“He knows how it should be”: Angus Young on the only person able to replace Malcolm Young in AC/DC
There are certain artists that no one could ever hope to replicate. It’s easy to fill someone’s shoes and play all the exact parts half the time, but if The Beatles suddenly decided to reform in the 1970s without Paul McCartney, there would have been mass hysteria from Fab fans demanding that they bring him back. While AC/DC have had a revolving door of artists come out of their ranks, it would have been impossible to continue the band without either Malcolm or Angus Young.
Despite many people criticising the Australian rockers for writing simple music half the time, it’s easy to see why they were so successful. Their rhythms were basic power chords because that’s the first thing that most people think of when they hear rock and roll, and as soon as those booming open chords of ‘You Shook Me All Night Long’ start, most people are in heaven before Brian Johnson’s vocals even come in.
While a lot of excitement comes from watching Angus tear it up in his schoolboy uniform, Malcolm was always the engine of the group. He never attracted the spotlight like his brother did, but since most of his job revolved around the rhythm, his presence is more felt than heard half the time, especially when he locks in with the drums to create that signature groove on their albums.
In fact, Malcolm was actually the better guitar player in many respects. He never bothered trying to solo because it didn’t suit him, but looking at every single cover band in existence who has tried to play ‘Highway to Hell’, the reason why half of them don’t work is because they never seem to nail the same swinging feel that Malcolm was the king of. So when that voice is silenced, what the hell are you supposed to do?
“Nothing could ever replace Malcolm, because Malcolm is the founder, and he set the whole style. But Stevie certainly can do the role.”
Angus Young
While the rhythm guitarist had been dealing with ongoing health issues throughout his final tours with AC/DC, he never lost his groove whenever he played. But after he had battled dementia and was moved into a nursing home, Angus knew that he needed someone who could have that same smack when they played, and he didn’t even have to search that far outside of the family when his nephew Stevie picked up the pace on tour.
For Angus, Stevie Young was the first and only choice when it came to replacing Malcolm’s signature style, saying, “Nothing could ever replace Malcolm because Malcolm is the founder, and he set the whole style. But Stevie certainly can do the role. He knows how it should be. So it’s just a case of the two of us sitting down and making sure we’re in sync.” And it’s not like this was the first time Stevie was taken on the road.
He had already plugged in and played all of Malcolm’s parts when he had to take a leave of absence to go to rehab, so locking in wasn’t that hard to grasp. And while there is some disappointment about not being able to see Malcolm since his death in 2017, you’d hardly hear any difference in the tone, almost matching his uncle note-for-note when going out on the road with Axl Rose.
So, while many people can spend their time trying to match the exact tone that Malcolm had in AC/DC, everyone from Angus to Stevie to their older brother George understood what made them so special in those early days. Beyond the raw musicianship, there was something in the Young bloodline that cut deeper than any standard musical connection.
