an idiot.)

"Well, there's the talent in the band like you mentioned.  The songs are easily recognizable.  They're a high energy band.

And while they do talk about sex, drinking, and even Hell, it's not vulgar. "

"It's not vulgar? AC/DC makes the Rolling Stones and Van Halen seem like choirboys. "She told me to come but I was already there"


"Black girls just want to get f***ed all night, I don't have that much jam!"  Mick Jagger/Rolling Stones

Not sure I agree!

That's nothing more than a little innuendo, which has been present in rock since it started.  Definitely doesn't pass for vulgar.  Even the dreaded PMRC would probably agree. 

"Big Balls"? I'm sure even a 14 year old would know he's not singing about basketball.

The song is about throwing lavish parties AKA balls. 

Is there a lot of word play?  Sure. 

Vulgar?  No. 

The rumor of Axl Rose replacing Brian Johnson on their latest tour made me laugh. If that happens, kiss AC/DC goodbye. What a way to go out, too...

AC/DC's reps have neither denied nor confirmed this.  But there are other reports that Axl may be going on a big tour with Guns N Roses, possibly with Slash and Duff along for the ride. 

I'd be shocked if they don't any shows with Axl. 

I'd probably react to Axl in 2016 the way I reacted to Vince Neil during the Motley Crue farewell tour. When your frontman looks like a donut Pillsbury dough boy, the game is up.

Both Vince and Axl may have put on some pounds over the years, but they both still sing pretty well.  Granted, not like they did in the 80s, but for guys in their 50s who put a lot of strain on their vocal chords, they still get the job done. 

If AC/DC really wants to do these shows without Brian Johnson, I would suggest Joel O'Keefe from an Australian band called Airbourne. 

And "Whole Lotta Rosie" is about watching Pete Rose play baseball.

Yeah, it should be either him, Angry Anderson (from Rose Tattoo) or even..... former AC/DC singer Dave Evans

No different than Queen's "Fat Bottomed Girls." 

Suggestive?  Yes

Vulgar?  Absolutely not. 

If AC/DC's brand of music isn't your cup of tea, that's fine.  But, please, don't call them something they're not.   

Maybe I've been too hard on them.









huh-huh, I said "hard on".

I guess the reason I don't like them very much is they are one of the most often played bands on our local Jack FM station (some cities have Charlie FM, or other similar brands). Anytime an AC/DC song gets played on that station, I turn jack off.

That actually brings up a pet peeve of mine: blaming a band for its exposure. I mean, obviously bands want to get airplay, but is it Band X's fault if some crappy station programs them to be among the seven songs that is played in their four hour rotation? (Assuming 3 hours and 39 minutes of ads and dipshit prerecorded DJ chatter, obviously.)

Corporate radio is terrible. Just fucking terrible. Ditto for music TV. Our local public radio pop music station here in Minneapolis (89.3 The Current) is great, relatively speaking. Really great! But still ... kind of fucking terrible. Boring-ass commoditization is inevitable. So it's just less terrible. But is that the bands' fault?

I think there is plenty to dislike about--or at least become bored about--AC/DC. But overexposure is the media's fault, not theirs.

I don't listen to the corporate stations much anymore. Found a groovy little non commercial station that plays oldies from the 60's and 70's, once in awhile a 50's track, or an 80's hit. It is a deep playlist; thousands of songs instead of just a few hundred.

That's what I like about our local public radio pop station: it has a much deeper playlist than a typical commercial station (by a factor of probably hundreds, really...). But the whole oldies format isn't something I would like, so something focused on 60s and 70s with 50s and 80s interspersed would get on my nerves. I like keeping new stuff coming at me while also peppering in older music as well.

(Sorry for abandoning AC/DC, KDS!)

Huh huh, you said "jack off."

We have one of those Jack stations in Baltimore.  Lately, I rarely listen to the radio for music.  I'll usually put on talk radio in the morning or sports talk.  Other than that, I usually play CDs or plug in my MP3 player or Pandora.

By avoiding the radio, I've been able to enjoy bands like AC/DC again.

I know I am behind the times musically, but I am trying to catch up. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad-ucR6TX1k