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Thoughts on AC / DC - 11/20/2007 8:50:25 AM
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BlindLemon5103
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Before I became a Christian in 1986, AC / DC was one of my favorite bands, especially the Bon Scott era.
Nowadays, I find the majority of their lyrics too vulgar to enjoy, however much I like their sound.
That said, there are a handful of tunes that I find tolerable ....actually, there is one album that is less offensive than the rest ("Powerage" - the boys actually put a bit of thought in the lyrics, in my opinion - granted, the lyrics aren't exactly peace and love, but if you compare them to the other albums, there is a difference).
Here's a short list of songs that I can tolerate (and even enjoy) by AC / DC:
Jailbreak
It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock And Roll)
Live Wire
TNT
High Voltage
Dog Eat Dog
Let There Be Rock (clever lyrics in that one)
Overdose
Problem Child
Bad Boy Boogie
..and perhaps a few others, including nearly the entire "Powerage" album, which I still own.
Note that the Brian Johnson era is not represented here. I never really liked him...if anything, the songs became even more sexual once he became the frontman. "Back In Black" is a great album musically, but mostly awful lyrically, in my opinion.
What are your thoughts on AC / DC, from a Christian perspective? I say there is some wheat amongst the chaff, but there's a LOT of chaff (lyrically speaking, that is).
Just happened to be thinking about them today. Not sure why!
Blessings, and a happy Thanksgiving to everyone on the boards!
Blind Lemon
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RE: Thoughts on AC / DC - 11/20/2007 8:57:53 AM
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BlindLemon5103
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....as a White Sox fan, I must admit that I do like hearing "Thunderstruck" during the intros at the ballpark, my dislike for Brian Johnson notwithstanding!
Though it seems less cool when your team is losing....(I'll save that rant for another board!).
Blessings.
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RE: Thoughts on AC / DC - 11/20/2007 10:15:25 AM
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tafkam
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I'm the polar opposite, as I thought Brian Johnson was a much better vocalist than Bon Scott.
I agree, their lyrical content is horrid, but their sound is incredible.....
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Tafkam
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RE: Thoughts on AC / DC - 11/20/2007 10:39:15 AM
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morningmike
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To me, AC/DC epitomizes rock-n-roll.
The best intros to songs of any band ever.
A killer groove that will get even the most inhibited toes to tappin'.
One of the best guitarists in the world, Angus Young.
Staying true to their calling, never bending to musical fads or trends.
I think Bon Scott was way better than Brian Johnson, but Brian has been with the group much longer. It's just that I really enjoyed Bon's vocals. I saw them in 1980 (or 1979, can't remember which). They opened for Alice Cooper, the band I went to concert to see. But I was blown away by AC/DC that night.
Lyrically, yeah, you're right. Such great riffs...such suggestive lyrics (but actually very little actual profanity).
They are one of Keith Richards' favorite bands.
All in all, a pretty cool band.
You know, it just hit me...I'm about the same age as Angus...nobody thinks I'm cool!
Mike
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RE: Thoughts on AC / DC - 11/20/2007 11:00:54 AM
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BlindLemon5103
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quote:
When I actually listened to them, years later (as opposed to listening to only the propoganda) I thought they were pretty silly.
I agree. They do seem silly (almost cartoonish at times), in addition to being gross, crude and everything else. No out and out profanity, but the double-entendres in songs like "The Jack" and "Go Down" are just too obvious.
I mean, they may be the most one-dimensional band out there. Every song about booze and sex. No ballads (though some would see that as a strong point).
But those riffs! Those solos! Bon's raspy, edgy voice!
Actually, there was one Brian Johnson album I kind of liked. "Flick Of The Switch" is slightly less offensive lyrically and wasn't played to death by rock radio.
No longer my favorites, but I do throw "Powerage" on once in a while and turn it up!
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RE: Thoughts on AC / DC - 11/20/2007 11:20:06 AM
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BlindLemon5103
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...and I will say that yes, Brian Johnson is a more powerful singer than Bon Scott.
...but I preferred Bon because I sensed a bluesier, more "soulful' feel to the early AC / DC albums. Starting around "Highway To Hell", they seemed to be more about power chords than blues and boogie-rock.
Brian Johnson is just too much of a screamer for me. Bon was a screamer too, but he was just a trifle more subtle at times. Just a little more diverse.
The lyrics are indeed ridiculous, for the most part. How many variations on booze and sex can anyone come up with?
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RE: Thoughts on AC / DC - 11/20/2007 1:09:18 PM
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ObviousLee
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Kiss is another band that bothers me in terms of mundane sexually exploitive lyrics, booze, etc. But great music wise.
As far as AC/DC is concerned, Bon Scott all the way. I don't like Brian Johnson whatsoever. I remember seeing the concert DVD at a record store where they are doing a live performance of "Shook Me All Night Long" or whatever it's called, and he does the suggestive hand maneuver. Classic idiocy!
I actually like the song "Whole Lot Of Rosie". It's kind of cool when rockers pay tribute to women who don't necessarily match the standards of societal beauty (like "Plain Jane" by Sammy Hagar).
It's rather sad (this whole childish lyrical content issue). It's sad how these rock musicians are slaves to the powers that be. For instance, Both Ted Nugent and Bon Scott are/were products of a musical style decade crossover. Ted Nugent's solo records pretty much fall in line with the typical hard rock lyrical themes. Although in the 60's, his band The Amboy Dukes were more of a typical 60's acid rock band. The lyrics were entirely different, far more intelligent sounding (although not even Nugent understood all of it being one who never did drugs). In similar fashion, Bon Scott was in a bluesy 60's psychedelic band called Fraternity. So at times there was this strange crossover from being in an intellectually lyrical band to the hard rock bands with that cheesy 70's lyrical content. I suppose Lemmy could be another example moving from Hawkwind to Motorhead.
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RE: Thoughts on AC / DC - 11/20/2007 2:56:01 PM
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WHTim
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AC/DC rules.
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RE: Thoughts on AC / DC - 11/20/2007 3:29:26 PM
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BlindLemon5103
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I was a member of the "Kiss Army" from 1976-1979 ...after that, I kind of lost interest in them. I suppose I "matured" and started getting into other bands after that.
..but from the age of 12 through about 15, Kiss was a big deal. I did see them in concert in 1985..an entertaining show, but not a big deal to me at that point.
Yes, I agree. Another band with cool music and juvenile, smutty, one-dimensional lyrics. Kiss at least did a few ballads to break things up a bit.
My favorite album was "Alive!"...I thought they looked so cool on the cover! Now I think they just look ridiculous!
Ted Nugent? Another good example! Great tunes, but raunchy lyrics (most of the time).
I personally like his self-titled 1975 album..the one with "Stranglehold" on it. It's not as bad lyrically as some of the others. I had it on 8-track at one time!
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RE: Thoughts on AC / DC - 11/20/2007 9:06:07 PM
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ObviousLee
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quote:
ORIGINAL: BlindLemon5103
I was a member of the "Kiss Army" from 1976-1979 ...after that, I kind of lost interest in them. I suppose I "matured" and started getting into other bands after that.
..but from the age of 12 through about 15, Kiss was a big deal. I did see them in concert in 1985..an entertaining show, but not a big deal to me at that point.
Yes, I agree. Another band with cool music and juvenile, smutty, one-dimensional lyrics. Kiss at least did a few ballads to break things up a bit.
My favorite album was "Alive!"...I thought they looked so cool on the cover! Now I think they just look ridiculous!
Ted Nugent? Another good example! Great tunes, but raunchy lyrics (most of the time).
I personally like his self-titled 1975 album..the one with "Stranglehold" on it. It's not as bad lyrically as some of the others. I had it on 8-track at one time!
I had seen Kiss in '83, and I guess I was young enough to appreciate it. It was one of the best shows I've seen. Unfortunately, this wasn't during the Ace Frehley era.
I agree with you on the Nugent s/t. That particular album actually still had traces of the Amboy Dukes sound. Some of the songs as I recollect deal with his interest in nature. I actually rather like "Free-For-All", his second album as well. The Nugent version of "Dog Eat Dog" (as you already know is a different song with the same title) has some rather catchy lyrics just as AC/DC's version does. But when Nugent got into "Cat Scratch Fever", it seemed from then on that every other song was "wang this", and "yank that".
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RE: Thoughts on AC / DC - 11/21/2007 1:36:46 AM
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duderox4lisa
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Welcome to the world of rock and roll. Music based on the blues, the "devil's" music, chock full of sexual double entendres. Fit AC/DC perfectly. Very rock and roll. Can't help but laugh at their lyrics.
In fact, the very term rock and roll is a sexual slang term used in the early mid-20th century.
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Then how can I know what you might believe?
A story told that can't be real
Somehow must reflect the truth we feel
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RE: Thoughts on AC / DC - 11/21/2007 8:24:14 AM
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Soxfan
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AC/DC is my favorite. I've seen them 6 times.
I won tickets to appear in Howard Stern's movie (Private Parts). We were in the crowd when AC/DC played in Central Park. I got to meet them after. It was so cool! Although I never watched the movie.
They asked where we were from and when I told them Connecticut, they hooked us up with tix to their show in Hartford and more backstage passes!
As somone said before, they epitomize rock and roll. Simple, loud and raw
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"This would be the first step in apostasy; men first forget the true, and then adore the false.".......C.H. Spurgeon
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RE: Thoughts on AC / DC - 11/21/2007 2:37:26 PM
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BlindLemon5103
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Might as well add Aerosmith to the list of bands with great music, and mostly sexual lyrics.
I have the first four albums. That's all the Aerosmith I need. That's the Aerosmith I remember growing up.
Perhaps The Rolling Stones qualify too. Mostly their later work, though. (from "Beggar's Banquet" on, perhaps?).
I was tempted to add Cheap Trick to that list. Back in the day, I only had one album, "Next Position Please", which was great musically, but pretty crude and sexual lyrically. Not having heard the rest of their output (aside from the radio-friendly hits), I can't really objectively comment on their work...but that album was suggestive, if my memory serves me correctly.
All rock bands had at least a few sexually suggestive lyrics, but with some groups it was nearly every song, sad to say.
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RE: Thoughts on AC / DC - 11/21/2007 3:04:24 PM
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ObviousLee
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quote:
ORIGINAL: BlindLemon5103
All rock bands had at least a few sexually suggestive lyrics, but with some groups it was nearly every song, sad to say.
To some degree, I think Led Zeppelin may of been the culprit. If you recall the NPR interview with Robert Plant, he went into some fairly point blank detail on how well the sexual inuendos mixed with a blues sound came across to the listeners. I think prior to Zeppelin, there was less of that. I think there was a stronger tendency to balance out Blues oriented songs by covering many that were not sexually suggestive. I think even still with bands like Cream, the difficulty could of been in covering songs that strongly suggested racism by Whites towards Blacks from a Black man's perspective. For instance, I don't recall anyone ever covering Leadbelly's "Bourgeois Blues". And if anyone has, they probably left a certain word out.
I imagine the shift toward Blues based hard rock with sexual suggestive lyrics was kind of the natural flow towards a White suburban audience who would normally not hold too much of an interest on racism in the early 20th century. And after all, there certainly was sexually suggestive lyrics in the old blues tunes.
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RE: Thoughts on AC / DC - 11/21/2007 6:30:12 PM
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BlindLemon5103
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Yes, I agree. In the '70s, they took the blues with sexual innuendo rather than those that tackled social issues, or the struggles with everyday life.
"Bourgeois Blues"....I am quite familiar with that one. A perfect example of a tune that would not be covered by any '70s rock band.
I can't picture Led Zeppelin or AC / DC tackling social issues in their songs! If they had a message, it was one of unbridled hedonism.
Now that I think of it, Black Sabbath did have a number of songs that were, for better or worse, social commentary ("Wicked World", "War Pigs")....they didn't have too many songs with sexually suggestive lyrics. But I guess that's for another thread.
Excellent points, by the way!
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RE: Thoughts on AC / DC - 11/21/2007 7:26:12 PM
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roboteer
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Bon vs Brian - Brian (easily) their stuff with him is better, and he sings it better.
I think Kiss are more of an issue lyrically - AC\DC tongue in their cheeks with most of their lyrics - although I'm sure they have had lifestyles most of us on this forum could hardly imagine. Kiss completely mean their sexually explicit lyrics.
Having said that I've always thought that it is very ironic and sad that Bon's last album was 'Highway to Hell' - he didn't mean that he was on the highway at all - but in fact he was.
I've only seen AC\DC live once (Donington Monsters of Rock 1991) - great except for the guitar solos (I know that will be controversial, but I'd rather have more songs than over-long solos.
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RE: Thoughts on AC / DC - 11/21/2007 9:31:32 PM
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ObviousLee
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quote:
ORIGINAL: BlindLemon5103
Now that I think of it, Black Sabbath did have a number of songs that were, for better or worse, social commentary ("Wicked World", "War Pigs")....they didn't have too many songs with sexually suggestive lyrics. But I guess that's for another thread.
Excellent points, by the way!
I think that was probably one of the reasons I had a certain amount of respect for them. They definitely broke the mold in ways other than the darker image.
It also seems that some of those Canadien hard rock bands may of been a bit more modest. Bands like Triumph, and the more prog oriented bands like Rush, Max Webster, and FM come to mind. I don't remember April Wine's lyrics too well, but I seem to recall Frank Marino's music as being fairly modest but very blues oriented. Of course now he's a Christian as I understand it.
And then there were those hard rock, or semi-hard rock bands that flirted with the Adult Contemporary sound like REO Speedwagon, The Babys, Loverboy, and maybe to some degree, Boston.
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RE: Thoughts on AC / DC - 11/21/2007 9:37:17 PM
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gambit
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quote:
ORIGINAL: BlindLemon5103
I was a member of the "Kiss Army" from 1976-1979 ...after that, I kind of lost interest in them. I suppose I "matured" and started getting into other bands after that.
..but from the age of 12 through about 15, Kiss was a big deal. I did see them in concert in 1985..an entertaining show, but not a big deal to me at that point.
Yes, I agree. Another band with cool music and juvenile, smutty, one-dimensional lyrics. Kiss at least did a few ballads to break things up a bit.
My favorite album was "Alive!"...I thought they looked so cool on the cover! Now I think they just look ridiculous!
Ted Nugent? Another good example! Great tunes, but raunchy lyrics (most of the time).
I personally like his self-titled 1975 album..the one with "Stranglehold" on it. It's not as bad lyrically as some of the others. I had it on 8-track at one time!
OK, I admit I was part of the Kiss Army fan club back in 1977. Kiss was actually my first concert (1975). Funny how your taste in music changes as you get older. I used to have all their 70's albums but trashed them after waking up to the fact they really weren't that good, it was the show and the look I was into.
As for AC/DC, I liked Back in Black the most. All the later albums that followed never captured that unusual status. Funny how many fans thought after Bon Scott's death that the band would never rebound.
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RE: Thoughts on AC / DC - 11/21/2007 9:40:11 PM
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gambit
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quote:
ORIGINAL: ObviousLee
quote:
ORIGINAL: BlindLemon5103
Now that I think of it, Black Sabbath did have a number of songs that were, for better or worse, social commentary ("Wicked World", "War Pigs")....they didn't have too many songs with sexually suggestive lyrics. But I guess that's for another thread.
Excellent points, by the way!
I think that was probably one of the reasons I had a certain amount of respect for them. They definitely broke the mold in ways other than the darker image.
It also seems that some of those Canadien hard rock bands may of been a bit more modest. Bands like Triumph, and the more prog oriented bands like Rush, Max Webster, and FM come to mind. I don't remember April Wine's lyrics too well, but I seem to recall Frank Marino's music as being fairly modest but very blues oriented. Of course now he's a Christian as I understand it.
And then there were those hard rock, or semi-hard rock bands that flirted with the Adult Contemporary sound like REO Speedwagon, The Babys, Loverboy, and maybe to some degree, Boston.
Mahogany Rush, April Wine, Triumph, Max Webster...have you been in my vinyl album collection?
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RE: Thoughts on AC / DC - 11/21/2007 9:48:44 PM
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ObviousLee
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quote:
ORIGINAL: tafkam
I'm the polar opposite, as I thought Brian Johnson was a much better vocalist than Bon Scott.
In my opinion, and I would say it would be to his credit, I think Brian Johnson modeled his style after Dan McCafferty of Nazareth. They both have that very high pitched raspy voice, and it worked well with Nazareth. I could be wrong about the correlation, but they're also both from Scotland which enhances my viewpoint.
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RE: Thoughts on AC / DC - 11/21/2007 9:52:25 PM
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ObviousLee
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quote:
ORIGINAL: gambit
quote:
ORIGINAL: ObviousLee
quote:
ORIGINAL: BlindLemon5103
Now that I think of it, Black Sabbath did have a number of songs that were, for better or worse, social commentary ("Wicked World", "War Pigs")....they didn't have too many songs with sexually suggestive lyrics. But I guess that's for another thread.
Excellent points, by the way!
I think that was probably one of the reasons I had a certain amount of respect for them. They definitely broke the mold in ways other than the darker image.
It also seems that some of those Canadien hard rock bands may of been a bit more modest. Bands like Triumph, and the more prog oriented bands like Rush, Max Webster, and FM come to mind. I don't remember April Wine's lyrics too well, but I seem to recall Frank Marino's music as being fairly modest but very blues oriented. Of course now he's a Christian as I understand it.
And then there were those hard rock, or semi-hard rock bands that flirted with the Adult Contemporary sound like REO Speedwagon, The Babys, Loverboy, and maybe to some degree, Boston.
Mahogany Rush, April Wine, Triumph, Max Webster...have you been in my vinyl album collection?
It seems I've been in yours and a few other's collection as well!
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The buck stops here!
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RE: Thoughts on AC / DC - 11/21/2007 11:25:22 PM
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shemaromans
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quote:
I can't picture Led Zeppelin or AC / DC tackling social issues in their songs!
Now I'm the kind of guy that keeps his big mouth shut. It don't bother me...I ain't done nothing wrong. I'm just having fun.
an excerpt from Riff Raff. :) Gotta love Powerage!
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"But as for me, it is good to be near God." Psalm 73:28
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RE: Thoughts on AC / DC - 11/21/2007 11:41:55 PM
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BlindLemon5103
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Yes, indeed...."Powerage" rules!
Favorite tunes:
Down Payment Blues
Gimme A Bullet
Riff Raff
Up To My Neck In You
Kicked In The Teeth
...oh, they're all pretty good!
The "thinking man's" AC / DC album! The "least offensive" AC / DC album....and to me, the best AC / DC album!
Have a great Thanksgiving everyone!
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RE: Thoughts on AC / DC - 11/24/2007 8:44:31 AM
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markb77
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You'd be hard pressed to find a band that has a better collection of opening riffs. Angus is the master of getting a song started as far as I'm concerned. Like just about everyone else has said, while their lyrics will never be confused with Dylan or Lennon, they rock as well as anyone else who's ever tried. I'm just waiting for them to give in and release a good 2CD Anthology (1CD of Bon, 1 of Brian - it's just a thought) so I don't feel the need to buy the entire back catalog.
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