AC/DC |
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Fri. March 14.2003 1:00 PM EST |
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AC/DC: For Those About to Rock, We Induct YouAngus, Malcolm, and Brian recall tricking producers and making classic albums. by Eddie Trunk & C. Bottomley |
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AC/DC (Publicity) |
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Over a career that's spanned 30 years, AC/DC have been the proud sculptors of riffs so hard, so precise, and so effective they should have countless honors heaped upon them. Why isn't the indelible six-note intro of "You Shook Me All Night Long"
We'll have to wait for AC/DC to get their true due. For now, they're pleased with being the first hard rock band inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They've achieved it by remaining steadfastly loyal to the simple virtues of two guitars, a rhythm section and one hollering man. After 14 albums, their music is still fierce. To add to the year's celebration, they've re-mastered and re-released their immortal back catalog. Virgin eardrums beware. Guitarist brothers Angus and Malcolm Young and "the new guy" Johnson stopped by VH1 Classic, where they’re hosting a full day of rock videos on Sunday, March 30th, as part of Metal Mania Weekend. While they were there, they told us about jamming with Aerosmith's Steven Tyler at the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies, how Johnson got his job, and why laughter is key to a great rock record. VH1 Classic: How does it feel to be the first hard rock band inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Angus Young: I think they were desperate, you know? We have to look at it that it's mainly for the fans. They've supported you over the years, so for them it's good. They can say, "Hey, they're not so vulgar!" Malcolm Young: We were saying last night that it would have been easier getting our induction by mail. To be honest, we would have preferred that. But we got to go up there and play. Brian loved playing with Steven Tyler. Brian Johnson: Steven Tyler's a good lad. He's a genuine fan of the band. Once we got past our speeches, it wasn't too bad to get up and play. Angus: You have to sing for your supper! VH1: You've had a long career, but it wasn't until Highway to Hell that you really clicked with America. Malcolm: After the "success" of Powerage, our label decided we needed other producers. We thought otherwise, because we were getting on fine! But we went off and worked with a new producer and it was hell. Just being with this bloke was like working with a conductor in an orchestra. It had nothing to do with rock 'n' roll. We decided one day, "We're gonna take tomorrow off." We snuck into a studio and knocked off nine tracks and sent them off to Mutt Lange. He heard it and said, "I'd love to work with you guys." VH1: What made you decide to send it to Mutt Lange of all people? He was unknown at that time. Angus: He was funny. He had done a few albums with a few comedy people. He had a great sense of humor. When Mal talked with him on the phone he said, "You guys have got your own sound and your own style. All I want to do is get the best out of you. I don't want to mess with who you are." VH1: So a sense of humor is important. Angus: You've got to have a giggle. If you're just sitting there all day it becomes like church! VH1: Brian, how aware were you of the band before you joined them? Brian: I knew them very well. I had done a couple of their songs with Geordie, the little band I was in up in Newcastle, when we played the working man's clubs. Earlier that year we saw them on a British TV show called Rock Goes to College. They did a concert and I remember seeing Angus in his school uniform and I thought, "What the hell is this?" But it didn't look corny. It was all part of the performance. VH1: What was the audition process like in finding new singers when Bon died? Malcolm: It was hard for us. We were like, "We just don't want to do this." But we tried out a few singers. When Brian was supposed to show up, we were all chatting away and we suddenly realized, "Where's this f*cking singer? He's half-an-hour late! He can't be too keen." One of the road crew said, "Is he a little bloke with a funny cap?" I said, "I don't know mate." I remembered him from Geordie when he wore big boots and stuff like that. I went, "Hang on, mate. I'll check him out." And he had been downstairs playing pool with the roadies! He was such a little guy, I thought, "He's halfway there." Brian: The lads said I only got the gig because I didn't ask them if they could do "Smoke on the Water" like everyone else did. VH1: While you were making Back in Black, did you have any idea it would become one of the most historic rock records ever made? Malcolm: We knew we were in the studio to do business. We were really happy with what Brian was doing with the band. Mutt had the same vibe. Everyone was serious and we all worked more than we could imagine. We never stopped thinking and trying to improve things. It was hard for everyone, but it came out a gem. Usually when you do an album, you don't want to hear it for a couple of weeks, so you can hear it fresh. But somebody played it the night we finished it and we all went, "This is going to be something else!" It was instant! Brian: When we came back with "You Shook Me All Night Long" and put it on this little boom box, I said, "It's the best f*cking rock record I ever heard in my life." Straightaway I felt really bad saying that, because these lads have been playing together for years. I thought I had spoken out of turn. VH1: So how do you follow something like Back in Black? Angus: When we went into the studio to do For Those About to Rock We Salute You, the feeling was ... touchy. [Laughter.] VH1: A lot of pressure? Angus: Not from our end. We all wanted to make a record. Mutt may have felt a bit of pressure, because he had more contact with the record people. We never thought about tomorrow. We went about it with the same process – we wrote, had our ideas, had our songs. We never felt we had to come up with another classic or something. VH1: You used cannon fire on "For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)." Did you record them yourselves? Malcolm: No. It was up to the engineer to go search things out for that. The best sounding ones were already recorded and put in archives for public access. Angus: We were in France at the time and the Royal Wedding between Big Ears and Diana was on TV. You could hear their cannons going off. Brian: I can still remember you coming in and thinking of making a song around that gladiatorial spirit – "For those about to die, we salute you!" Angus: Way before Russell Crowe! [Laughter.] VH1: Where does that album stand in the catalog for you? Angus: Over the years I've listened to a lot of other people and I think, "Well, I've heard that riff before. I've heard that tune before." People have borrowed from it. All of our albums [keep selling]. The first record we ever did was High Voltage and three people bought it. But the last time we came here to tour, we looked up and High Voltage was back in the charts! Go to our Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame site for timelines, flipbooks, games, videos and more! |
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