Angus Young once picked the guitarist who was “on another level” to Jimmy Page
Ever since AC/DC’s Angus Young took to the stage in his schoolboy uniform, flailing around with a Gibson SG in hand, the world of guitar has never really been the same. Although Young might not be the most technically proficient guitarist to ever grace the airwaves, what he lacks in note-picking ability he more than makes up for in performance. Angus Young found inspiration for that performance at a young age, idolising the guitar heroes of the 1960s.
Born into a musical family, it was clear that Young’s prospects extended far beyond the Cranhill area of Glasgow. Eventually, after moving to Sydney, Australia, Young would help to form AC/DC in 1973, a group that would go on to completely revolutionise hard rock and create some of the most recognisable rock and roll anthems of the 20th century. His riffs and energetic performances are an absolutely essential aspect of AC/DC’s success, so it is lucky that Young had a wealth of influences to draw upon during his youth.
Growing up in the 1960s, the guitarist had a front row seat to witness some of the greatest rock stars of all time. The decade was a defining era for rock and roll, bringing about prolific and pioneering artists, of which The Yardbirds were a notable example. The blues rock disciples spawned the careers of three of the greatest guitarists of all time: Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page.
Talking to Guitar magazine, Angus Young recalled seeing the band firsthand at the age of only 12 or 13 with his brother, Malcolm. “We had gone, the two of us together, and we had seen people like the band The Yardbirds,” he remembered, “they had come to Australia. And at the time, the lineup had just changed. I think they originally used to have Jeff Beck. But then, later on, when we saw them, they didn’t have Jeff Beck – they had Jimmy Page on guitar.”
Page would, obviously, go on to spearhead the hard rock genre with Led Zeppelin, but his talents were just as awe-inspiring during his time with The Yardbirds. “That was good,” Young said, “because at that time, that kind of sound, especially for guitar, it jumped out at you, the sound of it.” Clearly, hearing Page’s playing had a profound effect on the adolescent Angus Young, but it was nothing compared to the distinctive sounds of one Jimi Hendrix.
You would be hard-pressed to find a rock guitarist who does not owe something to the unmistakable innovation of Jimi Hendrix, as Young can attest to. “Then when along came Hendrix,” he recalled, “you kind of went, ‘Woah! This is another level on guitar.’ So I was very much a fan of that.” Reportedly, the AC/DC musician was a particular fan of ‘Purple Haze’, saying, “When I first heard the song, I was totally enthralled. ‘How’s he doing that?’ I was just so impressed with it.”
Although Young might have favoured abrasive hard rock over the psychedelic stylings of Hendrix, the influence of the ‘Purple Haze’ songwriter is nevertheless present within the music of AC/DC. After all, both guitarists placed a huge importance on the spectacle of performance, as well as the formulation of infectious riffs.
