ANGUS YOUNG Defends AC/DC's Unchanging Sound: 'This Is What We Do Best — We Make Rock And Roll'

November 25, 2020

In a new interview with Waleed Aly, co-host of Australia's news and current affairs television program "The Project", AC/DC guitarist Angus Young addressed the fact that the band never changed its style, focusing instead on fine-tuning its distinct sound over the years.

"With us, it's to be expected," he said (see video below). As my brother [late AC/DC rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young] used to say, when somebody said, 'Every album you've ever made sounds the same,' he said, 'Yeah. It's the same band.' When we started, we weren't reinventing the wheel. This is what we do best — we make rock and roll."

Angus also once again confirmed that AC/DC's long-awaited comeback album, "Power Up", is a tribute to Malcolm, who died in 2017 from effects of dementia at age 64. Malcolm is credited as a writer on all 12 tracks on "Power Up", along with Angus.

"With Malcolm, he would just always get rolling," Angus said. "That was him. A lot of these songs we'd done on this album, a lot of them are tracks he always said, 'Well, we've gotta get these done.' He always wanted them out there on an album."

According to Angus, there are plenty of unreleased AC/DC song ideas left over that could surface on future LPs.

"Around the album 'Black Ice', which was the last album Malcolm was on, we had a number of years off and we had so much stuff that we had written together — boxes full of stuff," Angus said.

"Power Up" hit the No. 1 spot in 18 countries, including in the U.S., where it sold over 117,000 copies in the first week. The LP marks AC/DC's sixth No. 1 album in Australia where the band is the only Australian group in history to have had a No. 1 album across five decades: "Back In Black" (1980s),"Ballbreaker Live" (1990s),"Black Ice" (2000s),"Rock Or Bust" (2010s) and "Power Up" (2020s). The album also holds Germany's biggest first week of 2020 and the biggest first week for an international act in four years, as well as being the U.K.'s fastest-selling album of 2020 and the biggest first week of the year.

"Power Up" is the fastest-selling album of 2020 in at least three of its biggest markets — U.S., Australia and the U.K. — where it debuted at No. 1. In the U.K., it opened with first-week sales of 62,000. 52,955 units of these were on a physical format (CD, vinyl, cassette).

"Power Up" features AC/DC's 2020 lineup of Brian Johnson (vocals),Phil Rudd (drums),Cliff Williams (bass),Angus (guitar) and Stevie Young (guitar). The LP was recorded over a six-week period in August and September 2018 at Warehouse Studios in Vancouver with producer Brendan O'Brien, who also worked 2008's "Black Ice" and 2014's "Rock Or Bust".

"Power Up" is available in multiple configurations, including digital, CD, and deluxe versions. The limited edition, one-of-a-kind deluxe "Power Up" box is the ultimate fan package. Hit the button on the side of the box and watch the flashing neon AC/DC logo light up while the opening bars of "Shot In The Dark" blast out of the built-in speaker. Inside the box is the full CD package in a soft-pack with a 20-page booklet that features exclusive photos and USB charging cable allowing the box to remain powered up and on display. The vinyl LP was pressed on 180-gram vinyl and housed in a gatefold jacket. Limited-edition variants of the LP are available at select retailers nationwide, as well as the band's online store.

Photo credit: Josh Cheuse

AC/DC's Angus Young and Brian Johnson Chat To Waleed

AC/DC's Angus Young and Brian Johnson have a brand new album and they caught up with Waleed to tell him all about it, including why the tracks are a tribute to the late Malcolm Young.

Posted by The Project on Monday, November 16, 2020

Find more on Ac/dc
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • reddit
  • email

Comments Disclaimer And Information

BLABBERMOUTH.NET uses the Facebook Comments plugin to let people comment on content on the site using their Facebook account. The comments reside on Facebook servers and are not stored on BLABBERMOUTH.NET. To comment on a BLABBERMOUTH.NET story or review, you must be logged in to an active personal account on Facebook. Once you're logged in, you will be able to comment. User comments or postings do not reflect the viewpoint of BLABBERMOUTH.NET and BLABBERMOUTH.NET does not endorse, or guarantee the accuracy of, any user comment. To report spam or any abusive, obscene, defamatory, racist, homophobic or threatening comments, or anything that may violate any applicable laws, use the "Report to Facebook" and "Mark as spam" links that appear next to the comments themselves. To do so, click the downward arrow on the top-right corner of the Facebook comment (the arrow is invisible until you roll over it) and select the appropriate action. You can also send an e-mail to blabbermouthinbox(@)gmail.com with pertinent details. BLABBERMOUTH.NET reserves the right to "hide" comments that may be considered offensive, illegal or inappropriate and to "ban" users that violate the site's Terms Of Service. Hidden comments will still appear to the user and to the user's Facebook friends. If a new comment is published from a "banned" user or contains a blacklisted word, this comment will automatically have limited visibility (the "banned" user's comments will only be visible to the user and the user's Facebook friends).