The composition of the group ac dc. Story

"AC/DC"- one of the most famous groups (vocal-instrumental ensembles) in the history of rock music. It starts back in 1973 in Australia, later moved to England, then to the USA, so it’s no longer clear what nationality this group belongs to Almost all the musicians, except for drummer Phil Rudd, were born in the UK, so in principle this band can be considered an English-Scottish band.

The group continues to exist today, however, in a very much changed composition, at least the musicians still give concerts, where you can see American Axl Rose from " Guns N' Roses", former drummer " Manfred Mann's Earth Band"Chris Slade, who worked with AC / DC in the early 90s, and on rhythm guitar - the nephew of the Young brothers - Stevie Young. However, many fans believe that the group still has no future, since it is supposedly completely exhausted its creative potential.

In conclusion of the preface, it should be said that "AC / DC" for almost half a century of its existence, only officially sold more than 200 million copies of their albums and received many awards for their musical achievements. In honor of the group and some of its musicians, streets were named and monuments were erected.

Who has not yet decided on the true style of the group - this is the usual rhythm and blues, only utterly toughened by the iron sound of twin guitars, thunderous drums and the grinding vocals of its two famous vocalists - Bon Scott and Brian Johnson.

Australian group AC/DC was collected by brothers Angus and Malcolm Young. The first vocalist of the team - Dave Evans - quickly gave way to the future world-famous star - Bon Scott. In 1975, a permanent staff was formed AC/DC, which included Angus Young, Malcolm Young, Bon Scott, Cliff Williams and Phil Rudd. The young team regularly appeared on television, which provided him with a rapid rise to popularity in his homeland. First major success AC/DC became a song "It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock "n" Roll)". The group managed to attract the attention of many record companies, and soon AC/DC signed an international deal with Atlantic Records. A UK and European tour followed. At that time AC/DC had the honor of sharing the stage with Alice Cooper, Black Sabbath, Kiss, The Who and many other eminent musicians.

Extravagant behavior on stage and beyond, daring and rude lyrics and, finally, bright and strong live performances became the components of success. AC/DC rock fans in Britain. However, not everyone liked the image of musicians who acted on the verge of a foul, so they were forbidden to perform in some places. AC/DC reached the peak of world fame with the release of the album "Highway To Hell" in 1979. The material of this disc entered the golden fund of rock music of all times and peoples. But the group almost ceased to exist after the death of Bon Scott in an accident in 1980. After much deliberation, the rest of the band members decided to continue their musical activities. The name of the new vocalist Brian Johnson, the former frontman of a rock band that briefly rocked across Europe " Geordie", they were prompted by one of their loyal fans. As a result of a short audition, Brian was accepted into the group. The first album, which AC/DC recorded with a new singer, became the magnificent "Back in Black", released in 1980. It proved to be the best-selling album in the band's discography. The best song from this record is considered by many to be the song dedicated to the memory of Bon Scott, "You Shook Me All Night Long", one of the greatest works of hard rock.

In the wake of this success AC/DC continued to record successful albums - "For Those About to Rock We Salute You"(1981) and "Flick of the Switch" (1983). After that, Phil Rudd left the band. He was replaced by Simon Wright. In 1985 AC/DC released the disc "Fly on the Wall", which was noticeably inferior to its predecessors. However, a year later the team began to regain lost ground. First, the group released a compilation album "Who Made Who", which included old hits and the song of the same name, which is the soundtrack to the Stephen King film Maximum Overdrive. In February 1986 AC/DC were inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Australian Recording Industry Association. In 1988 "Blow Up Your Video" was born, a strong album with the song "Heatseeker", which entered the top 20 of the British hit parade. It was followed by another successful release - "The Razor's Edge" (1990).

Phil Rudd returned to the band in 1994. The albums "Ballbreaker" (1995) and "Stiff Upper Lip" (2000) were recorded with him. In March 2003 the group AC/DC was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in New York. After a long pause, in 2008, AC/DC pleased their fans with a new studio work called "Black Ice", and in 2009 the collector's edition "Backtracks" was released, which presents both the best songs of the band and rare recordings. Many compositions are presented on the disc for the first time. This group influenced the work of a huge number of groups playing in various directions of rock music. A street in Melbourne is named after AC/DC, by far the best band in Australia and one of the giants of world rock. In 2010, a powerful record was released, called "Iron Man 2". It features some of the most driving songs of the legendary band: "Shoot To Thrill", "Back In Black" and many others. The appearance of this disc, of course, is connected with the release of the film of the same name, and, it is worth noting, they complement each other perfectly.

Australian group AC/DC was assembled by brothers Angus and Malcolm Young. The team's first vocalist, Dave Evans, quickly gave way to future global star Bon Scott. In 1975, a permanent staff was formed AC/DC, which included Angus Young, Malcolm Young, Bon Scott, Cliff Williams and Phil Rudd. The young team regularly appeared on television, which provided him with a rapid rise to popularity in his homeland. First major success AC/DC became a song It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock "n" Roll). The group managed to attract the attention of many record companies, and soon AC/DC signed an international deal with Atlantic Records. A UK and European tour followed. At that time AC/DC had the honor of sharing the stage with Alice Cooper, Black Sabbath, Kiss, The Who and many other eminent musicians.

Extravagant behavior on stage and beyond, daring and rude lyrics and, finally, bright and strong live performances became the components of success. AC/DC rock fans in Britain. However, not everyone liked the image of musicians who acted on the verge of a foul, so they were forbidden to perform in some places. AC/DC reached the peak of world fame, releasing the album in 1979 highway to hell. The material of this disc entered the golden fund of rock music of all times and peoples. But the group almost ceased to exist after the death of Bon Scott in an accident in 1980. After much deliberation, the rest of the band members decided to continue their musical activities. The name of the new vocalist Brian Johnson was suggested to them by one of their loyal fans. As a result of a short audition, Brian was accepted into the group. The first album that AC/DC recorded with a new singer, became magnificent Back in Black k, released in 1980. It proved to be the best-selling album in the band's discography. The best song from this record is considered by many to be the composition dedicated to the memory of Bon Scott, You Shook Me All Night Long, one of the greatest works of hard rock.

In the wake of this success AC/DC continued to record successful albums - For Those About To Rock We Salute You(1981) and Flick of the Switch(1983). After that, Phil Rudd left the band. He was replaced by Simon Wright. In 1985 AC/DC released a disc Fly on the Wall, which was noticeably inferior to its predecessors. However, a year later the team began to regain lost ground. The band first released a compilation album Who Made Who, which includes old hits and the song of the same name, which is the soundtrack to the Stephen King film Maximum Overdrive. In February 1986 AC/DC were inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Australian Recording Industry Association. In 1988 he was born Blow Up Your Video, a strong album with the song Heatseeker, which entered the top 20 of the British hit parade. It was followed by another successful release - The Razor's Edge(1990). Phil Rudd returned to the band in 1994. Albums were recorded with him Ballbreaker(1995) and Stiff Upper Lip(2000). In March 2003 the group AC/DC was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in New York. After a long pause, in 2008, AC/DC pleased their fans with a new studio work called Black Ice, and in 2009 a collector's edition was released Backtracks, which presents both the best songs of the band and rare recordings. Many compositions are presented on the disc for the first time. This group influenced the work of a huge number of groups playing in various directions of rock music. A street in Melbourne is named after AC/DC, by far the best band in Australia and one of the giants of world rock. In 2010, a powerful disc was released, called Iron Man 2. It presents some of the most driving compositions of the legendary band: Shoot To Thrill, back in black and many others. The appearance of this disc, of course, is connected with the release of the film of the same name, and, it is worth noting, they complement each other perfectly.

The uncomplicated, but extremely powerful rock and roll practiced by this team, brought it from Australian bars to the world's largest venues and made it a true legend of hard rock. AC/DC's history began in Sydney in November 1973, when brothers Malcolm and Angus Young formed a band featuring vocalist Dave Evans, bassist Larry Van Kreidt, and ex-Masters Apprentices drummer Colin Budgess. In this configuration, the ensemble played only a few concerts, after which endless changes of drummers and bassists began. Be that as it may, the band continued to rehearse and perform, and in February 1974 they recorded the first single "Can I Sit Next To You Girl". At first, the team appeared in public in traditional jeans and T-shirts, but in the spring, Angus, on the advice of his sister Margaret (by the way, she also came up with the name of the group), put on a school uniform, and over time it became a trademark of AC / DC.

In the summer, the group got a contract from "Albert Productions" and went on tour as an opening act for Lou Reed, who had come to Australia. During these tours, it finally became clear that Evans did not pull on the frontman, and they showed him the door. Bon Scott immediately took his place at the microphone, but the leapfrog with the rhythm section stopped only a year later, when Mark Evans (bass) and Phil Rudd (drums) joined the ranks of "AC / DC". With the help of their first two albums (still having some glam influences "High Voltage" and already made in the signature hard style "T.N.T."), which easily went platinum at home, the band laid the Australian continent at their feet and attracted the attention of the rock community of other countries. .

At the end of the sessions of the third disc, "AC / DC" set off to conquer Europe, choosing the glorious city of London as their main residence. In 1976, the band made a deal with Atlantic Records, which in May released the disc "High Voltage", which was, in fact, a compilation of Australian releases. The record sold three million copies worldwide and was followed by two more multi-platinum LPs that spawned such hits as "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap", "Let There Be Rock" and "Whole Lotta Rosie". In the summer of 1977, AC / DC visited America for the first time, and shortly before the start of the tour, Mark, who had quarreled with Angus, was replaced by Cliff Williams. By the time the studio album "Powerage" and the live album "If You Want Blood You" ve Got It "appeared, the Australian musicians had become real superstars, and tickets for their performances were sold out like hot cakes. In 1979, the band collaborated with producer Mutt Lang and produced a real masterpiece "Highway To Hell".

Unfortunately, this work, with which "AC / DC" first cracked the first hundred "Billboard", was the last for Scott. On February 19, 1980, Bon died after a night of hard drinking, leaving the vocalist position vacant. When the shock of the unexpected loss passed a little, his colleagues decided to continue the activities of the group, and Brian Johnson stood up to the microphone. This ex-member of "Geordie" came in very handy, because not only did he have a vocal similar to Scott, but he was also an excellent showman. Released in the summer of 1980, "Back In Black", again directed by Lang, became the group's most commercially successful work. In addition to the title track, "Hells Bells", "Shoot To Thrill", "You Shook Me All Night Long" and "Rock And Roll Ain't Noise Pollution" filled up the treasury of concert favorites, while the disc took first places in many countries of the world, and its total circulation crossed the platinum mark as much as 22 times.

Against the background of his next two works, they looked much more modest, although the sales of Lang's "For Those About To Rock" and the self-produced "Flick Of The Switch" could be envied by many teams. Meanwhile, the internal situation in the team heated up again, and this time Phil, who had a fight with Malcolm, flew out the door. Replacing drummer with Simon Wright, the band released the album "Fly On The Wall" in 1985. It was again produced by the Yangi brothers, who tried to further simplify the sound and thus aroused critical disapproval. However, in the future, the team's affairs slowly improved, and the records "Who Made Who" (the soundtrack to the Stephen King film "Maximum Overdrive", where only three new songs were presented) and "Blow Up Your Video" supported its chart success. In 1990, with Chris Slade (ex-"Manfred Mann" s Earth Band ") on drums and with Bruce Fairbairn ("Aerosmith", "Bon Jovi") at the production console, the disc "The Razor Edge" was recorded, which brought hits to the team " Thunderstruck" and "Are You Ready", five times platinum and a place in the top ten "Billboard". After its release, the studio activity stalled for a five-year period, but in 1995 AC / DC returned with the forgiven Rudd and the album "Ballbreaker", The multi-platinum work also reached the Top 10 in many countries, fans again had to wait five years for the next feature (although the "Bonfire" box set was released in 1997 to ease their languor). after "Stiff Upper Lip" hit the stores and the tour went off to support it, the band for a long time abandoned work on fresh material and began remastering and reissuing a back catalog.Many already predicted the demise of "AC / DC" about his rise growing with the "Black Ice" program. The comeback exceeded all expectations, and the album was the undisputed leader in 29 countries. The people poured into the concerts resumed after a long break, but some of the dates had to be canceled due to Brian's peptic ulcer.

In 2009, the rarities box set "Backtracks" was released, and the following year, many of the band's hits were featured in the film "Iron Man 2". Unfortunately, age soon began to make itself felt, and on the eve of recording the next album, Malcolm was forced to leave for health reasons. The elder Young's guitar passed to his nephew Stevie, but before one personnel problem was resolved, another arose - Rudd ran into trouble with the law and was charged with threatening murder and possession of marijuana and methamphetamines. And if the first item was soon removed from the agenda, then the drummer had to pay for drugs with house arrest. One way or another, Phil could no longer participate in the recording of the disc, and therefore Chris Slade returned to the drum set. Despite all the ups and downs, the album "Rock Or Bust" turned out to be short, but powerful, which was confirmed by the leading positions in the ratings and platinum sales. Unfortunately, commercial success was overshadowed by further troubles - during the accompanying tour, Johnson began to lose his hearing, and in order to avoid final deafness, doctors ordered him to stop touring.

Biography, AC/DC life story

AC/DC is an Australian rock band. One of the pioneers of hard rock.

Path to glory

On New Year's Eve 73-74, cover versions of Chuck Berry sounded from the stage of the Chequers club in Sydney. Few people thought then that the boys standing on the stage were destined to change the course of the world history of hard rock, turning into one of the most influential rock bands in the world.

Malcolm Young assembles AC/DC ("Alternating Current/Direct Current") in Sydney. His previous group The Velvet Underground no longer suits him, he invites his younger brother Angus to the new project. On the advice of their sister, they take the name of the abbreviation seen on board the sewing machine. Margaret would later come up with the idea of ​​a short-sleeved school uniform.

AC/DC record first single. Rockin "In The Parlour / Can I Sit Next To You Girl fails and then-singer David Evans is replaced by Ronald Belford "Bon" Scott. This unbridled prototype of a true rocker will make AC / DC a hit machine known to the whole world, and himself - rock legend.

AC/DC record High Voltage under the direction of Harry Vanda and George Young (another brother), who played in the most popular Australian band Easybeats. The album was a breakthrough - bright, furious rock and roll with dirty guitars, pumping rhythm section and Scott's grandiose smoky vocals screaming about women, drunkenness and endless parties. Unsurprisingly, the band didn't find friends among the conservative Australian establishment, often battling performance bans: a kid in school uniform rolling around the stage with a guitar and a screamer advising dads to lock up their virgin daughters when he was in town didn't fit the picture of a calm civil society . However, AC/DC's subsequent years are spent exclusively on the road, performing in every hole as well as opening for Lou Reed and Deep Purple. The fight with the latest at the Sunbury festival takes place right on stage in front of an admiring 16,000 spectators.

CONTINUED BELOW

In 1977, Evans was replaced on bass by Cliff Williams, the records Let There Be Rock and Powerage are successful in America, as is the live album If You Want Blood - You've Got It.

In February 1979, recording began at the London Roundhouse Studios for Highway To Hell, the album destined to finally and irrevocably bring the band worldwide popularity and become a classic in the AC/DC discography. The group easily collects the most capacious halls, and Bon Scott does not let go of the bottle. On February 19, 1980, he was found dead in London, choking on his own vomit in his sleep.

The question of the continued existence of the group for the Young brothers was not raised: on April 8, the rock community was introduced to the new singer Brian Johnson, the former frontman of Geordie. With him AC / DC go into the studio to record Back In Black, which became an album in memory of the late Bon Scott and part-time megaseller. Johnson will have a long struggle with the shadows of the past before he is finally accepted by millions of AC / DC fans.

With Back In Black and its follow-up For Those About To Rock (1981), the Australians had reached the point where they could afford to pause and release less successful CDs. The team left the drummer Rudd, mentally exhausted, addicted to alcohol and quarreled with Malcolm. Later, Young would also have to be treated for alcoholism. After the release of Flick Off The Switch, the band had to face a drop in sales for the first time, and creatively, AC / DC have seen better days. Unfortunate, if you can talk about one of the most popular bands on the planet, the period lasted until the 90th year, until the album The Razor's Edge with the single Thunderstruck appeared, returning AC / DC to the top. They were followed by a triumphant world tour.

It is noteworthy that in the USSR, AC / DC music was strictly prohibited (however, like any other "satanic" motives). The first performance of AC / DC in the "scoop" took place only in 1991.

In 1995, Rudd returned to the group. The almost original line-up of AC/DC recorded two albums: Ballbreaker (1995) and Stiff Upper Lip (2000). The main event of the new millennium for Australian hard rockers was induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), AC / DC have sold over 150 million records, making them one of the most successful rock bands in the world - only the Eagles and the Eagles have achieved more.

Since the beginning of the 2000s, AC/DC have continued their successful activities, giving their loyal fans more and more compositions, made in a unique Australian-metal style.

In the spring of 2014, Malcolm Young left the band due to health issues. His place was taken by Stephen Young, his own nephew.

In the fall of that year, Phil Rudd got into trouble - he was accused of attempting to organize a premeditated murder and possession of illegal drugs. Due to the hype and litigation, Phil was temporarily replaced by Chris Slade. Rudd revealed in 2015 that he had indeed planned the assassination. After his sincere confession, Chris was included in the main team.

The style of true to itself AC / DC has not changed for several decades - it has always been loud hard rock, built on powerful chords, simple drum rhythms and obligatory guitar solos.

The entire world musical community unanimously recognized AC / DC as one of the brightest rock bands of our time and the most famous Australian group. Also, the achievements of the group were marked by numerous awards and prizes.

“Today, with great pain in our hearts, AC/DC are forced to announce the death of Malcolm Young,” the post reads. "As a brother, it's hard for me to put into words what he meant to me, our bond was unique and special," Angus, Malcolm's brother and co-founder of AC/DC, said in the message.

Malcolm Young was born in 1953 in Glasgow, Scotland to William and Margaret Young. Ten years later, the Youngs moved to Sydney, Australia, where three of their five children fell under the influence of the rock and roll boom. At first, he was the most successful of the brothers - his group The Easybeats enjoyed local popularity. Malcolm and Angus made their debuts in far less successful lineups, and eventually decided to join forces, forming AC/DC in November 1973. Angus took over the duties of the lead guitarist, and Malcolm mastered the rhythm guitar (which he played until 2014, when he was forced to leave the band due to progressive dementia). What follows is the golden pages of the history of rock music, on which there is a place for tragedy (the death of the first vocalist Bon Scott), and the victory of the human spirit, and most importantly, songs, many of which have become instant classics. Gazeta.Ru chose the brightest numbers from the musician's extensive heritage.

"T.N.T." (1975)

One of the first hits of the group, included on the album "High Voltage". When AC/DC moved to the UK in 1976, a line from "T.N.T." The band's first UK tour was called "Lock Up You Daughters".

"Whole Lotta Rosie" (1977)

The frivolous lyrics of this song were written by Bon Scott based on a real event - a night spent in a Melbourne hotel in the company of a blonde of outstanding sizes. In addition, it was this song that became decisive in the approval of Brian during the auditions for the position of the group's vocalist after Scott's death. It's no surprise that "Whole Lotta Rosie" is performed at every concert, with a huge inflatable heroine always appearing on stage.

"Touch To Much" (1979)

The desperate number became one of the pinnacles of the Highway to Hell album, the last recording with Scott on vocals. Despite the love of the fans, the song was not performed at concerts until 2016, when Axl Rose from Guns N "Roses temporarily took the place of the vocalist, replacing Johnson, who suffered from hearing problems.

"Highway to Hell" (1979)

The title number from the last album with Scott is the group's invariable hallmark. It seems that the song about the road to hell has never been filled with such dashing optimism, which makes one believe that the devil himself is not really the brother of the Australians.

"Rock" n "Roll Damnation" (1979)

The last song recorded by AC/DC for the Powerage album. It was written at the request of the record label, which required the Australians to release a radio single. As a result, the composition became the group's first chart success in the UK.

Back in Black (1980)

After the death of Bon Scott and the admission of Brian Johnson to the group, the musicians completely remade the already invented album. The result was the disc "Back in Black", which today ranks third among the best-selling albums in history. The title number is a kind of epitaph for Scott.

Hells Bells (1980)

The opening number with "Back In Black" is one of the key ones at the band's concerts. During the song, Brian Johnson usually rings a giant bell.

"You Shook Me All Night Long" (1980)

Another song recorded for "Back In Black", but eventually released on the 1986 "Who Made Who" LP. Regularly ranks first on a variety of charts of the best guitar songs in history.

"Shoot To Thrill" (1980)

Absolute classic - another single from "Back In Black". It is curious that the song found a second birth a few years ago - when it was included in the soundtrack of the second part of "Iron Man" with Robert Downey Jr.

"Thunderstruck" (1990)

According to legend, this song was written after lightning hit the plane on which it was flying. However, the musician himself said that the song was born from a guitar jam, and the title just goes well with the band's high-voltage name.

Black Ice (2008)

The latest album, recorded with the participation of Malcolm Young, called "Black Ice" is a kind of tour de force of the group and convincing proof that veterans should not be written off.