RIP: Malcolm Young Of AC/DC.

[saltedplug]

mawnansmiff, I understand, but I don't think we do the dead service by only speaking of their good. As I'm reading through this thread members are praising their music to the skies, but I don't feel that it belongs there. But you do. Our mileage varies.

 

[metalheadycigarguy]

mawnansmiff, I understand, but I don't think we do the dead service by only speaking of their good. As I'm reading through this thread members are praising their music to the skies, but I don't feel that it belongs there. But you do. Our mileage varies.

AC/DC was inducted into the Rock'n Roll Hall of Fame in 2003. The RnR HoF is notorious for not letting in Hard Rock/Heavy Metal bands, but after years of catching grief they've slowly began to let in Heavy Metal bands who deserve to be in the HoF. ie. Black Sabbath, who should have been inducted many years before they were for all their contributions to the Hard Rock and Heavy Metal genres. At the time of AC/DC's induction it was not very common for heavier bands to get inducted, so that immediately tells me something about their place in music history and their influence on other bands. With over 70 million US albums sold (not including millions upon millions more world wide); it tells me more than just teenagers were/are buying their albums. AC/DC influenced a multitude of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal bands since the mid 70's, and help changed the course of both genres. So yes, their music does deserve to be "praised to the sky." It may not be to your liking, but it's definitely worthy of the praise. Millions up millions of people have made that clear over and over again.
Also to address an earlier comment; the Beatles wrote a bunch of cheesy pop songs that had catchy hooks, and I wouldn't call any of their songs complex at all. Not even in their later years. If you want complex then listen to bands like Queen, Kansas, Pink Floyd, Rush, Dream Theater, etc. or any other band that plays Progressive Rock or Progressive Metal.
AC/DC at no point ever tried to be a complex band, and pretty much kept to the same format for writing songs; much like the Beatles did a decade earlier with their music. Only AC/DC used a different song structure and played harder music, but for the majority of their music they kept to a format that worked well for them. If its not broken, don't fix it. Give the fans what they want. Whether its the Beatles, AC/DC or any other band; if the fans don't like it they'll let the band know. Obviously the fans liked what they heard, so why change?

 

[wyfbane]

Well said!

 

[alan73]

^^

What he said .
Although I wouldn't quantify quality through album sales . otherwise Brittany Spears would be considered good music . and we can all agree that her music sucks .

 

[mawnansmiff]

Brittany who?
Regards,
Jay.

 

[deathmetal]

AC/DC at no point ever tried to be a complex band, and pretty much kept to the same format for writing songs; much like the Beatles did a decade earlier with their music.

I consider it an honest assessment of what popular music is. The more they try to trick it out as "complex," the more the lie is revealed, and nowhere is this clearer than in progressive rock. I can praise King Crimson or Vangelis to the skies, but that is on the basis of their melodic creations and compositional structure, where most progressive (and yes, I'm looking at Rush, Pink Floyd and other pop-prog here) is just pop tunes dressed up with technique. At least the jazz greats had the honesty to admit that is what they were doing. AC/DC, while perhaps not as melodically complex as the Beatles, accepted the basic song format and enhanced it for their purposes, and made some highly memorable music that is of higher quality than most of these "more complex" bands. If you want complexity, fire up classical; if you want a good song that you can hum along to, and for many of us that is important, you might seek out AC/DC, Motorhead, Black Sabbath, even Led Zeppelin, who understood that what makes a song great is not the technique but the impression of the realizations of a moment in time that the combined techniques communicate.

 

[saltedplug]

I admit defeat. . .

 

[deathmetal]

I wouldn't. You asked a good question:

Every artist wants to do something new to push the envelope, but if not within it how far before the envelope has disappeared and structure with it?

This was the topic of my post above.
What makes great music: melody and structure. It does not need to be complex: Kraftwerk, Hank I, Mozart.

 

[brian64]

My two cents regarding "pop music" (ie: pop/rock/jazz/folk/prog/metal/country/etc):
It mostly boils down to personal taste of course, but I favor more melodic structure and less random noise. But for me the content of the lyrics and the manner in which they are delivered are just as important as the music.

Sometimes more important.
Musically I like all of the categories listed above except not much into metal. I like ACDC musically because to me they are more hard rock than metal. But lyrically they did nothing for me. For me they are in the same basket with

Van Halen and The Beach Boys for example...because I really like them musically but most of the lyrics just seem too juvenile to me. I can enjoy some of that type of lyrical content (especially if it’s written in a particularly witty, intelligent, original, poetic style) but most of it just doesn’t rise to that level for me or strike me in the right way. I don’t much care for early Beatles for the same reason...but I love their later stuff because it not only became more appealing musically but got much more interesting lyrically. Had their lyrical content not evolved they’d be in the Beach Boy basket too.
As for complexity, I was pleased to see someone actually give mention to Kansas, because IMO they deserve to be at the top of that list. And it wasn't just studio creation...they could perform all of it live. They were classical/rock fusion

in the manner that Steely Dan was jazz/rock fusion. But what makes them rate particularly high for me are Livgren's lyrics which appeal to me far more than most other prog-rock lyrics.
To end on a positive note regarding ACDC, they were the kings of creative highly appealing/entertaining guitar riffs and great hard rock melodies. I enjoy hearing their songs for those reasons...I just have to tune out most of the lyrics.

 

[yaddy306]

"I'm sick and tired of people saying that we put out 11 albums that sound exactly the same. In fact, we've put out 12 albums that sound exactly the same."

Angus Young
...but what an album that is!

 

[mawnansmiff]

"I like AC/DC musically because to me they are more hard rock than metal..."
Couldn't agree more Brian.
"As for complexity, I was pleased to see someone actually give mention to Kansas, because IMO they deserve to be at the top of that list. And it wasn't just studio creation...they could perform all of it live. They were classical/rock fusion."
I would put The Eagles in that category too!
Regards,
Jay.

 

[jaytex1969]

Well, they got BIG BALLS!
Responsible for endless chuckles and guffaws when I was 12....

 

[deathmetal]

I like ACDC musically because to me they are more hard rock than metal.

I think most would agree with this, but they came from the mid-70s "heavy metal" which was a fusion of Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, and Led Zeppelin, with only the first of those being proto-metal and the latter two, regular heavy/hard rock.

But what makes them rate particularly high for me are Livgren's lyrics which appeal to me far more than most other prog-rock lyrics.

Some listeners are this way. The first time I heard it, it was spoken about the Dead Kennedys.
For me, the lyrics must complement the sound and structure of the music, so it would not make sense for AC/DC to have anything but drinking, fighting, and, er, reproductive activity as their core.

 

[mayfair70]

those being proto-metal

I seriously HATE anachronism. I don't mean to single you out Deathmetal, but Sabbath, Purple and Zep were primarily Blues based rock. Blues based Rock is what they are/were musically. Historically, they are/were proto-metal but I think you and I are the only ones who would quibble about such a distinction. :mrgreen:
I like Macaroni and Cheese because it is simple, delicious and familiar. If I want complexity, I go for Cornish Game Hen or some other obnoxious aviary. AC/DC was musical Mac n'Cheese with no frills, no surprises, and no bullshit. When it comes on the radio, I know the lyrics, the melody, and always the chorus if the first two escape me. It is great to drink to when you don't want to think too hard about things. It is frenetic and reliable. It is comfort music. If anyone disagrees, you are overthinking it. Rock is to be enjoyed, not studied. Though, I admit, I am a douchebag who studies it. :roll: RIP Malcolm

 

[ssjones]

Don't forget that Angus once said:

I'm sick and tired of people saying that we put out 11 albums that sound exactly the same. In fact, we've put out 12 albums that sound exactly the same.

An unpretentious rock & roll band. Not a pop band, but a rock band.
For my tastes, my favorite era was with Bon Scott. "Powerage" is one of my top 5 albums. (check my avatar to see my favorite song).

 

[ssjones]

Oops, I'm "Riff Raff" on all of the other pipe forums and my avatar is:

 

[brian64]

For me, the lyrics must complement the sound and structure of the music

I generally agree with that, and I was only comparing Kansas to other prog-rock bands, not to ACDC...that would most definitely be apples & oranges. But I would still say that regardless of the musical style or the lyrical subject matter, it can be said intelligently...or less so.

If I want complexity, I go for Cornish Game Hen or some other obnoxious aviary.

You just had to bring up Cornish Game Hens.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MCtC_U4e2o

 

[deathmetal]

For my tastes, my favorite era was with Bon Scott.

Without a doubt. It is hard to deny the power of some of the Brian Johnson era material, but the classic AC/DC was the 70s albums.

 

[conlejm]

I was 13 and 14 when Highway to Hell and Back in Black were released. I believe that these two albums represent one of the best consecutive album releases ever. I was never a huge fan, but I do greatly enjoy these two albums.

 

[loborx]

AC/DC - Riff Raff - Live
Sometimes it's best to let the music do the talking.
RIP Malcolm. RIP Bon. :clap:
See ya on the Highway. ::