Superlatives
A Vulture series in which artists judge the best and worst of their own careers.
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(c’mon do not attempt this.)
Dont like their style?
Think theyre a little too lowbrow?
Against all odds, AC/DC returned this year with a brand newNo.
If thats in a club, a bar, thats great.
As long as its not a bunch of cars at a drive-in.
And the filthiest and riff-iest, of course.
1 AC/DC song
Oh, jeez.
That can be very tough.
Im biased because Ive been on them all, you know?
If I was just thinking of the guitar, since Im a guitar player, Id say Riff Raff.
The guitar work was a challenge but interesting in the way the song rolled out.
Thats my guitar answer.
But if its for a whole song, Thunderstruck is a big one.
I like that answer.
That was very different for us.
I dont even remember what the words are.
His thought we should release that song, because itll probably get some airplay.
I remember thinking,Who in their right mind would want this to go out?
We actually scored a hit from the B-side!
That was the one saving grace of the song.
Song whose meaning has changed the most for you
Highway to Hell, for many reasons.
In the beginning, a lot of people thought it was satanic.What are they, a bunch of heretics?
In our day, thats how you sold and promoted records.
You had to tour all the time.
Highway to Hell stands the test of time.
We still play it and the audience relaxes and sings along.
We had to dig in and stick to our guns with it.
He asked me and Malcolm, What would you like to do with this album?
Thats what we went for.
That was a big track, arocktrack.
Im not talking about sales or anything.
When we play live everyone comes and expects to hear that song.
Filthiest song
[Laughs.]
It might be Night Prowler.
Listen, the song itself isnt about any stalker or evil person.
So if it was a very hot night, Id open up the window.
There was an alleyway next to our house and I used to get all of these animal night visitors.
Sometimes theyd jump on the window ledge or attempt to come in.
Id see their shadows on the wall.
These animals were always having a party late at night.
For me, they were the Night Prowlers.
The idea behind that track was more about nature.
People like to take something and make it into what its not intended to be.
It starts with one big punch with one big guitar.
When you hear that one note, you think,This is what AC/DC is all about.
Guitar solo that doubles as the biggest endurance test
Thunderstruck.
Its got an unrelenting intricacy.
I have to be confident whenever I play it.
Guitar riff that achieves platonic ideal status
Riff Raff.
Thats straight-up rock and roll.
Its got a Chuck Berry style in it, but also has a swing groove thats unique to AC/DC.
For a guitar player, its a perfect rock piece.
I was like,Well, I guess weve got room for improvement.[Laughs.]
What we did was rock and roll and we werent going to change anything.
The legacy ofBack in BlackbeingNo.
I often think about how to attribute its success to that.
I put it down to the songs themselves.
Youre lucky if you put out an album that had very strong songs to begin with.
Plus, it came out after Bons death.
When we were making it, it was a do or die effort.
We figured, if it was our last album, lets make it a damn good one.
We wanted the cover to be a sign of mourning for Bon it was a tribute for him.
And of course we had Hells Bells for him, too.
It wasnt instant, but it grew on them.
From the very beginning as a band, we never looked for attention.
At the time for rock music, there was always limited press and reviews.
Especially for us being based in Australia, too.
We never set out for prizes or awards like that.
If you asked me in my early 20s, I always thought of those people as uncool.
It was an uncool world.
My viewpoint was if something was on television, it was finished.
I always liked the underdog.
Even our record company didnt even bother mentioning we were on their label.
I think the first timeRolling Stonegave us praise was 30 years after we started.
They actually confirmed AC/DC does exist; theyput us on the cover[in 2008].
Malcolm would always say, Do we really want to be on this?
It was the same thing withthe Rock and Roll Hall of Fameinduction [in 2003].
Malcolm said he wouldve preferred if they just ignored us.
He wouldve been happier with that.
That was never our role.
Its more of a Hollywood kind of thing the glitterati.
We performed, and continue to perform, for the little people.
And I can say that because Im 52.
You know, people going into that monastic life.
That was a surprise.
Most useful criticism youve ever received
Always from my brothers.
Malcolm would always force me up to the front to remind the audience Im doing something.
I had a school blazer and my sister adapted the blazer for me to wear while performing.
She made it a little bit tougher put some bands and patches on it.
Its always a good reminder that Im a product of state education.
People dont know if thats a good thing or a bad thing.
I have them all in storage.
Its not climate-controlled or anything, but they have a nice home.
