N°108 - AC/DC - WHOLE LOTTA ROSIE

AC/DC stands for Alternate Current and Direct Current or in other words electrical energy and where ever the rock ‘n roll band AC/DC gives a show there’s loads of that. Careful yet since AC/DC also stands for being bisexual. Once a journalist dared to ask the big question and Bon Scott answered smoothly: ‘I’m neither, I’m the lightning in the middle”.

Formed by the brothers Angus and Malcolm Young but with a quick changeover in setup before the release of the first album High Voltage in 1975. First of all they kicked out lead singer Dave Evans and at the same time AC/DC switched drummer Phil Rudd for Peter Clark. At the time of the recording of High Voltage the setup was the following: Bon Scott (singer), Phil Rudd (drums – left in 1983 but returned after 1994), Mark Evans who stayed only for the period of the first album (bass) and off course Angus Young (lead guitar) and Malcolm Young (rhythm guitar). Bass guitar was changed after the first EP and Cliff Williams joined the Young brothers. He’s still with them. On drums we now have Phil Rudd again but in between periods we could see Simon Wright and Chris Slade.

The biggest change happened in 1980 when Bon Scott died because of alcohol poisoning and suffocation in his own vomit. For an instant Angus and Malcolm thought about quitting. Luckily Brian Johnson auditioned and AC/DC found their ultimate lead singer who could perform on the same level as Bon Scott did on the successful album Highway To Hell. In between they also released T.N.T... That year the band released also Back In Black, their best album ever. Later they’d release For Those About To Rock We Salute You and Ballbreaker. When changing drummers the band’s success fell a bit back in the late eighties and early nineties so they held on to their classics such as Highway To Hell, T.N.T., …. The only exception is the 1990 album The Razor’s Edge with the rock song Thunderstruck. They kept producing new songs but they hardly succeeded to match the older albums. On Ballbreaker their sound is way too bluesy. Volts and Stiff Upper Lip never really brought success but the latest album, the 2008 Black Ice, is again more the rock ‘n roll AC/DC sounds we all know from the different hits. I must admit I had to get used to this album because it sounded old school but you didn’t knew the songs or lyrics yet. But I like it as much as the classic albums I must say.

In the early years Angus created his typical look with the school uniform and his crazy shit on stage and the band quickly was banished from certain concert halls since their fans brought nothing but trouble. AC/DC  conquered Great Britain and the rest of Europa in the late seventies then as the warm up for that other major band Kiss. This way AC/DC got launched in the USA and their worldwide fame rose to the top. Nowadays, although all having an Australian passport the band members live all across the world from the USA to the UK, The Netherlands and off course they all have houses in their home country. Now let’s enjoy one of these oldies and I’ve chosen Whole Lotta Rosie since it ties in perfectly only by the ‘whole lotta’. Have fun.