I read a lot of stuff on this here interweb thing about music. Some is good. Some is bad.
When its good I like to let certain people know about the article. And this below article is good. No. Its amazing. Its stellar. Its boofin Jennifer Lopez circa 1998 good. And man that would be some good boofin.
Bob Lefsetz writes well. I look forward to his daily (sometimes multiple daily) emails. He plays it as it lays. There's no fluff. Its straight from the gut. This article is from a few weeks ago. I just haven't had the time to read, digest and forward it - now that im part of the workforce again.
I’ve always loved ACDC. The first girl I ever had a crush on - Annie Long - was in to ACDC. We were 7 and it was back in 1984. Her and her older brother used to come by my house on the way to school everyday. And she liked ACDC. So I did too. Even though I had no idea who they were. Yes - i admit it - I was first a follower. But then I heard ACDC. THAT sound. You know THAT sound. Angus and Malcolm. I cant remember what song it was first. Probably Highway or Jailbreak. And it sounded amazing. And ive been listening ever since.
Annie's older brother was a bully. But he never picked on me - even though my mum used to kiss me goodbye everyday in front of him and his bodacious little sister Annie. That would have been enough ammunition for any bully to beat on a kid. But Chris knew i liked ACDC. So he left me alone. ACDC saved me from a pounding.
I used to prefer the Brian stuff. I know i know - sacrilegious. But as time went by I started to like the Bon stuff more. And over the last 5 or so years I listen to some of their stuff weekly. Live, studio, B-sides - its always on, somewhere on a mix cd, iPod, minidisc, etc. Its always there.
But I still like the Brian stuff. I like his voice, and I prefer the production on the later albums to the more raw sound on the Bon stuff.
I saw them live back in 2001. My left ear is still ringing. I didn’t see the 1996 tour. I often get asked why I didn’t go. I don’t have an answer. I had the money. I just didn’t go. Later that year I met Angus when I sold him and his wife Ellen some cordless phones when I worked at Grace Bros in Miranda. She was nice. He was loaded. When he was looking around the department I worked in, I asked her if it was ok for an autograph, as I was a big fan. She asked me if it was ok to not ask - as he is only Angus 'Family Man' Young for one month a year. I said no worries. I’ve told a few other crazy fans that story and they all tell me that I rock for not bugging him. Yes people - I, like Angus, ROCK.
June 10 2006. My wedding day. A month before the wedding Yvee said we should do the music for the wedding. "Dont worry, ill do it" I said. Bridezilla never appeared in our house during the wedding preparations. But I could tell that she wasn’t sure about my musical choices. "BAKER - im not having Springbeen (as she calls Springsteen) or Slaybells (as she calls Slayer) at my wedding". So I asked Sean for some help. And help he did. The weekend before the wedding Yvee and I decided on the events music - bridal dance, speaker introductions, etc. Sean helped me put it all together. Yvee wanted something cool for the Bride/Groom entrance. And cool she got. I told her not to worry - Sean was looking after it.
We walked in to Its A Long Way To The Top
Before the music started I apologized - just in case she decided that then and there was the first time ever she would tear me a new one. She had a look of fake disgust on her face. And then I told her that it was originally going to be...
She then held my hand and we walked in. There's a photo of the two of us walking in to the reception and its just one of the best photos of us ever. She's happy. I’m happy. Me thinks that Yvee might have been ok with HtH, but me also thinks my mother in law might not have been too happy.
But I digress.
ACDC make me happy. They make me laugh. They make me want to rock out. In a world that's really really fcuked up, we all need some ACDC. We all need to be happy. We all need to laugh. We all need to rock out.
And music needs more ACDC. Especially if the write up by Bob below is accurate (and I don’t doubt him for a second, based on his write ups of recent albums).
I’m really really really looking forward to this new ACDC album. I’ve joined the fanclub. I’m getting the deluxe edition of the CD. I’m gonna get me the vinyl. If Rock N Roll Train is any indication of the quality of the rest of the tracks, its gonna be one hell of an album.
ab
-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Lefsetz [mailto:bob@lefsetz.com]
Sent: Thursday, 21 August 2008 7:59 AM
To: me
Subject: Black Ice
I'm sitting here at Shutters listening to the new AC/DC album on Steve Barnett's MacBook Air.
To tell you the truth, I usually avoid this. What are you going to say as the label head watches you listen to his baby. But after discussing the Wal-Mart deal at lunch, hearing all about the plans for release, I was eager, the same way you are after school, when you ride your bike to the record store to buy the album the day it comes out.
You rush home, rip off the shrinkwrap, drop the platter on the turntable, lay the needle down and you hear...
ANGUS' GUITAR!
Now this isn't far from the master, THIS IS THE MASTER! And suddenly, my whole body starts to throb, THIS IS THE SOUND!
Oh, Phill Rudd's bass drum. You know that "Back In Black" sound, kicking you in the gut, so powerful, yet so pure!
Every AC/DC album sounds the same. Only the songs are different. "Black Ice" continues the tradition. I could sit here and digest the 55.5 minutes over and over again. But not having all day, I've played the single, "Rock N' Roll Train", a few times, and am now sampling...
I'm gripped by "Smash N' Grab".
This ain't Crocs music. This ain't made for Sephora. This is the sound that drove your parents away, that they didn't only tell you to turn down, BUT THROW OUT!
It's a rough tough tumble world we live in. Where sold-out whores tell us what to like and try to make us believe we're losers. What are we supposed to do?
Listen to AC/DC. Turn it up and nothing else seems to matter. The sound obscures the rest of the world, it's just you, equal to everyone you hate, who's got you down, your dad, your principal, the President...
Wow, you should hear the intro to "Spolin' For A Fight"! This is "Shoot To Thrill"!
Dressed to kill!
The groove to "Decibel"... Like you've just stripped naked and are sauntering to the bed to stick your rod into a woman who's BEYOND FANTASY! Wow, this is too much, PURE SEX!
There's a slide on "Stormy May Day" straight off a sixties English blues record, followed by another guitar in the other ear with a stinging report. There's a FULL MINUTE INTRO!
I don't remember any other AC/DC track sounding like "Rock N' Roll Dream", it's positively SENSITIVE! Kind of like something off "Straight Shooter", the second Bad Company album... Wow, this is my favorite so far, at least until the freight train/explosive chorus. I love the intimacy, like you've stayed up all night drinking after you've been dumped.
This ain't no "Ballbreaker", no "Stiff Upper Lip"... It's like the band believes, it's the best thing they've done in EONS!
How good is it?
WHO GIVES A FUCK! I'm sitting here, with the headphones cranked, listening to NEW AC/DC!
Doesn't matter how many stars the album gets in "Rolling Stone", what the "New York Times" says, never mind Pitchfork or Stereogum. If you're a fan of a band, in this case one of the most legendary in the business, only eclipsed by the Beatles in sales, you're EAGER! It's like Moses, it's like JESUS has come back to Earth... You want to hear what he's got to say!
Maybe AC/DC is the band at the second coming. That's what it sounds like, THUNDER! Drowning out all that's irrelevant. All that matters is the music.
I'm in hog heaven.
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