AC/DC

[Anubis the Jackal 77]

With the mighty 'DC back on the road again this year, and their fine album 'Back in Black' set to become the biggest selling album of all time, what chance another rock and/or roll casualty from the worlds favourite Autonepiophiles ?

 

Perhaps another vomit-induced snuffing, or the old standby of narco-induced heart attack (they're not getting any younger.). Not for them the ignominy of a bizarre gardening accident.

[maryportfuncity 10,684]

TBH I don't think any of those rich and conspiciously healthy AC/DC lads are in immediate danger. Also, I don't think they're in danger of taking Back in Black to the top of the all time best sellers list. It's a staggering statistic that Thriller is claiming over double the sales of the album in second place, regardless of which album - Eagles, Bee Gees, AC/DC - is currently filling that slot.

 

If we wanted instant DP points it might make sense to introduce Michael Jackson to AC/DC.....

[Anubis the Jackal 77]

Admittedly, I did get my info here..

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2008/09/25/bmitunes125.xml

 

 

"Young happily points out that projected sales figures show that AC/DC's 1980 Back in Black album will soon leapfrog Michael Jackson's Thriller album to become the biggest-selling album ever - and it won't be available on iTunes."

 

As my Dad used to sing

 

"Whenever I'm bored and need a laugh, I read the Daily Telegraph"

 

[maryportfuncity 10,684]

Wikipedia is probably as accurate as anyone on this. Mainly because it's honest about the level of vagueness. As of today Thriller stands around 100-108 m units and AC/DC are on 42 million. Still awesome business, mind.

[Cowboy Ronnie 78]

Admittedly, I did get my info here..

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2008/09/25/bmitunes125.xml

 

 

"Young happily points out that projected sales figures show that AC/DC's 1980 Back in Black album will soon leapfrog Michael Jackson's Thriller album to become the biggest-selling album ever - and it won't be available on iTunes."

 

As my Dad used to sing

 

"Whenever I'm bored and need a laugh, I read the Daily Telegraph"

 

 

"iTunes under threat". Please. Selling five billion songs in five years is the kind of threat I'd like to be under. So two bands aren't on there, big deal, just about everyone else's music is. And what a fine example of an artist refusing to "sell out" on iTunes - Kid Rock, who may have sold two million copies of his album, but only because of a song in which he extensively samples the Skynard (second DL reference today). AC/DC aren't much better - but for "You Shook Me All Night Long" they'd just be another Judas Priest wannabe.

 

If AC/DC want people to buy their CDs, and not cherry pick singles, how about they record ten great songs and put them on the same album. Which has been done about twice in the history of rock 'n' roll.

[Monoclinic 39]

If AC/DC want people to buy their CDs, and not cherry pick singles, how about they record ten great songs and put them on the same album. Which has been done about twice in the history of rock 'n' roll.

 

Ah so it's you then that has the only known copies of The Boy With The X-Ray Eyes and this follow up to that seminal album Psyche?

 

In case you've forgotten the lyrical partnership of our beloved Ant and Dec here's a little taster! Are you ready to rhumble?

[themaninblack 2,112]

Thriller hasn't sold 100m albums, that's just bullshit by some Wacko Jacko publicist...

 

AC/DC go way over my head. Couldn't whistle you a tune of thiers if I tried...

 

All I know of them is that you'd get a video of thiers every year on the Chart Show and it was always the

same thing: Bloke in flat cap screeching and another wearing a schooboy uniform in front of a packed crowd...

 

Then again, HM's never been an interest of mine. I might be tempted by Sabbath one day, but...

[Lord Fellatio Nelson 6,224]

All I know of them is that you'd get a video of thiers every year on the Chart Show and it was always the

same thing: Bloke in flat cap screeching and another wearing a schooboy uniform in front of a packed crowd...

 

Yep, thats AC/DC, a group whos hype was always bigger than its talent, IMHO.

I always viewed tham as a sort of Kiss for grown ups.

[maryportfuncity 10,684]

Have any of you dissing the mighty AC/DC ever seen them live? Years ago a mate had a spare ticket, and talked me into going.

 

f*****g awesome. Not exactly intellectual but definitely potent. Still rate them as one of the best gigs I've ever seen.

[Anubis the Jackal 77]

Fair call Ronnie, but Back in Black was one of those two albums. Basically one of the finest memorials to rock and roll excess ever. Who else would have the balls to salute their recently-deceased lead singer (choked on vomit...you can't dust for vomit etc.) with tracks called Hells Bells and Have a Drink On Me?

 

Mono, did you ever hear the amazing-if-true story about the whole floor of EMI's enormous central warehouse being totally filled with unsold and unsellable copies of Babylon Zoo's magnum opus? Somewhere under a home-counties leisure centre there is an enormous landfill site full of Mr Mann's misguided warblings just waiting for the Archeologists of the future to uncover and speculate in awed tones just what sort of civilisation would make such a mass offering to the spirits.

 

If AC/DC want people to buy their CDs, and not cherry pick singles, how about they record ten great songs and put them on the same album. Which has been done about twice in the history of rock 'n' roll.

 

Ah so it's you then that has the only known copies of The Boy With The X-Ray Eyes and this follow up to that seminal album Psyche?

 

In case you've forgotten the lyrical partnership of our beloved Ant and Dec here's a little taster! Are you ready to rhumble?

[harrymcnallysblueandwhitearmy 1,704]

Never mind, you can get Dennis Waterman's seminal I Could Be So Good For You on that there pesky itunes.

[Monoclinic 39]

Mono, did you ever hear the amazing-if-true story about the whole floor of EMI's enormous central warehouse being totally filled with unsold and unsellable copies of Babylon Zoo's magnum opus? Somewhere under a home-counties leisure centre there is an enormous landfill site full of Mr Mann's misguided warblings just waiting for the Archeologists of the future to uncover and speculate in awed tones just what sort of civilisation would make such a mass offering to the spirits.

 

Geophys and Baldrick could always sell them on to IKEA as a retro tea coaster set in 2050.

[Cowboy Ronnie 78]

Fair call Ronnie, but Back in Black was one of those two albums.

 

Good shout AtJ, but 10 great songs? I count 5 or 6

 

"Hells Bells" – 5:12

"Shoot to Thrill" – 5:17

"What Do You Do for Money Honey" – 3:35

"Givin' the Dog a Bone" – 3:32

"Let Me Put My Love into You" – 4:15

"Back in Black" – 4:15

"You Shook Me All Night Long" – 3:30

"Have a Drink on Me" – 3:59

"Shake a Leg" – 4:06

"Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution" – 4:15

 

Although I'm not a rabid U2 fan, The Joshua Tree does pretty darn well through track 9, and they kept Sweetest Thing back because they (rightly) felt it didn't belong with the rest of the album.

 

1. "Where the Streets Have No Name" 5:38

2. "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" 4:38

3. "With or Without You" 4:56

4. "Bullet the Blue Sky" 4:32

5. "Running to Stand Still" 4:18

6. "Red Hill Mining Town" 4:54

7. "In God's Country" 2:57

8. "Trip Through Your Wires" 3:33

9. "One Tree Hill" 5:23

10. "Exit" 4:13

11. "Mothers of the Disappeared

[maryportfuncity 10,684]

10 great tracks...........

 

Well even if we admit Sgt Pepper is inconsistent it's still brilliant over half its length. And Abbey Road has only Octopus's Garden worthy of pressing the skip button.

 

Then there's Stevie Wonder in the mid-seventies starting with Talking Book:

 

 

1. You're The Sunshine Of My Life

2. Maybe Your Baby

3. You And I

4. Tuesday Heartbreak

5. You've Got It Bad Girl

6. Superstition

7. Big Brother

8. Blame It On The Sun

9. Lookin' For Another Pure Love

10. I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)

 

 

Innervisions and Fulfillingness First Finale are both stonking and Songs in the Key of Life - double album and EP as it is - still has around ten brilliant songs - Sir Duke/ I Wish/ Pastime Paradise/ As......

 

Oh aye, and the first Stone Roses album.

 

Oh, that one is my coat....

[Lord Fellatio Nelson 6,224]

Without wishing to be overly disrespectful to AC/DC, I gave my opinion based on the fact that I bought "That" Album when it came out. I also went out and bought the next inferior one too.

Neither, for me, can hold a candle to Machine Head.

[harrymcnallysblueandwhitearmy 1,704]

Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap

Hells Bells

Highway to Hell

Safe in New York City

Shoot to Thrill

Shot Down in Flames

T.N.T.

 

Poor, victimised lambs.

[Banshees Scream 110]

I was listening to one of their latest songs "Spolin' for a fight" the other day and I would say it's typical ACDC. I've always been a fan to an extent. What makes them stand alone is the fact that if anyone else tried to sing like Bon Scott or Angus Young it wouldn't have been long before they would be working the nightshift at Wendy's.

[maryportfuncity 10,684]

if anyone else tried to sing like Bon Scott or Angus Young it wouldn't have been long before they would be working the nightshift at Wendy's.

 

Where they'd find themselves flipping burgers alongside the music journalist who mistook Angus Young for Brian Johnson.

[Banshees Scream 110]

Where they'd find themselves flipping burgers alongside the music journalist who mistook Angus Young for Brian Johnson.

f**k! How could I say Angus Young?.. That's not what I meant. I really haven't thought about ACDC until recently so that's my excuse. It's not a quality excuse either. A quality excuse would mean that you are guilt-free. In this case, there is no excuse.

[Madame Defarge 21]

I think you could squeeze at least nine good tracks out of Blondie's ( Appearing now ! in the Valley of Picture Association ) Parallel Lines:

 

1. Hanging On The Telephone

2. One Way Or Another

3. Picture This

4. Fade Away And Radiate

5. Pretty Baby

6. I Know But I Don't Know

7. 11:59

8. Will Anything Happen?

9. Sunday Girl

10. Heart Of Glass

11. I'm Gonna Love You Too

12. Just Go Away

 

It would be even nicer if I could take my Magic Sonic Tweezers to pluck a few of those out, maybe 'I'm Gonna Love You Too' and '11.59' , and plug in 'Rapture and 'Atomic' but that would be cheating.

[maryportfuncity 10,684]

11.59 is a corker, great lyrics and she builds the tension brilliantly when she sings it.

 

'Sidewalk social scientist don't get no satisfaction from his cigarette.' f*****g poetry and up there with the Talking Heads in the clever stakes.

[Lard Bazaar 3,803]

If we're talking lyrics, let's talk death lyrics - here's one from that cheeky young scamp Morrissey, from my favourite song (well, my favourite song today)

 

'There's a club if you'd like to go

You could meet somebody who really loves you

So you go and you stand on your own

And you leave on your own

And you go home

And you cry

And you want to die'

 

Whenever I hear that, I want to kill myself. I listen to it quite often.

[Cowboy Ronnie 78]

If we're talking lyrics, let's talk death lyrics - here's one from that cheeky young scamp Morrissey,

 

Who doesn't love a bit of chirpy Mozza to bring gloom and doom to one's day? I'm quite partial to Every Day is Like Sunday

 

"Trudging slowly over wet sand

Back to the bench where your clothes were stolen

This is the coastal town

That they forgot to close down

Armageddon - come armageddon!

Come, armageddon! come!"

 

Reminds me of the time I spent an hour in Morecambe. If there is a more depressing place in these fair Isles I hope never to visit it.

[Madame Defarge 21]

Reminds me of the time I spent an hour in Morecambe. If there is a more depressing place in these fair Isles I hope never to visit it.

If there is, it must be the place that Randy Newman was hangin' out in when he wrote this:

Gods's Song

 

Cain slew Abel, Seth knew not why

For if the children of Israel were to multiply

Why must any of the children die?

So he asked the Lord

And the Lord said:

 

"Man means nothing, he means less to me

than the lowiliest cactus flower

or the humblest yucca tree

he chases round this desert

cause he thinks that's where i'll be

that's why i love mankind

 

I recoil in horror from the foulness of thee

from the squalor and the filth and the misery

How we laugh up here in heaven at the prayers you offer me

That's why i love mankind"

 

The Christians and the Jews were having a jamboree

The Buddhists and the Hindus joined on satellite TV

They picked their four greatest priests

And they began to speak

They said "Lord the plague is on the world

Lord no man is free

The temples that we built to you

Have tumbled into the sea

Lord, if you won't take care of us

Won't you please please let us be?"

 

And the Lord said

And the Lord said

 

"I burn down your cities--how blind you must be

I take from you your children and you say how blessed are we

You must all be crazy to put your faith in me

That's why i love mankind

You really need me

That's why i love mankind"

[harrymcnallysblueandwhitearmy 1,704]

I think you could squeeze at least nine good tracks out of Blondie's ( Appearing now ! in the Valley of Picture Association ) Parallel Lines:

 

1. Hanging On The Telephone

2. One Way Or Another

3. Picture This

4. Fade Away And Radiate

5. Pretty Baby

6. I Know But I Don't Know

7. 11:59

8. Will Anything Happen?

9. Sunday Girl

10. Heart Of Glass

11. I'm Gonna Love You Too

12. Just Go Away

 

It would be even nicer if I could take my Magic Sonic Tweezers to pluck a few of those out, maybe 'I'm Gonna Love You Too' and '11.59' , and plug in 'Rapture and 'Atomic' but that would be cheating.

 

First album I ever bought (along with Armed Forces) and still one of the best. I'd put Eat to the Beat up there alongside.

 

For the record, the only two AC/DC albums I own are Back in Black and Highway to Hell. No-nonsense treasures.