Thursday, July 8, 2010

AC/DC (Biography)


AC/DC's mammoth power chord roar became one of the most influential hard rock sounds of the '70s. In its own way, it was a reaction against the pompous art rock and lumbering arena rock of the early '70s. AC/DC's rock was minimalist -- no matter how huge and bludgeoning their guitar chords were, there was a clear sense of space and restraint. Combined with Bon Scott's larynx-shredding vocals, the band spawned countless imitators over the next two decades and enjoyed commercial success well into the 2000s.

AC/DC were formed in 1973 in Australia by guitarist Malcolm Young after his previous band, the Velvet Underground, collapsed (Young's band has no relation to the seminal American group). With his younger brother Angus serving as lead guitarist, the band played some gigs around Sydney. Angus was only 15 years old at the time and his sister suggested that he should wear his school uniform on-stage; the look became the band's visual trademark. While still in Sydney, the original lineup featuring singer Dave Evans cut a single called "Can I Sit Next to You," with ex-Easybeats Harry Vanda and George Young (Malcolm and Angus' older brother) producing.

The band moved to Melbourne the following year, where drummer Phil Rudd (formerly of the Coloured Balls) and bassist Mark Evans joined the lineup. The band's chauffeur, Bon Scott, became the lead vocalist when singer Dave Evans refused to go on-stage. Previously, Scott had been vocalist for the Australian prog rock bands Fraternity and the Valentines. More importantly, he helped cement the group's image as brutes -- he had several convictions on minor criminal offenses and was rejected by the Australian Army for being "socially maladjusted." And AC/DC were socially maladjusted. Throughout their career they favored crude double entendres and violent imagery, all spiked with a mischievous sense of fun.

The group released two albums -- High Voltage and TNT -- in Australia in 1974 and 1975. Material from the two records comprised the 1976 release High Voltage in the U.S. and U.K.; the group also toured both countries. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap followed at the end of the year. Mark Evans left the band at the beginning of 1977, with Cliff Williams taking his place. In the fall of 1977, AC/DC released Let There Be Rock, which became their first album to chart in the U.S. Powerage, released in spring of 1978, expanded their audience even further, thanks in no small part to their dynamic live shows (which were captured on 1978's live If You Want Blood You've Got It). What really broke the doors down for the band was the following year's Highway to Hell, which hit number 17 in the U.S. and number eight in the U.K., becoming the group's first million-seller.

AC/DC's train was derailed when Bon Scott died on February 20, 1980. The official coroner's report stated he had "drunk himself to death." In March, the band replaced Scott with Brian Johnson. The following month, the band recorded Back in Black, which would prove to be its biggest album, selling over ten million copies in the U.S. alone. For the next few years, the band was one of the largest rock bands in the world, with For Those About to Rock We Salute You topping the charts in the U.S. In 1982, Rudd left the band; he was replaced by Simon Wright.

After 1983's Flick of the Switch, AC/DC's commercial standing began to slip, and they weren't able to reverse their slide until 1990's The Razor's Edge, which spawned the hit "Thunderstruck." While not the commercial powerhouse they were during the late '70s and early '80s, the 1990s saw AC/DC maintain their status as a top international concert draw. In the fall of 1995, their 16th album, Ballbreaker, was released. Produced by Rick Rubin, the album received some of the most positive reviews of AC/DC's career; it also entered the American charts at number four and sold over a million copies in its first six months of release. Stiff Upper Lip followed in early 2000 with similar results. The group signed a multi-album deal with Sony the following year that resulted in a slew of reissues and DVDs, and they returned to the studio in 2008 for Black Ice, an all-new collection of songs that was followed by the group's first world tour since 2001. Two years later, the band's music was featured heavily in the action movie Iron Man 2, and a best-of compilation was released in conjunction with the film under the title AC/DC: Iron Man 2.

by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I really like your blog.. very nice colors & theme.
Did you create this website yourself or did you hire
someone to do it for you? Plz answer back as I'm looking to create my own blog and would like to find out where u got this from. thank you

My blog post http://saffronextractreview123.weebly.com/

Anonymous said...

Aw, this was a very good post. Finding the time and actual effort to generate a great article… but what can I say… I hesitate a whole lot
and never seem to get anything done.

Here is my web blog: Natural Remedy For Acid Reflux Disease

Anonymous said...

Thanks in favor of sharing such a good thought, article
is pleasant, thats why i have read it entirely

Visit my web page: master cleanse weight loss

Anonymous said...

Magnificent items from you, man. I have be aware your stuff prior to and you're simply too magnificent. I really like what you have received right here, certainly like what you're stating and the way
in which you are saying it. You make it enjoyable and you continue to care for to keep it wise.
I cant wait to learn far more from you. This is really a tremendous
site.

Also visit my web-site campus.gem-med.com

Anonymous said...

What's up, the whole thing is going fine here and ofcourse every one is sharing data, that's genuinely fine, keep up writing.


My blog post master cleanse weight loss

Anonymous said...

Please let me know if you're looking for a writer for your site. You have some really good posts and I feel I would be a good asset. If you ever want to take some of the load off, I'd absolutely love to
write some material for your blog in exchange for a link back to mine.
Please shoot me an e-mail if interested. Thanks!

Also visit my page ... help with hemorrhoids

Anonymous said...

Very good write-up. I definitely appreciate this site. Continue the
good work!

Review my homepage ... wagner paint sprayers ()

Post a Comment

 
Л.Төрбурам