Rock Chronicles. 1980s: Angus Young

When: Early 1983

Where: West Hollywood, California (Sunset Marquis Hotel)

What: This conversation with the feverish and manic performer took place at the beginning of 1983. Flick of the Switch had been released and the band had found themselves with another big record. Angus talked about the record, his beloved SGs, his Marshall amplifiers, and the unique sound AC/DC has been refining for so many years.

What really struck me was how small he was. I’m about 5’7” if the wind is blowing in the right direction and I towered over him. But he had a hell of a lot more energy than I ever did.

In an industry gone mad with detail, where every guitarist knows to the nth degree not only the gauges of his strings but the alloys which made them up, where every player has a rack of pedals, gadgets and gizmos which would befuddle most any NASA representative, Angus Young stands apart as a guitar player who’s unin­terested and unamused. When referring to his variously dated Gibson SG’s, Young calls them “This guitar” or “This thing.” Rarely “This SG.” He admits to not know­ing the names of chords; and only upon joining AC/DC did he develop any sense whatsoever of chord names and descrip­tions. But for all his lack of technical knowledge, Angus Young is one of the rare players who has been able to propel the normally monolithic properties of hard rock out the window and replace them with intriguing overlays of rhythmic instruments.

Maybe more than any other guitarist ever, you’re inextricably linked to the Gibson SG? What was the evolution that brought you to this particular instrument?

I started playing on banjos and re-strung them up with six strings. [But] an acoustic guitar, an old bang up little ten-dollar job, that was probably the first thing I started playing on. Me brother Malcolm got a Hofner off of one of me other brothers and he got a Gretsch and passed the Hofner on to me after much squabbling. It was semi-acoustic and had all been packed with cotton. But I never used to really take it as a serious thing; I just used to fool around with it. When I was about 14 was when I really started playing it seriously. I got an amplifier for about sixty bucks that used to distort all the time. It was a Phi-Sonic.

After that I got out and got a Gibson SG that I played until it good wood rot because so much sweat and water got into it. The whole neck warped. I bought it second-hand, it was about a ’67. It had a real thin neck, really slim, like a Custom neck. It was dark brown. After about a year, you lose about half the power in the pickups so you either get them re-wired or put new ones in. Just ordinary Gibsons.

How do you explain what you and your brother Malcolm create as guitar players?

He’ll get something and I’ll play along. It’s a natural thing. I suppose it’s just something we do well together. He seems to have a great command of rhythm and he likes doing that. That to me is more impor­tant because if we’re playing live and something goes wrong with my gear and my guitar drops out, you can still hear him and it’s not empty. He’s proba­bly got the best right hand in the world. I’ve never heard anyone do it like that. Even Keith Richards or any of those people. As soon as the other guitar drops out, it’s empty. But with Malcolm it’s so full. Beside Malcolm always said that playing lead interfered with his drinkin’ and so he said I should do it.

Soloing was pretty easy for me be­cause it was probably the first thing I’ve ever done. I just used to make up leads. I never even knew any names of chords until Malcolm told me and then I picked it up from there. I don’t regard myself as a soloist. It’s a color; I put it in for excitement. It’s not great loss if a solo has to go. We’ve made songs without solos.

Live you use four Marshall stacks. How do you control so much volume?

All the sound comes directly from the amps. That way it’s your sound coming out. A lot of times you’ll hear bands and it’s a different sound coming out than what’s on stage. Because you can clean it up [through a PAl and make it sound completely different than what they really sound like. We’ve always been wary of that and that’s why we always tended to have a lot of amps on stage. And also it has a lot better feel to it especially when you’re playing hard rock music.

Did these early instruments still have that tremolo arm attached?

They did but I took it off. I used to fool around with them but you begin sounding like Hank Marvin.

Talking about instruments from back in the day, you didn’t start with Marshalls obviously?

I got a $60 amplifier and the tubes would turn blue when you used the push/pull treble pot. I remember one of the first gigs I played with that amp was at a local church. They wanted someone to fill in with the guitar and my friend say, Ah, he can play.’ And so I dragged the amplifier down and started playing and everybody started yelling turn it down!”

"Malcolm always said that playing lead interfered with his drinkin' and so he said I should do it."

And why did you remain loyal to the SG for the remainder of your career?

It was light [weight-wise]. I’d tried the other ones, Fenders, but you’ve really got to do a number on ‘em. They’re great for feel but the wiring just doesn’t got the balls. And I don’t like putting those DiMarzios and everything because everyone sounds the same. It’s like you’re listening to the guy down the street. And I liked the hard sound of the Gibson. All the other sort of Gibsons I tried like the Les Paul was too heavy. Hip displacement. When I first started playing with the SG there was nothing to think about.

I don’t know how this came about but I think I had a lot thinner neck. Someone once said to me they [Gibson] make two sized necks, one was 1 ½ and one was 1 ¼ and this was like 1 ¼, thin all the way up. Even now I still look all over and I still haven’t found one; I’ve been to a hundred guitar shops and I found the same guitar [model] but with different necks. It had a really thin neck almost like a custom neck.

And you can do a lot of tricks on it, too!

Did you ever experiment with the SGs when they were called Les Pauls [Eric Clapton’s graphically appointed Cream-era guitar is probably the most famous representative of this model]?

Yeah, I had a really old one I bought, a 1962. But it had a very fat neck; it was good to play but it felt heavier than all the other ones. That’s why I stopped using it. And when you’re running around a lot, it weighs you down.

So from High Voltage on it’s always been the SG. Have you ever tried using more modern types of instruments?

Yeah, I tried a Hamer but I wouldn’t buy an expensive guitar - especially in my case. It’s always getting beaten around. With the SG, you can do plenty of tricks with them.

You’ve always used the same guitar and all the AC/DC albums are always built around those pretty simple rock formula - how do you keep coming up with new songs that find an audience?

We try to do everything with a fresh approach. We try and get an idea of what we basically want from the album. We don’t like to leave people dry or have them say, ‘These guys have left us and gone off to something else.’ That self-indulgent thing. So we try and keep it basic. A lot of people say we work a formula but we don’t. We try a fresh approach all the time.

I saw Deep Purple live once and I paid money for it and I thought, ‘Geez, this is ridiculous.’ You just see through all that sort of stuff. I never liked those Deep Pur­ples or those sort of things. I always hated it. I always thought it was a poor man’s Led Zeppelin.

And you’ve been faithful to Marshall amplifiers as well?

Ever since I’ve been in this band I’ve been using Marshalls. I’ve tried Ampeg and they weren’t too good for the sound I wanted. On stage I have four stacks going, all hooked up with splitter boxes. 100-watt stacks … it’s good for your eardrums. I use a real lot of volume, I turn that up; I turn the treble and bass on about half and middle, the same. I don’t use any presence. If I don’t think it’s putting out enough top, I will kick up the presence. Just over the years and fooling around with them you find something that sounds right. With Marshalls, if you’re using a fair bit of volume, if you whack the treble and bass at half, that’s where they’re working. We get them from the factory, that’s what we do. We go down there and try them out and fool around with amps and tell them what we want and they doctor them up. At the moment, they’re all back to the old style of Marshalls, they’re very clean. They don’t have these master or preamp settings.

"We try to do everything with a fresh approach."

You have entered the modern age of electronics in your use of a wireless system.

Yeah, I use the Schaffer-Vega. I’ve been using that since ’77. On the receiver you’ve got like a monitor switch you can boost the signal and in the transmitter you’ve got the same sort of thing. You can really give a guitar hell with ‘em. I have used the remote in the studio and it worked really good.

I don’t believe I’ve ever had a wah-wah or a fuzz box. It’s just the guitar and the amp and if I need anything, if someone says they want a different approach to the sound, then I’ll get it with the guitar.

I did fumble around with a fuzzwah a long time ago but my foot kept going right through it. I found that pedals were too much to fool around with. You’d be halfway through a solo and the batteries would go dead and conk out. And if you tread on the lead going to the pedal, something would always go wrong. Or some crazy kid would pull the lead out just at the moment when you’re about to do your big number on it.

Your sound on Flick of the Switch is a combination of a clean tone but very big sounding. How do you describe your sound?

We wanted this one as raw as possible. We wanted a natural, but big, sound for the guitars. We didn’t want echoes and reverb going everywhere and noise elimi­nators and noise extractors. Getting the sound has always been the easiest part of the guitar. Also, if you’re playing it right, it’s going to sound right somehow. I mean you gladly turn down if it’s going to sound good. I mean it’s not like, ‘I have to have a wall of amps and a candelabra on top.’ If you hit a chord and it’s distorted, you clean it up. It’s all what you hear. You fiddle around until you get a good sound. For me, I prefer the sound to be clean if I can get it clean. If you can get that natural distortion, fine, because I don’t believe in boxes that sustain. And I don’t believe in pushing the hell out of the amps because they become muddy and whooshy.

The way you talk about the guitar, it’s almost as if what you do is an afterthought.

I tend to look at the music as a song; it sounds a bit funny talking about it as some­place to play a solo. My brother would beat me up. People tend to see me as a soloist. Poor people. You’d think they’d have something better to do. I mean there’s a lot of comedy on TV worth watching. Yeah, people see that but I don’t. I look at it as a band. I think Pete Townshend is rotten without Roger Daltrey and The Who. He’s quite boring actually. Or the same with Zeppelin without John Bonham. To me it’s not the same. I mean there are solo people who just do that sort of thing. I like it as a band, as a unit. You should hear me on my own. It’s horrendous.

2008 © Steven Rosen

Comments

[LosT.Teddy.]

haha firsz commet xD he is awesom

[God_Gave_Rock]

god damn, this guy really rocks ass... god, he didnt even know the names of the chords untill he joined the band, thats awesome !

[superfaligous]

aswsum
srsli
not so much about deep purple but i agree with most of the things he says
good one UG

[metallee923]

didn't know any chord names... i knew he sucked

[metallee923]

but still cool

[Ali-b912]

love him

[Thewolf_and_man]

I saw Deep Purple live once and I paid money for it and I thought, ‘Geez, this is ridiculous.’ You just see through all that sort of stuff. I never liked those Deep Pur­ples or those sort of things. I always hated it. I always thought it was a poor man’s Led Zeppelin.

haha couldnt agree more

[Vermintide]

Awesome. Angus is the best guitar n00b on the planet :p

Also, is this ripped out of Kerrang?

[S.Troy]

hes five foot 2
lol
hahahahahahahahaha
****ing midget

[gopherthegreat]

angus young is awesome

[BBoyBlaZe]

Vermintide wrote:

Awesome. Angus is the best guitar n00b on the planet :p

Also, is this ripped out of Kerrang?

hey man...the guy that does this shit is ****ing original conversation man i love this guy always bringin smthin useful actually....all the interviews here are done by UG kids...specially old ones man...UG doesnt steal and btw great interview..i enjoy reading this shit...thanks UG

[stelios-papadop]

the man is a legend!!!! i mean..... for the age of music and the generation of rock, AC/DC were F*****G awsome not only that!!! they are still awsome today!!! not many bands do that! shit hot

[Les Paul Ell]

Angus rules! kinda funny how he doesn't seem to care too much about his guitar sound, yet he still sounds great! I don't agree at all with what he said about Deep Purple though, they're brilliant.

[Solan]

Angus most be worlds best guitar player!!!
He is only 157 cm high!
And all that SG's he used are f##### pretty!!

[drunkass]

thats cool he doesn't take his playing too serious

[shut_up_n00b]

I think he's really original. It's just all the Angus Young wannabes that cramp his style.

[AAAAAAAAAARGH]

This man talks a lot of shit.

[Angus_Junior35]

S.Troy wrote:

hes five foot 2
lol
hahahahahahahahaha
****ing midget

but i bet he can play better than you can, am I right??

ANGUS ROCKS!!! :headbang:

[hvy-mtl-thunder]

sounds easy his is some of the hardest lead to learn!(or is it just me?)

[hvy-mtl-thunder]

i would kill for that angus signature model gibson...insane

[hvy-mtl-thunder]

sounds easy his is some of the hardest lead to learn!(or is it just me?)

[Pofessor]

This guy kicks ass. His style of in ur face rock 'n' roll is just awesome.
ANGUS ROCKS!!!!!

[toaster_poodle]

good stuff

[Evil_Jester_666]

Go Angus, You F***in rock!!!!!

[One Way Ticket]

eh

[Kozlic]

hes n. 1 and always will be

[axl-is-awesome]

sounds easy his is some of the hardest lead to learn!(or is it just me?)

i know ive been playin 2 years and only know u shook me and highway to hell.he's tough

[Chuckleberry]

Wow, Angus Young rips. I'm naming my first born son after him.

[rinjoo]

how can he be so good, he is easy the best...!!!

[thejester]

love this man, just play your guitar approach, i love it...inspired me to play

[zoomzoom]

first off i'll say that AC/DC kicks major ass and Angus is a kick ass performer and guitarist, but i dont think he's original at all...they really do work a formula, and by no means do they take a fresh approach to their songs. Every single one of their songs consist of the exact same chords and his solos are mostly the same. i still think hes great, just not so original.

[kanarf]

hvy-mtl-thunder wrote:

sounds easy his is some of the hardest lead to learn!(or is it just me?)

i think its just you.

and honestly all ac/dc's songs sound the same (guitar wise)

[prunie]

Like a fine wine,,the older the better,,AC/DC will keep me out of a nursing home

[Spankey]

I don't get why he would even say that about Deep Purple.

Whatever.

[pacman_133]

what the hell sorta answer was that to the last question that made no sense at all? crazy lil aussie

[Jackolas]

It's hard to tell whenever he is serious.

Anyway he is a great player and it's cool he doesn't talk his playing up.

[Shaned]

you have to see him live on DVD (only way i saw AC/DC live) or something to really appreciate him

amazing stage presence

[ACDCRocksPM]

Shaned wrote:

you have to see him live on DVD (only way i saw AC/DC live) or something to really appreciate him



amazing stage presence

exactly man, i got that dvd plug me in and its just awesome seeing him run around all over the place, i think that if he wasnt so damn ennergetic i probably wouldnt have liked the dvd as much.

[night_elf2004]

Angus Young is simply amazing!!! Him and Dime was the only reason that I ever picked up the guitar.

[guitargodderyck]

Angus is just simply amazing

[LedZeppelin4518]

their version of baby please dont go kicks ass angus and malcolm both are amazing on that song

[S-Gsus]

haha... complete opposite of guitar nerd. I love it.

[ILoveGuitar07]

he's was the first guitarist I really looked up to and he inspired me to pick up the guitar and years later I still haven't put it down.

Angus, you have my greatest respect!
rock on bro!

[axelaxe]

Spankey wrote:

I don't get why he would even say that about Deep Purple.

Whatever.

He must have met Ritchie. Great guitarist, not a nice person.

[zappas.the.man]

I can see what Angus is getting at with Deep Purple, like smoke on the water is probably the best example of how they are just following a formula.
Angus is the second greatest person ever. Bon Scott is the greatest.

[M.B.MetalTabber]

I always love readin AC/DC interviews, coz they have such great answers but I still love Deep Purple...just notm as much as AC/DC

[blogz]

Power to the guitar!!! YEAH!! \../(>.

[AAAAAAAAAARGH]

zappas.the.man wrote:

I can see what Angus is getting at with Deep Purple, like smoke on the water is probably the best example of how they are just following a formula.Angus is the second greatest person ever. Bon Scott is the greatest.

Bollocks. AC/DC follow the simple 3 chord rock song with solo formula. Deep Purple are SO much better musically. I thought a Zappa fan would have been able to grasp that.

[Sam Mézec]

I can see what he means about Deep Purple... They're amazing but they are pretty dam self indulgent (especially stormbringer album).

But yeah, Angus kicks arse! Crazy little man running around with a guitar, ****ing brilliant.

[TwistedLogic]

I know what Angus means about not using effects or worrying about tinkering with the sound too much. I find a setting combination I like, plug in, and play. Sometimes, but not always, being basic is all you need.

[Angus#2]

I swear, your the best guitar player ever. Being short does not mean one danm thing,you have a crap load of energy to make the crowd go crazy, the you sound, the way the band sounds.....INCREDIBLE!!!And yor still rockin it today. your the reason i picked up a guitar. AND your right You Can't Stop Rock 'n' Roll!!!!1

[Angus#2]

I swear, your the best guitar player ever. Being short does not mean one danm thing,you have a crap load of energy to make the crowd go crazy, the you sound, the way the band sounds.....INCREDIBLE!!!And yor still rockin it today. your the reason i picked up a guitar. AND your right You Can't Stop Rock 'n' Roll!!!!1

[Angus#2]

I swear, your the best guitar player ever. Being short does not mean one danm thing,you have a crap load of energy to make the crowd go crazy, the you sound, the way the band sounds.....INCREDIBLE!!!And yor still rockin it today. your the reason i picked up a guitar. AND your right You Can't Stop Rock 'n' Roll!!!!1

[APillowofWinds]

to me AC/DC is a fairly original band concept with their balls to the walls style but at the same time they are so completely unoriginal in their songs. And his solos are so alike. Still you have to give Angus props for his stage presence and his enthusiasum.

[jeremessmore]

S.Troy wrote:

hes five foot 2
lol
hahahahahahahahaha



the legal height for a midget is 4' 10" or 4 11" not 5' 2" retard
****ing midget

[jeremessmore]

S.Troy wrote:

hes five foot 2
lol
hahahahahahahahaha



the legal height for a midget is 4' 10" or 4 11" not 5' 2" retard
****ing midget

[Rorok_89]

You can deny the do use a formula, the most classical formula of rock n roll. In other interviews Angus says continuously that he wanted to be like Chuck Berry, which is the inventor of that super-basic formula. Plus, thars a weird thing with AC DC: If I listen to 4 or 5 of their songs, I have to say: "These guys kick ass". But when I watched their donington dvd, after one hour and something i was really hating ACDC. They end up to soun too similar in different songs.

[Rorok_89]

Rorok_89 wrote:

You can deny the do use a formula, the most classical formula of rock n roll. In other interviews Angus says continuously that he wanted to be like Chuck Berry, which is the inventor of that super-basic formula. Plus, thars a weird thing with AC DC: If I listen to 4 or 5 of their songs, I have to say: "These guys kick ass". But when I watched their donington dvd, after one hour and something i was really hating ACDC. They end up to soun too similar in different songs.

Oops, sorry. The first sentence was "You can´t deny they do..."

[liam1107]

AC/DC are way too over rated. all their songs sound the same. i can respect that they had a massive impact on the rock world and the music buisness in general but in my opinion, they suck. angus young is a good guitar player but just like his band he is over rated

[Hamburger89]

He's good but he sure hates other bands.

[sg r the best]

AC-DC IS THE BEST EEVVEERRRRR

[JaIbanez]

at some point though bands start to sound the same. thats a way to keep sounding how your fans want it. if you change too much, you become like metallica and everyone hates it.

[Dnalrafcmb3]

Hamburger89 wrote:

He's good but he sure hates other bands.

Well, he has good reasons. I mean there's a lot of sh!t out there. At least he's real! He doesn't pansy it up and try to pretend to be nice to all the bull sh!t bands out there.

[Pacaman]

Since when is playing the same 4 chords considered the greatest guitar player ever?

[jessejames1414]

pickups lose half the power over time D:?

[scarfacesuit]

This guy really does sound like me. I've always thought that I'm not that great until I can fit my tunes into the whole band's stuff. I'd love to meet this guy. Only difference is I really like my wah pedal... in the right places of course.

[mis4its]

ACDC is good... better than SOAD

[Rosseta Stoned]

Pacaman wrote:

Since when is playing the same 4 chords considered the greatest guitar player ever?

not greatest ever, but he stil had a big role in shaping modern rock

[the_burning_one]

liam1107 wrote:

AC/DC are way too over rated. all their songs sound the same. i can respect that they had a massive impact on the rock world and the music buisness in general but in my opinion, they suck. angus young is a good guitar player but just like his band he is over rated

i like some of their songs, but overall, i agree with you. i dont really like em all that much otherwise, but i do respect the impact they made on modern day rock

[Bunyip]

Aussie Pub Rock live on \m/

[Its_Rock77]

though he may be right in some cases, he needs to lay off the "man, I hate this band they suck" crap.

otherwise, he's pretty humble.

[wasp2020]

zappas.the.man wrote:
I can see what Angus is getting at with Deep Purple, like smoke on the water is probably the best example of how they are just following a formula.

This is ridiculous. Smoke on the Water is one the most unrepresentative - and boring - Deep Purple song they've ever written, and for someone to even say what you just said is nothing short of showing complete ignorance of their songs. Let's see AC/DC try to do an April. A Child in Time. Even riff based rock songs like Lazy, Speed King, and Highway Star are infinitely more musically advanced and fresh then any of the same old tired things AC/DC has ever tried to write.

I also wonder what he means by the "sorts of things" like Deep Purple. Or that they sound anything like Led Zeppelin in the slightest. He literally sounds completely clueless.

[Jord1235]

^^^^^oh real mature

[Jord1235]

PS it was in regard to the big gap above these comments, i love you other guys above me

[urmum]

deep purple is shit compared to AC/DC !

[axelaxe]

wasp2020 wrote:

Let's see AC/DC try to do an April. A Child in Time. Even riff based rock songs like Lazy, Speed King, and Highway Star are infinitely more musically advanced and fresh then any of the same old tired things AC/DC has ever tried to write.

I also wonder what he means by the "sorts of things" like Deep Purple. Or that they sound anything like Led Zeppelin in the slightest. He literally sounds completely clueless.

Amen. Hell's Bells is a nice little song with an eazy riff, though. I'd like to see Angus playing the solo progression of Highway star.

[Robin5150]

He lives here in the Netherlands in a ****ing huge villa

[UberNoober]

axelaxe wrote:

wasp2020 wrote:

Let's see AC/DC try to do an April. A Child in Time. Even riff based rock songs like Lazy, Speed King, and Highway Star are infinitely more musically advanced and fresh then any of the same old tired things AC/DC has ever tried to write.

I also wonder what he means by the "sorts of things" like Deep Purple. Or that they sound anything like Led Zeppelin in the slightest. He literally sounds completely clueless.

Amen. Hell's Bells is a nice little song with an eazy riff, though. I'd like to see Angus playing the solo progression of Highway star.

The Highway star solo is easy as hell to play. If you can alternate pick and use your little finger, easy.

[metalfanatic07]

metallee923 wrote:

didn't know any chord names... i knew he sucked

believe it or not, there is a good number of bands that can't even read music. does that mean they suck too? Try to be less of an ignorant fool and have an open mind. it's idiots like you spewing crap out of your mouths that make talking about music such an unnecessarily touchy subject.

[taytay8b]

ac/dc all sounds the same...this guy only knows like 4 chords and always uses blues scale/pentatonic forms...im not a very big fan...but he can play better than i can so i cant really say much

[blaze2thekings]

nice to know he didnt even know chords names yet hes still one of the great guitarists, theres hope for us all!

[led,rainsong]

to be honest i dont like most of AC/DCs songs
they all sonund the same to me and i dont like the singer's voice very much but i do respect Angus Young for being the lead guitar player for one of the most famous bands ever

[axelaxe]

UberNoober wrote:

The Highway star solo is easy as hell to play. If you can alternate pick and use your little finger, easy.

So a lot of people claim, but why doesn't anyone (except Vai and Satriani, two "band members"), have the precision and tone Ritchie has? Its not enough to wriggle the pinkie... Only Blackmore has the force and I still don't think Angus could play that solo, no matter how "easy" it is.

[ValoRhoads]

Angus Young's balls are bigger than me! I don't care if he is 5'2", his raw power makes 8 feet tall! Rock on Angus!

[Gibson_Man]

awesome interview!

[AntwanL]

God this guy is so GREAT!!!!!
I love you Angus

[BurningTheLives]

metallee923 wrote:

didn't know any chord names... i knew he sucked

Just because you don't know the name of the chords means you suck. It means that he taught himself.

[SG Angus_51]

1st-liked the interview

2nd-I have got to get this off my chest:

Pacaman wrote:

Since when is playing the same 4 chords considered the greatest guitar player ever?

Well actually it's how good he plays (solos) and how they usually go perfectly along with the song while "showboating" along the whole stage without going out of beat. That takes skills especially with only some knowledge of playing guitar, but I know what you're getting at

metallee923 wrote:

didn't know any chord names... i knew he sucked


Just because you don't know the name of the chords means you suck. It means that he taught himself.

I want to add to that. He doesn't know the names of the chords and stillrocks better than you. So metallee923, go suck some ****.

S.Troy wrote:

hes five foot 2
lol
hahahahahahahahaha
****ing midget

Wow...just ****ing wow. So you have no life then.

APillowofWinds :
to me AC/DC is a fairly original band concept with their balls to the walls style but at the same time they are so completely unoriginal in their songs. And his solos are so alike. Still you have to give Angus props for his stage presence and his enthusiasum.

I agree and to those people who say "they use a formula" or "all their songs sound the same". Well, I have to agree too,(mostly earlier AC/DC) but they have been more creative over the years (but not too creative were they sound way too different.

Also, the people thinking about the "highway star solo" bull****. That ****ing solo's too easy. Even Angus could figure it out, but he doesn't need to. I hate to brag, but I bet Angus could think of a little better solo anyway even if it's not his kind of music.
In addition, I’m not saying Deep Purple sucks. (I like the early Deep Purple anyway)
Go AC/DC!

[E_squared]

Just goes to show what you can really do with a few basic chords and scales. AC/DC is pure rock power!!!

[CapnKickass]

funny! Just, as he started to talk about Deep Purple, their song Contact Lost came on, on Windows Media Player hahaha.

[bmfh07]

a ROCK GOD

[silentaudio13]

wow!!!!! acdc rocks hey i'm short but.....my band just got a record deal!!!!!

[gordonbombay]

wow I'd like to see anybody who comments on the skill of these players, Angus or Blackmore, to get the solo to sound close whatsoever....just because you have the ability to take somebody else's music and practice it for days until you get it half-assed right doesn't mean you're anywhere near that good....I'll give you a E,G,D, chord progression and let's see if you can do anything with it!

[wasp2020]

What? Why are people mentioning the Highway Star solo? No, it's not that good. Regardless, Blackmore has more talent, creativity, and most important of all, musical ambition in his pinky then Angus could ever have. And I don't even like him that much (Jon Lord is the real king of the band).

Honestly, Child in Time? April? Lazy? Have you people even LISTENED to Deep Purple before? Or are you too busy shouting "OMGGGZZZZ ANGUS YOUNG = ROCK GOD, PLEASE TAKE ME NOW!!!!!" like prebuscent schoolgirls over Nsync? He doesn't know any music theory, he doesn't know guitar technique, he doesn't have any respectable knowledge of music before him, he recycles the same formula over and over and over again, and doesn't even try to advance himself at any musical level. Sure, I like a couple of their songs, but for gods sakes, the band's literally the equivelent of Fallout Boy or whatever lazy popular crap we have today. And yet, you're all the first ones to bash them while standing in line to get the next AC/DC album. Tell me how that's supposed to make sense.

[gordonbombay]

WASP2020 YOU ARE PURE IGNORANT....

you sit here bashing a man for having his own style..do you expect Angus Young to go and learn how to play Virtuoso guitar or maybe pick up some Jazz? He doesn't have any guitar technique?? Just keep in mind that Angus has forgoten more licks than you have ever come across and that you have done nothing

[Les Paul57]

Angus is by far the greatest guitarist in existance. I know Hells Bells, Highway to Hell, You Shook Me All Night Long, The Razors Edge, Back in Black, Thunderstruck and tons others by AC/DC and when you put it all together you see that there couldn't be anything better. The way the songs flow is amazing. And he has an awesome taste in guitars SG's are sweet.

[axelaxe]

gordonbombay wrote:

wow I'd like to see anybody who comments on the skill of these players, Angus or Blackmore, to get the solo to sound close whatsoever....just because you have the ability to take somebody else's music and practice it for days until you get it half-assed right doesn't mean you're anywhere near that good....I'll give you a E,G,D, chord progression and let's see if you can do anything with it!

Couldn't agree more. You always hear those people claiming they can play this or that (oh, the Highway star solo isn't that good) and when they do it sounds like sh*t, like Hammet imitating Mustains solos on Kill em all.

[i_lovemetallica]

wasp2020 wrote:

This is ridiculous. Smoke on the Water is one the most unrepresentative - and boring - Deep Purple song they've ever written, and for someone to even say what you just said is nothing short of showing complete ignorance of their songs. Let's see AC/DC try to do an April. A Child in Time. Even riff based rock songs like Lazy, Speed King, and Highway Star are infinitely more musically advanced and fresh then any of the same old tired things AC/DC has ever tried to write.

Woah woah, shut up dude, Smoke on The Water has been the most popular rock guitarists riff for the past 36 years. AC/DC have gave something to Rock that was lacking at a time when Glam Metal bands were dominant and Songs, ridiculously complex and effect riddled, they gave a straightforward approach with a hard earthy sound to Rock music.

Also, when any of you guys can play as good as AC/DC, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and others, and are selling more records than them and making huge profits, then I think you will have good reason to say "They suck"

[schecterkryst]

kanarf wrote:

hvy-mtl-thunder wrote:

sounds easy his is some of the hardest lead to learn!(or is it just me?)

i think its just you.

and honestly all ac/dc's songs sound the same (guitar wise)

roger that. I could blow my fingers off with firecrackers and still be able to play TNT

[wasp2020]

gordonbombay wrote:

WASP2020 YOU ARE PURE IGNORANT....

you sit here bashing a man for having his own style..do you expect Angus Young to go and learn how to play Virtuoso guitar or maybe pick up some Jazz? He doesn't have any guitar technique?? Just keep in mind that Angus has forgoten more licks than you have ever come across and that you have done nothing

Invalid argument. Why? I never said I was better then him. Nor did I say he has to be a virtuoso - I just said he doesn't try nor care about his musical ability. Your argument's also completely irrelevant. Oh, and "wasp2020 you are pureLY ignorant". Try again.

i_lovemetallica wrote:

Woah woah, shut up dude, Smoke on The Water has been the most popular rock guitarists riff for the past 36 years.

Whoah, whoah, whoah, I don't care. It's a boring, plodding song. Roger's playing way too low, Blackmore's playing way too clean, Jon Lord isn't even audible (he doesn't even have a solo for christs sakes), Paice is simply plodding along to a slow tempo, the lyrics are a COMPLETE oddball as far as Purple lyrics go. All of their remarkable playing and writing talents are completely absent from the song, and thus, it is a completely, utterly misrepresentational and boring song, I really don't care if it has some "OMG UBER COOL RIFF \m/" praised by classic rock kiddies blasting with high gain on their crappy amps in guitar shops around the world. The song barely even made the album cut by the band themselves, for christs sakes. The fact that it got popular by chance doesn't mean jack.

Thus all leading up to the simple point that knowing about Smoke on the Water (because God knows how 90% of everybody hasn't even listened to anything but the main riff) does not, by any means, mean you know anything about Deep Purple. So stop pretending that you do. Who here has even listened to the Machine Head album at all? How about In Rock? Made in Japan? No, I guess that would be pushing it.

It's funny that the only rebuttal you people can ever come up with is "Well, he's better then YOU so NYAAAH!!! He's a GUITAR GOD \m/ \m/". It's childish and rather pathetic. I didn't say anything out of line - he HIMSELF admitted to not really knowing any music theory at all, and - this is the most important part - willfully ignorant about the finer details of anything musically related. It doesn't make him "PURE ROCKNROLL, BABY!!!", it just makes him lazy. There is no twisting of words or lying here. The facts are right there.

Maybe when you can play anywhere near as good as AC/DC, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and others, and sell more records than them and make huge profits, then you can say "THEY RULE OMG". Until then, don't bother. Am I right? Or are you just working up some childish double standard?

[gordonbombay]

no you have no idea how to play guitar yet you dis angus young....a pioneer of rock and roll guitar...if you play guitar half as well as you talk S&#! why don't you get a job writing beats for some local newspaper, maybe even become a critic since that's what your forte' is....

[CapnKickass]

Smoke on the Water kicks your ass wasp :P
doo doo doooo doo doo doodoooo. unfackingbeatable.

[steveo911]

HE,S THE GUITAR GOD

[MATTALLICA69]

oh Angus put it in my butt

[BenJamin1971]

AC/DC will always be the best hard rock band. They set the standards for everybody. When you look at the new bands coming out today, htey always have a AC/DC influence in their chord progressions. Hell, when I'm writing songs, I'll find alot of a's, d's, and e's in my songs.

[wasp2020]

gordonbombay wrote:

no you have no idea how to play guitar yet you dis angus young....a pioneer of rock and roll guitar...if you play guitar half as well as you talk S&#! why don't you get a job writing beats for some local newspaper, maybe even become a critic since that's what your forte' is....

I suddenly have no idea how to play guitar? Where are you getting this? Nowhere, you just made it up as some childish insult you think "OH YEAH I totally told him off! LOL". And again, my apparent inability to play guitar (although I would definitely argue with that) has nothing to do with my ability to criticize him. I. Already. Said. This. Can you read?

If I can't criticize Young for being a narrowminded, clueless musician - which he already admitted - because I'm not as good a player as him, then you can't compliment him either, for the exact same reason. Didn't think this through, did you?

And since when did a newspaper need music?

CapnKickass wrote:

Smoke on the Water kicks your ass wasp :P
doo doo doooo doo doo doodoooo. unfackingbeatable.

I...don't care. It's a crappy song. I already went through this in detail, that's not a rebuttal. See - all you like is the main riff. Nothing else in the song stands out, it's below standard fare as far as Purple goes, and none of their playing talents are shown in the slightest. It's not even recorded well. It's the definition of PLODDING. Maybe, when someone can think of a remotely sensible way to defend the actual full song other then "\m/ OMG KILLER ROCK RIFF \m/!!!!!" then I would take it a bit more seriously. But that's not the case here, is it? Of course not.

BenJamin1971 wrote:

AC/DC will always be the best hard rock band. They set the standards for everybody. When you look at the new bands coming out today, htey always have a AC/DC influence in their chord progressions. Hell, when I'm writing songs, I'll find alot of a's, d's, and e's in my songs.

...What? Are you kidding? Using the chords A, D, and E makes it influenced by AC/DC? Nothing from those amount to anything but a completely and utterly generic chord progression used by everybody for hundreds of years. Maybe if you said "Full open chords with distortion" or something like that, but "a's, d's, and e's" being attributed to AC/DC? Are you people kidding?

[Angus#2]

even though you guys been playin for all most 30 year, you guys still and always will have the magic touch to make what ever song you make sound awsome, and make the crowds in every single tour you guys do go wild. you guys have big balls!!!!!

[Angus#2]

Oh, and the song "for those about to rock (we salute you)" really caught my ears. KEEP ON ROCKIN AC/DC!!!!!

[Angus#2]

ANGUS KICKS HEAVILY, MAIJOR !@#$%
,,,/\___/\,,,
| | . . | |
\ | O | /
\ \-----/ /

[Angus#2]

IM A ROCKER!!!!!

[Kalbad]

wasp2020.. Stop dissing the riff from Smoke on the Water... I play covers in a band including all the complicated metal solos... But every time I play that riff i always wish I wrote it. Remember, when your remembered for something that simple.... Then you become a God cause everyone is copying you!!! Plus the Riff is so much fun to play with a full band!! Like I said the simpler the better! And I agree... Its not their best song!!

[niqolaise]

Why do I always think Angus is drunk on those UG interviews?

[rojomeansred]

I knew coming into this that it would be full of people just kissing angus' ass. In my opinion he is one of the most boring guitarists in one of the most boring bands ever. They're all about their image!
"Oi I'm drunk and I rock oi, I'm the only real rock music oi"

[wasp2020]

Kalbad wrote:

wasp2020.. Stop dissing the riff from Smoke on the Water... I play covers in a band including all the complicated metal solos... But every time I play that riff i always wish I wrote it. Remember, when your remembered for something that simple.... Then you become a God cause everyone is copying you!!! Plus the Riff is so much fun to play with a full band!! Like I said the simpler the better! And I agree... Its not their best song!!

I'm not dissing the riff. I'm dissing the song. Which is definitely, yes, not their best work by any means. I just think it's hilarious people think they can say anything about Deep Purple with only having remembered a single riff from a substandard song. I guess it just annoys me because that seems to simply always be the damn case, all the time.

[Systemofacdc09]

niqolaise wrote:

Why do I always think Angus is drunk on those UG interviews?

It's weird considering Angus doesn't drink.

[fatbax06]

g

[i_lovemetallica]

wasp2020 wrote:


i_lovemetallica wrote:

Woah woah, shut up dude, Smoke on The Water has been the most popular rock guitarists riff for the past 36 years.


Whoah, whoah, whoah, I don't care. It's a boring, plodding song. Roger's playing way too low, Blackmore's playing way too clean, Jon Lord isn't even audible (he doesn't even have a solo for christs sakes), Paice is simply plodding along to a slow tempo, the lyrics are a COMPLETE oddball as far as Purple lyrics go. All of their remarkable playing and writing talents are completely absent from the song, and thus, it is a completely, utterly misrepresentational and boring song, I really don't care if it has some "OMG UBER COOL RIFF \m/" praised by classic rock kiddies blasting with high gain on their crappy amps in guitar shops around the world. The song barely even made the album cut by the band themselves, for christs sakes. The fact that it got popular by chance doesn't mean jack.

Thus all leading up to the simple point that knowing about Smoke on the Water (because God knows how 90% of everybody hasn't even listened to anything but the main riff) does not, by any means, mean you know anything about Deep Purple. So stop pretending that you do. Who here has even listened to the Machine Head album at all? How about In Rock? Made in Japan? No, I guess that would be pushing it.

It's funny that the only rebuttal you people can ever come up with is "Well, he's better then YOU so NYAAAH!!! He's a GUITAR GOD \m/ \m/". It's childish and rather pathetic. I didn't say anything out of line - he HIMSELF admitted to not really knowing any music theory at all, and - this is the most important part - willfully ignorant about the finer details of anything musically related. It doesn't make him "PURE ROCKNROLL, BABY!!!", it just makes him lazy. There is no twisting of words or lying here. The facts are right there.

Maybe when you can play anywhere near as good as AC/DC, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and others, and sell more records than them and make huge profits, then you can say "THEY RULE OMG". Until then, don't bother. Am I right? Or are you just working up some childish double standard?

Actually you jerkoff i own all three of those albums plus several more, and have lots of respect for Deep Purple. And since i dont seem to notice that YOU have any million selling albums out at the moment, i dont think anyone is any place to say whether anyone sucks or rules.

[wasp2020]

i_lovemetallica wrote:

And since i dont seem to notice that YOU have any million selling albums out at the moment, i dont think anyone is any place to say whether anyone sucks or rules.

Then why did you compliment AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, and Deep Purple on this page, if you are in no position to say such things?

[markdirt]

Wasp is offically my favorite poster on UG.

Young dissing on Deep Purple is just ridiculous, everything that's already been said, etc.

Also, I'd just like to point out that how many albums a band sells has nothing to do with how good the band is.

[whitey550022666]

it goes to show you that you dont have to be a guitar guru to sound good. simple is sometimes better. i dont see how ppl listen to the extreme hard rock these days it just horrible. i mean, noone comes out with good guitar licks anymore i guess every one is into that good ole rap music huh..haha whatever. like i said simple is sometimes good it actually sounds like music...

[Metallica6144]

Amen brother, most of the music today sucks major ass. All of the old bands will always be my favorites. If people think that Angus' riffs are boring and monotonous, DON'T LISTEN THEM, JACKASS!

[erik_666]

Angus rules,rock on angus AND Malcolm Young!!!

[erik_666]

ROCK on Angus AND Malcolm

[Metallica6144]

HELL YEAH!

[bon_scott]

AC/DC RULES MAN
ANGUS IS THE BEST

[Agility22]

AC/DC are very good i say, but i am kinda tired, and didint read the whole interview...but when he said that deep purple where like led zeppelin, did he mean that they sucked...well if thats true, then i think he kinda messed up, cause zeppelin are one of the best bands that have landed on this f***** planet

[KidRock86]

i think its a bit stupid he didnt know chords but he still rocks like hell.

[KidRock86]

GO AC/DC!!

[KidRock86]

ROCK ON! =)

[NFR5063]

Mr. Angus Young has always been underestimated as a guitarist, in my opinion. He has probably forgotten more about guitar than most of us will ever know. I believe he ranks right up there with other icons like, Mr. Jimmy Page and Mr. Jimi Hendrix. AC/DC has remained true to their blues-driven rock and roll roots to this day. Most bands today of every genre are glossed-over, corporate-owned fakes. AC/DC still rocks. No hip-hop "artists" will ever be able to sound like AC/DC.
Thanks to his Mum and Dad for letting him out!

[lmgoodwi]

BBoyBlaZe wrote:

Vermintide wrote:

Awesome. Angus is the best guitar n00b on the planet :p

Also, is this ripped out of Kerrang?
hey man...the guy that does this shit is ****ing original conversation man i love this guy always bringin smthin useful actually....all the interviews here are done by UG kids...specially old ones man...UG doesnt steal and btw great interview..i enjoy reading this shit...thanks UG

Actually, this interview was in Guitar World issue 23 March of '84 written by Steve Rosen. So UG didn't do the interview. Also, AC/DC is following a formula (basic music theory) Most of their songs are done in minor pentatonic scales of which you only have 5 notes to choose from ie. 5 chords. So yes, you are gonna get the same 3 chords over and alot of the leads will sound the same. WHO THE FUCK CARES? they still kick some serious rock and roll ass.

[killyoutonight]

He hates deep purple? I'm not here to talk crap about acdc but I think deep purple is better. "smoke on the water" and "highway star" aside, I still think they are the better band. That is just my opinion though. Both bands are very influential though. They have influenced so many...

[MrTin]

Angus#2 wrote:

even though you guys been playin for all most 30 year, you guys still and always will have the magic touch to make what ever song you make sound awsome, and make the crowds in every single tour you guys do go wild. you guys have big balls!!!!!

Why do you talk/write like they could hear you in all your comments?
Seriously. Stop, I'm getting embarrassed

killyoutonight wrote:

He hates deep purple? I'm not here to talk crap about acdc but I think deep purple is better. "smoke on the water" and "highway star" aside, I still think they are the better band. That is just my opinion though. Both bands are very influential though. They have influenced so many...

Couldn't agree more.

[HammettMustaine]

ac/dc is way better than deep purple, not saying that deep purple sucks, but angus

Agility22 wrote:

AC/DC are very good i say, but i am kinda tired, and didint read the whole interview...but when he said that deep purple where like led zeppelin, did he mean that they sucked...well if thats true, then i think he kinda messed up, cause zeppelin are one of the best bands that have landed on this f***** planet

Angus didn't mean that zeppelin sucked, only that deep purple was good for people with bad taste and zeppelin was better than them.
And seriously Angus#2, stop. ur making an ass out of yourself

[Itz_Relyt]

S.Troy wrote:

hes five foot 2
lol
hahahahahahahahaha
****ing midget

**** you! Thats not even close to the legal height for being a midget. And besides, what's wrong with being short? Get a life...

[Zeebraa]

no one here has got shit on angus. so anyone that thinks they do can just go run into trafic.... do us all a favor and keep your'e retarded ass comments to yourselves...

GSKJLD S/F

[Kiwara]

Well Angus is one of my fav guitarists, but I can't agree on Deep Purple with him. Like many others as I read the comments. But ****, he's awsome. I love the way he takes life, and his playing and everything. :

[shreddedstrings]

sg r the best :
AC-DC IS THE BEST EEVVEERRRRR

No their not, the cure is

[KATANA.TYCOON]

Man whoever wrote this and interviewed Angus is a lucky LUCKY PERSON.
And i LOVE GIBSON SG`S im 12 and all I want is a GIBSON SG Standard, `61 Reissue(both in heritage cherry),or Angus Young Signature.
P.S:if any 1 knows about a contest that u can win a Gibson SG, or if I can win a interview or a lesson from Angus Young (or if u know him...luky), plz tell me becaus if u do i will be forever in ur holly debt.

ROCK ON AND FOR THOSE ABOUT TO ROCK, I SOLUTE U