The rhythm guitarist Angus Young said was “probably better than” him on lead
This year, AC/DC have stepped back out on the road to play a critically lauded run of shows to celebrate half a century of innovation. The band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young, has chopped and changed several times over the years, overcoming the odds of tragedy and misfortune to surface with a legacy unparalleled in the hard rock realm.
AC/DC drew up alongside heavy metal titans like Black Sabbath and Van Halen in the 1970s. As with any successful band, they prospered on distinctive qualities, including Bon Scott’s powerful, snarling vocals and Angus Young’s catchy solo riffs. Also central to the band’s sound and aesthetic was the influence of classic rock, as suggested by Angus’ imitation of his “rock god” Chuck Berry’s duck walk.
When Bon Scott tragically died from acute alcohol poisoning in 1980, after much consideration, AC/DC decided to continue with English singer Brian Johnson as a viable replacement. At around the same time, the death of John Bonham put an end to Led Zeppelin’s rock ‘n’ roll reign, but AC/DC found comfort in the fact that they had something in the way of a blessing from Scott.
Before his death, Scott allegedly told his bandmates about a lesser-known British singer called Brian Johnson, praising him for having a voice like his hero. “I remember the first time I had ever heard Brian’s name was from Bon,” guitarist Angus recalled in an interview with BraveWords. “Bon had mentioned that he had been in England once touring with a band, and he had mentioned that Brian had been in a band called Geordie and Bon had said ‘Brian Johnson, he was a great rock and roll singer in the style of Little Richard.’ And that was Bon’s big idol, Little Richard.”
When AC/DC auditioned Johnson, they had recently released their immensely popular album Highway to Hell. The Brit had a big name to live up to and had to impress a band that had surged to the height of rock ‘n’ roll royalty over the late ’70s. Fortunately, it was quickly apparent that Johnson knew “what rock and roll is all about”. Johnson’s tastes aligned perfectly with those of the Young brothers, and after hitting the ground running in the landmark album Back in Black, he had consolidated his rightful place in the band.
With Johnson front and centre, AC/DC persevered through the 1980s and ’90s with fluctuations of commercial appeal and several line-up shuffles. In 2014, Malcolm became seriously ill with dementia, leading to conjecture that AC/DC would disband for good. At the time, the band was finishing work on the album Rock or Bust and enlisted Malcolm’s nephew, Stevie Young, as a replacement on rhythm guitar.
Once again, AC/DC managed to find a viable replacement, allowing them to persevere. In September, Malcolm announced that he was retiring from music as he grappled with his health. Tragically, he passed away just three years later, aged 64, leaving his brother and nephew to hold the AC/DC flag.
Again, the decision to continue after Malcolm’s death was difficult for Angus and Johnson. However, Rock or Bust seemed to maintain a voracious appetite among fans and it became apparent that their job wasn’t done just yet. In 2020, upon the release of Power Up, AC/DC’s first album since Malcolm’s death, Angus touched upon the difficulty encountered in continuing without his brother.
Fortunately, Stevie is a highly skilled rhythm guitarist capable of reproducing the distinctive sound of his uncle. Still, Angus praised his brother as one of the finest rhythm players of all time and observed that pundits often overlook rhythm in favour of lead as the more skilful guitar role. “There was always a tendency for people to only look at solo guitarists, while Malcolm was an out-and-out rhythm player,” Angus told Guitar World. “A lot of people forget that there’s some great rhythm players out there.”
Supposedly, Angus regards his late brother among the rhythm guitar royalty of Pete Townshend and Keith Richards, and rightly so. However, what few fans realise is that Malcolm was also a talented lead player. “Malcolm could do a solo probably even better than me,” Angus humbly admitted. “He’d come up with some great licks. Whenever I heard his things, I’d always say, ‘How’s he doing that?'”
Angus’ claim is certainly a big one, considering that he was responsible for some of the most iconic rock ‘n’ roll solos of the 20th century. If only we could go back in time and watch a Young vs Young lead riff battle to settle the score.
