Angus Young on why Chuck Berry was “a lot better than Eric Clapton will ever be”
Ranking amongst the greatest guitarists of all time, AC/DC hero Angus Young more than deserves his place in the history books. Blending the primal influence of the blues with the high-octane style that Jimi Hendrix pioneered, he cultivated his distinctive aesthetic by drawing on his many heroes, and it now stands as widely influential. One man credited with particularly helping him on his way to greatness is Chuck Berry.
Influenced by Chuck Berry more than anyone else, bar Jimi Hendrix, ‘The Father of Rock and Roll’, had such an impact on Young that as well as galvanising him with his frenetic music and attitude, he also inspired him to create his famous ‘Duckwalk’, a dance move he pioneered.
Speaking on the BBC’s The Rock Show With Johnnie Walker in 2021, Young explained how Berry inspired him: “Chuck Berry was probably one of the great guitar people for rock and roll. He combined a lot of elements — he combined blues, a bit of jazz and his own unique style.”
The AC/DC man continued: “He melded all these kind of different genres of music, but he seemed to bring it together and bring it out, and it (came) out in that rock and roll style — so plain and simple, but it was so effective. I saw him live once when I was younger. I just loved his stage presence and how he performed. He was one of those people, when he got on a stage, he owned it.”
This was not the first time that Angus Young had effused about the rock ‘n’ roll pioneer. One of his most compelling accounts of Berry’s efforts came in Guitar World back in 1986. Here, he outlined why the American guitarist was so great, claiming he never cared about what people think, a common trait for anyone who rises to the top. This was all rather straightforward until Young compared Berry to one of the most lauded guitarists of his generation, Eric Clapton. Young asserted that Berry is “a lot better than Clapton will ever be” and never saw “what the big fuss” was about the former Cream man.
Young explained: “Chuck Berry was never a caring person. He didn’t care whether he was playing his tune, out of tune, or someone else’s tune. Whenever he plays guitar, he has a big grin from ear to ear. Everyone always used to rave about Clapton when I was growing up, saying he was a guitar genius and stuff like that. Well, even on a bad night, Chuck Berry is a lot better than Clapton will ever be.”
The AC/DC hero concluded: “Clapton just sticks licks together that he has taken from other people—like B.B. King and the other old blues players—and puts them together in some mish-mashed fashion. The only great album her ever made was the Blues Breaker album he did with John Mayall, and maybe a couple of good songs he did with Cream. The guy more or less built his reputation on that. I never saw what the big fuss was about Clapton to begin with.”
Watch Chuck Berry in action below.
