AZ/DZ The Ultimate AC/DC Experience

6 hours ago

Unsung Guitar Hero: Cliff Williams...Since the beginning of time, there has always been an unspoken feud between guitar players and bass players. This feud has always been somewhat playful, somewhat serious. But in the end, we really do care for all you bass players. Oh sure, we poke fun at you guys constantly, for whatever reason will get a laugh at the moment it seems like.

But when you take away the rock stars and bring out the musicians, well then it’s a different story. The true musicians understand that a good bass player is an invaluable resource. Bass players that can work well in tandem with a drummer is something that gives the music exactly what it needs: Drive.

I mean, after all, it is the duties of the rhythm section to drive the band home, and if those bass hating, guitar nubs heard their favorite songs without the bass, they would cry.

So, as a tribute to all the bass players out there, my debut article for my column: Unsung Guitar Heroes, will be all about one amazing, but seldom discussed bass player: Cliff Williams of AC/DC.

Since the early seventies, AC/DC has been doing dirty deeds and blowing up our videos, all while flicking the switch of rock n’ roll. The first formation of the band included Bon Scott on vocals, Angus Young on lead guitar, Malcolm Young on rhythm guitar, Mark Evans on bass, and Phil Rudd on drums. In 1978 however, Evans was ejected from the band, and in came Cliff Williams. Not that Evans playing was lacking, but for me, (and many others)… well, let’s just say their rhythm section got a major boost from that moment forward.

Now I’m aware, there are many, many fans of AC/DC, and there is a good chance you have heard of Cliff. But the larger idea in this particular article is to go beyond the name on the record, beyond the subtleties of the bass work, and really get familiar with who he is as a bass player because I really believe that he is a true gem that isn’t really noticed, mostly because there is always a skinny schoolboy pulling his pants down in front of him.

Before we get to the music itself, let’s take a look at Cliffs’ rig; along with this article you’ll see a lovely diagram created by yours truly, and in researching his rig I was surprised. His rig is very simple, consisting only of a 1976 Music Man bass, with D’Addario Flatwounds, supported by an early seventies SVT Head and either an 8×10 or 6x 10 cab. No wireless equipment is used, just a straight cable, and that’s it! This guy doesn’t mess around with effects, or insane routes to get his tone, he just plugs in it and cranks it up. I love it.

Now, on to the music! If I could suggest what to listen to of his first, I would suggest “Gone Shootin’” of Cliff’s debut album with AC/DC, Powerage. This track has some unbelievable rhythm, and man does he lay it down, right in the pocket.

The more I listen to his work, the more apparent it becomes that his musical ideas on the bass are quite interesting. Because most of the time, bass players come in two classes; There are the straight groove guys, who don’t move much around the fretboard, but are there on every beat, laying it down. The alternative is generally the “I-play-the-bass-like-a-guitar” people. Cliff is a happy medium between the two. Not boring or unheard, by any means, but he knows how to rein it in and let the music happen.

A good example of this style in the middle sections of “Satellite Blues”, which can be found on AC/DC's 2000 smash, Stiff Upper Lip. I would strongly suggest listening to this excerpt with headphones, it really accentuates the experience.

For my final suggestion, I would recommend “Hail Ceasar” off of Ballbreaker. Start to finish, this is a runaway train of bassey goodness.

So the point here is, Cliff Williams is no virtuoso, and he doesn’t do anything that is flashy or speedy, but man, that guy can throw down some dBs. Which is something no musician should take for granted; because an average bass player can make or break a band. So rock on, bassholes!

Article by George VanderLaan ... See MoreSee Less

AZ/DZ The Ultimate AC/DC Experience

3 days ago

AZ⚡️DZ is honored to introduce the latest addition to the band Stephen Holter as our new Bagpiper.
His debut performances with the band will be this Thursday 4-24 at the Monastery Mesa and Saturday 4-26 at the Carefree Bourbon & Cigar Festival. It’s going to be Epic!🤘 ... See MoreSee Less

AZ/DZ The Ultimate AC/DC Experience

3 days ago

The Incredible Life Story Of Malcolm Young...He was the cornerstone of AC/DC, not just one of its original members. Malcolm was the one who kept the wheels turning behind the scenes, even if his brother Angus frequently stole the show with his wild solos and schoolboy attire. He died on November 18, 2017, from dementia-related problems, leaving a legacy that still influences rock ‘n’ roll.

How It All Began

Malcolm had a vision in 1973. He joined forces with his younger brother, Angus Young, to create a straightforward, hard-hitting band after being inspired by rock ‘n’ roll. After noticing it on their sister’s sewing machine, they thought the moniker AC/DC encapsulated the raw force and intensity they wanted their music to possess. Malcolm took the lead right away, creating songs, riffs, and the framework for what would grow to be one of the greatest rock bands in history.

The True Leader Behind the Sound

Malcolm was quietly directing the ship while Angus ripped on lead guitar and stole the show. Some people might think that Angus was in charge of the band, but Malcolm was really in charge of coming up with new ideas and making sure the sound was tight and clear. The thing that held everything together was the way he played rhythm guitar.

Malcolm’s riffs were memorable, even though he didn’t play the flashy solos. Hits like “Back in Black,” “High Voltage,” and “Highway to Hell” were made possible by them. Someone named Angus once said, “Malcolm was the engine room, the force that drove the band.”

Many people would even say that his sound is what made AC/DC what they are. He didn’t need attention; his music spoke for itself. As the quiet leader of the band, he was a big part of their success from the beginning until he retired in 2014.
Inspiration to Generations

Malcolm had an impact on a lot of people, not just AC/DC. A lot of big names in rock music were influenced by his rough, tight rhythm playing, like James Hetfield of Metallica and Izzy Stradlin of Guns N’ Roses. That simple, straight-forward style? There you have it, Malcolm. He proved that rhythm guitar could be just as strong as lead.

A Rock Legend Never Forgotten

There are still Malcolm’s riffs in every AC/DC song and on a huge number of rock tracks, even though he is no longer with us. He laid the basis and made sure it stayed strong for decades. His work will always be a part of the music that headbangers listen to. Malcolm Young showed that every time he picked up his guitar that you didn’t have to be famous to make a big difference. ... See MoreSee Less

AZ/DZ The Ultimate AC/DC Experience

5 days ago

Phillip Hugh Norman Rudd (born Phillip Hugh Norman Witschke Rudzevecuis aka The Human Metronome. (19 May 1954) is an Australian drummer, best known as the drummer of AC/DC across three stints (1975–1983, 1994–2015, 2018–present). On the 1977 departure of bass guitarist Mark Evans from AC/DC, Rudd became the only Australian-born member of the band. In 2003, he entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with the other members of AC/DC. In 2014, Rudd released his first solo album, Head Job. Due to ongoing legal problems in New Zealand, where he is a resident, Rudd was unable to join the band for the 2015 Rock or Bust World Tour and was replaced by Chris Slade. On 30 September 2020, AC/DC confirmed that Rudd would be rejoining the band for their comeback album Power Up. ... See MoreSee Less

AZ/DZ The Ultimate AC/DC Experience

6 days ago

"F**k you, follow that!": The electrifying story of AC/DC's masterpiece, Powerage...

In 1978, AC/DC had their backs against the wall. Dismissed by critics, misunderstood by their record label and fighting for their very survival, the Young brothers and Bon Scott dug deep: the result was Powerage, one of the finest hard rock albums ever

It was close to midnight when AC/DC arrived at CBGB. No-one working at the East Village venue was aware of any invitation being extended to the band to perform at the club, but as local power-pop quartet Marbles exited the stage and the Australian group pushed through the crowd carrying their guitars and amplifiers, no-one dared speak up to challenge the bullish interlopers.

Malcolm Young’s group were still buzzing from a gig earlier in the evening, opening up a three band bill, headlined by The Dictators, at the Palladium on East 14th Street: Angus Young hadn’t even bothered changing out of his blue velvet school uniform for the short trip downtown. The prospect of playing New York’s infamous punk rock dive bar appealed to ‘DC’s sense of mischief and their love of in-yer-face confrontation. Though the hard-bitten Aussies were dismissive of English punk rock’s posturing and politics – “In every interview we did when we came to London we’d be saying, We’re not fucking punks, we’re a rock ’n’ roll band,” Malcolm Young told this writer in 2003 – they had a grudging respect for the US scene.

“The punk thing is pretty cool in America,” Angus Young conceded. “It’s just a young thing, a new breed type thing.”

Ahmet Ertegun, the President and co-founder of Atlantic Records, arrived at CBGBs on the evening of August 24, 1977 to find Bon Scott standing outside 315 Bowery pissing into a jar. Given the legendarily horrendous state of CBGB’s toilets, the record mogul may well have applauded the singer’s resourcefulness. He was certainly impressed by the lack of nerves the band displayed when they stepped onto the club’s stage.

In terms of song selection, ’DC’s second set of the night, ushered in by Cliff Williams’ throbbing Live Wire bass line, was identical to their first, but CBGB’s anarchic ‘anything goes’ vibe suited the Aussie quintet’s raw energy better. During The Jack, Scott hoisted Angus Young onto his shoulders for a walkabout, both men bare-chested, dripping sweat on bemused patrons as they parted the audience. For his closing solo on ’DC’s muscular take on blues standard Baby, Please Don’t Go, Young exited the building through the front doors, exchanging pleasantries with the Bowery’s homeless community outside the club as he peeled off R&B licks in the muggy Manhattan air. This didn’t tend to happen at Talking Heads or Television shows.

Two days later, AC/DC’s name appeared in the New York Times for the first time, with music writer John Rockwell offering his critique of the band’s Palladium performance. Rockwell detected traces of “flashy, showbiz pretentions” in the quintet’s set, but seemed quite taken by the group’s “deliberately demented” guitarist.

“Mr. Young wears British/Australian schoolboy attire when he first appears—short pants, a matching jacket, tie, beanie and bookbag,” he wrote. “But soon he is tearing most of his clothes off, careening about the stage, drooling, leering and slobbering. What makes all this mildly interesting is that he is a good, sharp, moderately clever rock guitarist in the midst of all the acrobatics.”

“Ultimately it’s to little real avail,” Rockwell concluded, somewhat sadly, damning Bon Scott as “undistinguished” and the band’s material “puerile-provocative”. “AC/DC is pure entertainment with next to no pretentions to touch people's emotions.”

John Rockwell was not the first writer to underestimate and patronise AC/DC, and he would not be the last. But within nine months the Australian band would return with an album that would ram his words down his throat.

AC/DC were often at their best when their backs were against the wall, when they had something to prove, adversaries real or imagined to fight. Malcolm Young liked to tell a story, about a night in 1976 when his band supported The Stranglers somewhere in the north of England, which perfectly illustrated ’DC’s combative, recalcitrant attitude.

“When [The Stranglers] walked into our shared dressing room they took one look at us with the hair and went, ‘Fucking hippies’,” he recalled. “Bon was like, ‘What’s that you cunt?’ I was getting between them going, Fuck them Bon, we’ll do our talking onstage.”

As Young recalls, a wound-up AC/DC steamed through a ferocious 25 minutes on-stage and “blew the place apart”.

“We went back in and said, Fuck you, follow that. They were sitting there with their mouths open, they couldn’t say a fucking word. We’d always stand up to anyone. We used to fight a lot.”

In the run-up to the making of Powerage, particularly where the US was concerned, AC/DC had no shortage of battles to wage.

Rolling Stone’s December 1976 review of High Voltage, the group’s first international release, slammed the album as an “all-time low” for hard rock: “Stupidity bothers me,” wrote reviewer Billy Altman. “Calculated stupidity offends me.” The negative press feedback led to the cancellation of two proposed showcase gigs for the band in Los Angeles. Worse was to follow when Atlantic refused to even release the band’s next album, the bruising, irreverent Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, in America: the US office’s A&R team actually lobbied Ahmet Ertegun to drop the band from the label’s roster.

“Nobody in America liked them,” admitted Phil Carson, the UK-based talent scout who signed the band to a 15 album deal. It was only Carson’s powers of persuasion, and, crucially, his willingness to pare back DC’s budgets by $10,000 per album, which kept them on the label.

Raw and explosive, *Let There Be Rock, released in the US on July 25, 1977, vindicated Carson’s unwavering support and received a warmer reception at US radio , but peaked at a lowly number 143 on the Billboard 200. By then, the quintet – with Englishman Cliff Williams drafted in to replace bassist Mark Evans - were already in Sydney at George Young and Harry Vanda’s studio, demoing tracks for an album they felt sure America could not ignore. First though, they had to prove to their sceptical US label that there was an audience out there hungry for something other than saccharine AOR or flavour-of-the-month punk rock.

AC/DC’s Stateside assault began on July 27, 1977 with a show supporting Canadian rockers Moxy at the Armadillo World Headquarters in Austin, Texas. On the eve of the show, the ever-curious Bon Scott went AWOL, having befriended a group of Mexican workers in a local hostelry: as the minutes ticked down to showtime, there was still no sign of the singer, and a mounting sense of alarm coursed through the camp.

“Ten minutes before they’re due to go on, with the doors to the place long open and all the people there, I’m standing outside hoping and praying Bon’s going to show up,” tour manager Ian Jeffrey recalled to AC/DC biographer Mick Wall. “Next thing this truck comes hurtling over the horizon with AC/DC music blaring out of it. It‘s Bon with ten of his new best friends, all holding bottles of whisky and joints in their hands. It pulls up, Bon jumps out and says to me, ‘Ian, this is Pedro and this is Poncho, etc, can you get them all on the guest list?’ Meanwhile, the brothers are going nuclear.” The show would prove a cathartic release.

“AC/DC stole the show,” San Antonio-based photographer Al Rendon told the Austin Chronicle in 2008. “Angus Young drove into the crowd and was carried for as far as his guitar cord would allow him to go. He was literally walking on people's hands.”

“The vibe was there,” Moxy guitarist Earl Johnson admitted. “Everyone knew they would break.”

In the weeks that followed, ‘DC jumped aboard every show they could find, supporting REO Speedwagon, Foreigner, Mink DeVille, the Michael Stanley Band, Santana, Johnny Winter. With each show, their confidence and their faith that America was theirs for the taking grew.

Following their CBGB show, Bon and Angus met the American media for the first time. They were in a feisty mood when interviewed by John Holstrom for issue #14 of New York fanzine Punk, with Angus listing “fucking” and “hunting sharks” as his hobbies. Asked what kind of girls they liked, Angus responded “Dirty cows” while Bon was more explicit: “A nice clean dirty one,” he replied. “Clean c**t, dirty mind.”

Following this, Holstrom asked the lairy singer for his definition of the meaning of life. “As good a time, and as short as possible,” Scott replied.

One week on, AC/DC made their debut West Coast bow with three nights at the legendary Whisky A Go Go club in Los Angeles: Iggy Pop, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and Kiss man Gene Simmons were among those who showed up. In attendance too, was Sounds writer Sylvie Simmons.

“Onstage, cardboard cuts-outs of a Heavy Metal-cum-Punk band; coupled with music, heavy, bludgeoning Rock at its most manic,” she observed. “Meanwhile, back in the dressing room taking it easy, the band sit with their feet up, having a drink. None of this audience-performer participation lark. No headaches or ulcers. A new generation of calm, unneurotic rock stars. While record companies are dashing around snapping up anything that even smells of Punk, these beer-swilling, bad-mouthing, well, Punks, seem to have been ignored in the rush. Unfazed, they have been supporting bands and headlining in clubs up and down the country. Apart from a few language problems, they’re having fun and winning fans.”

“We may be little,” said Angus Young, “but we make a lot of noise.”

By Paul Brannigan ( Classic Rock ) published 5 August 2022 ... See MoreSee Less

AZ/DZ The Ultimate AC/DC Experience

1 week ago

AC/DC rocked back into action with Stiff Upper Lip on Feb. 28, 2000, almost exactly a quarter century since the release of their Australia-only debut High Voltage. This 13th studio album proved once again that millenniums could come and go, but it would take a lot more than some silly Y2K hysteria to slow down this hard-rock institution.

In fact, that textbook AC/DC approach to blue-collar rock 'n' roll on steroids was never more in evidence than on Stiff Upper Lip. This was likely because, for the first time in 12 years and only the second time in 20, guitarists Malcolm and Angus Young were leaning on their elder brother George to handle production duties, just as he had (alongside longtime Easybeats partner Harry Vanda) for the group’s first handful of career-defining LPs back in the late '70s.

This decision to go back to the basics was not one taken lightly, but rather one specifically motivated by AC/DC’s dissatisfaction with producer Rick Rubin during the protracted Ballbreaker sessions five years earlier. Though it was hard to argue with the results, Rubin’s exacting perfectionism and snail-paced recording style simply rubbed singer Brian Johnson, bassist Cliff Williams, drummer Phil Rudd and especially the Young brothers the wrong way.

It’s therefore no wonder that reconnecting with George for Stiff Upper Lip brought forth some of Malcolm and Angus’ most direct, unencumbered and unembellished songwriting instincts. The dozen tracks they captured in a matter of weeks at Vancouver, Canada’s Warehouse Studios notably replaced unbridled bombast with unusual restraint that, in many ways, harked back to the band’s founding musical principles. Tellingly, Warehouse became AC/DC’s go-to recording studio thereafter.

Sure, the first single and title track possessed the requisite double-entendres, irresistible chorus and clever music video that was naturally expected from AC/DC. But such predictable, if tried-and-tested, musical tricks were in short supply thereafter – despite the urgent charge of second single “Safe in New York City” (which predated the events of 9/11 by some 18 months), “Give it Up” and even the catchy third single “Satellite Blues.”

Instead, AC/DC presented a slew of decidedly understated standouts (“Can’t Hold Me Back,” “Can’t Stand Still,” “All Screwed Up”), consistently deliberate tempos (“House of Jazz,” “Can’t Stop Rock ’n’ Roll,” “Damned”), and some of the downright bluesiest licks ever heard in the band’s long, long career (“Meltdown,” “Come and Get It” and, again, “Satellite Blues”).

At first, it seemed fans needed a little more time to be convinced of the group’s surprisingly spartan approach on Stiff Upper Lip, which debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard charts after shifting 130,000 units in its first week. That's comparably modest by AC/DC standards, seeing as Black Ice would sell more on its first day in 2008.

Once the band's formidable touring machine finally kicked into gear that August, however, nearly 140 shows spread over the ensuing 12 months duly pushed Stiff Upper Lip beyond AC/DC’s customary platinum sales plateau. ... See MoreSee Less