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WHO MADE WHO? el rock hizo a acdc o acdc hizo al rock?

sábado, 28 de abril de 2007

Malcolm Young

Biography
His younger lead guitar-playing brother Angus may be the main attraction of AC/DC in concert, but rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young is the band's musical anchor. Born on January 6, 1953, in Glasgow, Scotland, Malcolm and his family relocated to Sydney, Australia, when he was ten-years-old. Inspired by his older brother, George, who hit it big as a member of the Easybeats (scoring a worldwide smash with "Friday on My Mind"), young Malcolm began playing guitar in local bands, one being the Velvet Underground (not the same V.U. as the one fronted by Lou Reed). By 1973, Malcolm decided to join forces with younger brother Angus, and after they lent their talents to an obscure recording (Marcus Hook Roll Band Tales of Old Granddaddy), the duo formed AC/DC. Although they went through numerous lineup changes, by the time the lineup consisted of singer Bon Scott, drummer Phil Rudd, and bassist Mark Evans in 1974, the band had already carved their niche (straight-ahead, unglamorous rock & roll) and were signed. The band became a must-see live attraction due to Angus' wildman persona, but Malcolm created quite an imposing figure on-stage -- standing stoically while bashing out Chuck Berry-esque riffs on his battered Gretsch Jet Firebird guitar. AC/DC's brand of tough barroom boogie created quite a stir with both metalheads and fans of just good ol' rock & roll who were sick of prog rock and disco -- issuing a string of classic albums in the process -- 1976's High Voltage and Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, 1977's Let There Be Rock, 1978's Powerage and If You Want Blood, and 1979's Highway to Hell. With massive breakthrough success just around the corner, the band was dealt a devastating blow when Scott died from alcohol poisoning in early 1980, but AC/DC regrouped with new singer Brian Johnson, and returned stronger than ever with one of rock's all-time classics (and best-sellers), Back in Black. The quintet spent the rest of the decade churning out albums and touring the world, but shortly after the release of their 1988 album, Blow Up Your Video, Malcolm realized that a lifelong alcohol addiction had spiraled dangerously out of control. Not wanting to follow in the footsteps of Scott, Young took a leave of absence from the band, and sorted out his personal problems once and for all (his nephew, Stevie Young, filled in for Malcolm during the band's world tour that year). When he returned, AC/DC picked up just where they left off, releasing one of their most commercially successful albums yet, 1990's The Razor's Edge, and continuing their album-tour routine for the remainder of the decade and beyond. Malcolm Young's sturdy rhythm guitar style has influenced a legion of hard rock players over the years, namely Metallica's James Hetfield and Guns N' Roses' Izzy Stradlin. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide

lunes, 23 de abril de 2007

Brian Johnson

Brian Johnson nació el 5 de octubre de 1947 en Newcastle (Inglaterra), vocalista de AC/DC. Geordie era la banda en la que estaba antes de entrar en AC/DC. Su primer álbum como vocalista de AC/DC fue Back In Black.

La leyenda nos indica que es un gran consumidor de cerveza y que sus mayores influencias son Joe Cake y Ray Charles. Es muy conocida su afición a las carreras de coches. En más de una ocasión ha disputado alguna carrera con su bólido.

viernes, 6 de abril de 2007

The mighty Angus Young

Bueno, les dejo un articulo con entrevista a Angus, esta en inlges pero ta, espero les guste.


Interview and photos by Lisa Sharken

Angus Young is perhaps one of the world’s most underrated guitarists whose style is frequently imitated, but never duplicated. Since 1973, Young has been bludgeoning an SG as the lead guitarist with legendary rockers AC/DC. Catchy blues-influenced riffs played with a crushing guitar tone and blistering lead hooks are what make the group’s sound so easily identifiable. On the group’s recent release, Stiff Upper Lip (Elektra/Asylum), Young carries on in the brutal and ballsy AC/DC tradition that has driven the group since its early days.

To honor Young’s loyalty to the SG model, Gibson recently introduced the Angus Young Signature SG, a faithful reproduction of the artist’s original trademark axe. Designed and manufactured to Angus' exacting specifications, this new SG features an engraved lyre vibrola, an Angus Signature treble pickup along with a ’57 Classic rhythm pickup, a "Devil" peghead decal and comes with a special Angus Young Signature SG hardshell case.

In a recent interview, Young discussed AC/DC’s music and how the SG has always been an important part of its sound, both live and in the studio. Young also offers some tips on how he achieves his massive tone and keeps the show pumping.

Has the AC/DC sound changed much since its early days with Bon Scott to the rebirth of the band with Brian Johnson? What’s different about it now and what’s remained the same?

The style of the music is still the same. We still play hard rock or rock and roll music. That’s what we started with and we still play it now. We just try to find new ways of presenting it, and for us, that’s always a challenge - to come up with a new idea, turn it into AC/DC and still retain that style. We’ve recorded a lot of material over the years and, in a way, you have to be your own editor. We look at it all, but we don’t let every one of the songs we write go out there. We try to pick the best of what we’ve got.

As a player, how do you feel that your own style and technique have evolved?

I try to find new ways of playing things and I’ve always had a thing where I don’t put a guitar lick into something just for the sake of putting a guitar lick into something. I like everything to have a groove and go with the track and besides that, you do like it to shine out, too, so it doesn’t come across as just being in there as filler.

Do you frequently change the ways that you approach some of the material when you play it live, as opposed to playing exactly what was on the original recording?

Sure. We’ve got a few tracks that we sort of leave room for spontaneity and the way we play them could change over the years. You might add a little bit here and there, and when you get onstage you may play a different riff than usual. You might play with the audience have and them join in with you. Some nights you might change it around and do something completely different. I think it keeps things exciting for the band and for the people who have come out and seen us on tour. The fans get a big kick out of hearing something different.

You’ve always been a minimalist in your choices of gear and have always gone with the traditional "guitar into an amp" route. Has your rig changed much over the years?

No, I always keep it simple. I think when you get onstage and you’re playing rock and roll, the big lesson is this: If you’ve got too many toys up there, then there’s too many things that can go wrong.

When did you first start playing SGs?

I think it was the first real guitar I ever had and I guess I’ve been using it since then.

What year or model was your first SG?

It was a ’68. I still have it and play it, too.

What is it about the SG that makes it special to you?

I always wanted an SG as a kid. I had a friend from San Francisco who went to school with me in Sydney. He had a Gibson guitar catalog and when I looked through it and saw the SG, I said, “That’s my guitar!” I always liked the shape of it and when I got a hold of my first one, I was in love with it. I’ve always thought it was a great guitar. The shape of the SG has the little horns, it’s red and it’s a little devilish. With the double-cutaway you don’t have to reach around, so it’s easier to play higher up on the neck, and it’s also lightweight. Of course, I like the sound of it, too. I tried a Les Paul once, but I’m a little guy and the SG just felt more balanced for me. The SG has just always been the right guitar for me.

Have you ever played any guitars besides the SG, either live or on a recording? Have you ever used a Strat or a Tele?

I’ve played other guitars, but not on a recording or live, except as a spare. When my brother and I were younger and we were gigging, I had my SG and Malcolm had his Gretsch. We had one spare guitar that we shared and that was a Telecaster that belonged to Malcolm. We put a humbucking pickup on it in the neck position. If I broke a string, I could use it and kick on the humbucker. If he broke a string, he could kick on the Fender pickup in the bridge position. That was about the only other guitar we ever played on stage.

Do you prefer to keep the stock pickups in your guitars?

Yes. I usually like to leave a guitar alone because those pickups are part of the character of it. If I bought a guitar that had an old battered-up pickup in it and that’s what gave it that particular sound quality, then I’ll leave it. Sometimes you get those freaky accidents that make things sound different.

What gauge strings and picks do you prefer?

I use .009-.042 gauge strings and for picks, sometimes my fingernails, but I usually use extra heavy gauge picks in the regular shape. Some of those old Fender extra heavy picks used to last me for years.

What are your typical live amp settings?

In your part of the world, a lot of venues are built with the same sort of design, so the sound doesn’t change all that much from night to night. But the amp settings will vary a bit in different venues. We do a little bit of juggling before we go out on tour and just try to get things as consistent as possible. I’ll take four 100-watt amps (Marshall or Wizard) and try them out individually. I’ll get a couple together and go through them to try to line up four that are pretty much the same in terms of tone and character. Then I just crank up a little bit of bass and put a little bit of middle in. If it’s too bassy, I’ll cut it back. Usually, all the controls are set about halfway, never full up. A lot of people think it sounds best when you drive the amps to death, but I never do it that way. I think that when you turn things up too much, the sound sort of goes a bit mushy.

Your tone is actually much cleaner than many people think.

It is. The amp is set very clean. A lot of people who have picked up my guitar and tried it through my amp have been shocked at how clean it is. They think it’s a very small sound when they play it and wonder how it sounds so much bigger when I’m playing. I just like enough gain so that it will still cut when you hit a lead lick without getting that sort of false Tonebender-type sound. I like to get a natural sustain from the guitar and amp.

Do you ever use a boost pedal for leads?

No. The only boost between the guitar and amp is me!

What do you use as your typical studio rig?

I take in a 100-watt top, a Marshall JTM45, and two 4x12 cabinets. Sometimes I’ll use the double cabinets or just a single 4x12. It usually depends on what I’m doing. If I’m doing rhythm work with my brother, then I’ll use the twin cabinets. But if it’s a guitar lick that I’m recording, then I might use the JTM45 and just one cabinet.

When you’re working in the studio, do you like to record when standing in the same room as your amp?

It just depends on the nature of the room. If you’ve got a great-sounding live room and everyone’s in the same room - especially the drums and the guitars - then I think you’ll really cook because there’s more of a feeling of camaraderie. It makes for much more of a live feel. If you’re in the control room or separated, sometimes you can be a little bit cut off. We’ve done it different ways, but a lot of it is still down to the room itself. If you’ve got a great-sounding live room, you can get lucky.

What differs most about the way that you approach playing in the studio and a live gig?

In both situations, I’ve always found that it works to put your best foot forward and don’t be afraid. I suppose it’s a bit like swimming. You can’t just dip your little toe in the water. You’ve got to go all the way. I believe you’ve got nothing to fear, although a lot of people think that’s strange. If you hit a bum note, that was fate. Some of those bum notes might be a great accident. I think that if you’re too tight and restricted, then those sort of little spontaneous things just seem to give it that little bit of magic, they won’t happen. Every now and again, we all hit a bum note. The ideal situation is just to hit less of them! I think that it just takes a bit of confidence when you’re doing something. I’ve never been afraid. I guess I’m lucky for having grown up in a family of musicians. I think that gave me a lot of confidence about my playing and made it easier for me to be comfortable in any musical situation.

Do you do much home recording when you’re writing or doing pre-production for your records?

Oh, sure. We do a lot of on-the-road stuff, too. I get ideas from being on the road and I might write down pieces of a lyric, a title of a song, or just ideas or riffs, and tunes I want to remember. I don’t think there’s a set pattern for writing. If we’re on the bus, I might knock down a couple of things on a cassette. I think that in a lot of our best stuff, there’s a combination of things we might do on the road and things we might do at home. You just can play editor and see which elements can come together and then piece things together.

Which environment works best for you to write songs?

I don’t think there is an ideal environment. We’ve written songs under a hell of a lot of pressure, but then some songs just come when suddenly and spontaneously, like when you’re not thinking and you’re in the middle of a cab ride. We’ve even written songs on stage. But that’s the key, I suppose, never knowing when to expect it.

What advice would you give to another player on keeping the show going when playing live?

Once you’re on the stage you can’t go back, even when things go wrong, people expect you to stay on there and entertain them. When all else fails, you’ve got to try tap dancing.

jueves, 5 de abril de 2007

Discografía

* 1974 High Voltage (Versión australiana)
* 1975 T.N.T. (Versión australiana)
* 1976 High Voltage
* 1976 Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
* 1977 Let There Be Rock
* 1978 Powerage
* 1978 If You Want Blood You've Got It
* 1979 Highway to Hell
* 1980 Back In Black
* 1981 For Those About to Rock We Salute You
* 1983 Flick of the Switch
* 1984 Jailbreak



* 1985 Fly on the Wall
* 1986 Who Made Who
* 1988 Blow Up Your Video
* 1990 The Razor's Edge
* 1992 Live!
* 1992 Live! Two CD Collector's Edition
* 1995 Ballbreaker
* 1997 Volts
* 1997 Live from the Atlantic Studios
* 1997 Let There be Rock: The Movie, Live in Paris
* 2000 Stiff Upper Lip
* 2005 Dualdisc de Back in Black y el DVD Family Jewels

Historia

Aunque en la época inicial, la banda tuvo a Dave Evans como el cantante, sus fanáticos tienden a dividir la historia de AC/DC en dos etapas: la de Bon Scott (1974-1979) y la de Brian Johnson (1980-actualidad). Algunos fans tienen una preferencia, otros valoran por igual los méritos de ambos cantantes.

La etapa con Bon Scott

El núcleo de la banda se formó básicamente por los hermanos Young, dos jóvenes australianos de origen escocés que decidieron crear una banda de rock and roll. Gracias a su hermano mayor George Young, que alcanzó la fama con su grupo pop The Easybeats en los 60', Malcolm y Angus pudieron introducirse en la música. Después de que desapareciera su grupo The Velvet Underground (nada que ver con Lou Reed), Malcolm formó en 1973 AC/DC en Sydney. Margaret, la hermana de Angus, le sugirió a éste el nombre de la banda, AC/DC, que vio escrito en el enchufe de su maquina de coser (corriente alterna / corriente continua). En una de sus etapas de esplendor, corrieron rumores que el nombre de la banda no se refería a la corriente, sino que contenía mensajes satánicos (Anti Cristo / Muerte a Cristo) los mismos integrantes de la banda desmintieron lo dicho.

Tras diversas variaciones en la batería y el bajo de la banda, la formación quedó formada por Angus y Malcolm Young en guitarras líder y rítmicas respectivamente, Mark Evans en bajo, Phil Rudd en batería y Bon Scott a la voz (reemplazando a Dave Evans). Scott había formado parte de otros grupos de distintos estilos, como Fraternity, The Spektors y The Valentines. Más importante, ayudó a fomentar la imagen violenta del grupo. Tenía varios delitos menores y fue rechazado del ejército por estar desadaptado socialmente. Y AC/DC estaba desadaptada socialmente. Durante su carrera combinaron la agresividad y la imaginería violenta, todo ello salpicado de un peculiar sentido del humor.

Sus primeros dos singles fueron: "Rockin in the Parlour" y " Can I sit next to you, girl" que lo hicieron con el cantante Dave Evans, luego despidieron a Dave Evans y AC/DC apareció en un programa televisivo local de australia cantando con su chofer Bon Scott. El grupo realizó en Australia dos discos: High voltage (1975) y Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap(1976). El material de ambos discos sirvió para elaborar el High Voltage en Estados Unidos y en otoño de 1977 AC/DC lanzó Let There Be Rock. Al año siguiente se incorporó Cliff Williams con Powerage (1978). Todos estos álbumes fueron producidos por Vanda y George Young. El ambiente de sus conciertos fue captado en "If you want blood, you've got it". AC/DC se fue de gira con artistas como Alice Cooper, Rush, Aerosmith, Ted Nugent, Boston, Black Sabbath, Cheap Trick, Heart, Scorpions, Molly Hatchet, Ronnie Montrose, Nazareth, UFO, Journey, Foreigner, Van Halen, Styx, Blue Öyster Cult, Alvin Lee, Rainbow, Savoy Brown, REO Speedwagon, The Doobie Brothers, Thin Lizzy y The Who.

Lo que realmente les abrió las puertas del éxito fue Highway to Hell (1979), producido por Mutt Lange, para muchos el mejor álbum de los australianos y que alcanzó el puesto 17º en las listas americanas y el 8º en las británicas, convirtiéndose en su primer trabajo en conseguir un millón de copias vendidas. Este álbum figura en la lista de los 200 álbumes indispensables elaborada por la revista Rolling Stone. El tema principal del LP, la canción "Highway to Hell", se acabaría convirtiendo para muchos en todo un himno del Rock and Roll de finales de los '70.

Cuando todo parecía ir muy bien (AC/DC tenían éxito en ventas en Europa y los Estados Unidos) la desgracia cayó sobre el grupo una noche londinense, 19 de febrero de 1980, en que perdieron a su vocalista. La causa de la defunción de Scott fue de ahogamiento en su propio vómito al quedarse dormido en su auto en el garage de su casa a consecuencia de una intoxicación etílica.

La etapa con Brian Johnson

Tras la muerte de Bon Scott la banda se plantea su continuidad pero finalmente reclutaron a Brian Johnson. El inglés provenía de la popular banda británica Geordie y se dice que era el vocalista preferido de Scott. Johnson se encontraba sin grupo y meditaba si continuar en el mundo musical.

Sin embargo, el reto y entró con el resto de compañeros a grabar lo que sería uno de los grandes discos de los años 1980: "Back In Black", disco dedicado a Bon Scott y también bajo la producción de Mutt Lange. Las cifras alcanzadas por este álbum son notables: en Estados Unidos, encabezó la lista de ventas durante 5 semanas, manteniéndose durante otras 20 en el Top 10, y estando en total 131 en el Top 40. Transcurrido un año, había rebasado los 5 millones de ventas en este país, y hasta la fecha la RIAA certifica 22 álbumes de platino para Back in Black, lo que se traduce en más de 22 millones de copias vendidas en EEUU. A nivel mundial, las ventas de este LP se estiman superiores a los 40 millones de copias. Por todo ello figura en la segunda posición de la lista de los LPs más vendidos de la historia.

El éxito del Back in Black disparó las ventas de todos sus álbumes anteriores, desatando una "fiebre" por AC/DC. Aprovechando el boom, el disco "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" fue relanzado en marzo de 1981 en EEUU (donde no había sido publicado en 1976, como se hizo en Australia y Gran Bretaña), permaneciendo 55 semanas en la lista de los 40 más vendidos, y obteniendo en 2001 su sexto disco de platino. Asimismo, todos los álbumes anteriores de la banda habían superado el millón de copias en julio del mismo año. En noviembre de 1981, salió a la calle For Those About To Rock: We Salute You, que sacaría a relucir el éxito con el mismo nombre, este fue producido al igual que los dos álbumes anteriores por Mutt Langue. Recibió una buena acogida entre los fans, pero no así entre la crítica. Obtuvo también buenas cifras de ventas, con 1 millón de copias vendidas en su primera semana, y en 2001 confirmó su cuarto álbum de platino en EEUU.

En mayo de 1983, Phil Rudd (batería) fue sustituido por Simon Wright. Los motivos por los que Phil dejó AC/DC no se aclararon del todo, rumoreándose que había tenido una pelea con Malcolm a causa de sus problemas con el alcohol. Tras este relevo, en agosto vería la luz un nuevo LP: "Flick of the Switch". Sería el primer disco producido por Angus y Malcolm. Este álbum hizo decaer el status comercial del grupo de manera muy notable. En octubre de 1984 editarían "'74 Jailbreak" un mini-LP con varias canciones inéditas y que conmemoraba los 10 años de existencia de la banda. En junio de 1985 aparece "Fly On the Wall" , considerado por algunos como el peor disco de AC/DC, también producido por los hermanos Young.

En mayo de 1986 se publica "Who Made Who", primer recopilatorio de AC/DC especialmente realizado para la película de Stephen King "Maximum Overdrive", y que obtuvo unas ventas razonablemente buenas. En enero de 1988 volverían a la carga con "Blow Up Your Video", producido por Vanda y George Young. El disco no obtuvo el éxito de principios de los 80. Durante el tour de 1988, por causas personales, Malcolm Young es sustituido por su sobrino Stevie Young (Stevie solo sustituiría a Malcolm durante la gira americana). En noviembre de 1989 Simon Wright abandona el grupo para incorporarse a Dio y es sustituido por Chrish Slade.

Con The Razor's Edge (1990), producido por Bruce Fairbairn volvieron, casi 10 años después, a todo lo alto de las listas de ventas (77 semanas en la lista de los 40 de EEUU y 5 millones de copias vendidas hasta la actualidad) lanzandos por el éxito "Thunderstruck".
Angus Young y Campino, cantante de la banda de punk rock Die Toten Hosen, en 2001.
Angus Young y Campino, cantante de la banda de punk rock Die Toten Hosen, en 2001.

En 1993 lanzan el single "Big Gun" para la banda sonora de la película El Último Gran Héroe (Last Action Hero), protagonizada por Arnold Schwarzenegger, quién también saldría en el videoclip.

En verano de 1994 vuelve Phil Rudd a la batería, luego de que la banda y el tuvieron un reencuentro después de un concierto, Malcolm pudo perdonar a Phil y le pidio que volviera, así en otoño de 1995 lanzaron Ballbreaker, producido por Rick Rubin, entró en las listas en el número 4 y vendió un millón de copias en los primeros seis meses con su single "Hard As a Rock". "Stiff Upper Lip" le siguió a principios de 2000, álbum con el que volvieron a los sonidos que más les influenciaron durante su juventud. Actualmente están a punto de publicar un nuevo álbum de estudio.

Desde el 22 de marzo del 2000, AC/DC tiene una calle en Leganés (Madrid) llamada "Calle de AC/DC", a cuya inauguración asistieron Malcolm y Angus con gran expectación de público y fans. El mismo día de la inauguración la placa fue robada y repuesta a las dos horas. Tres días después fue de nuevo robada y actualmente es incontable el número de veces que ha sido sustraída. Ante esta situación el Ayuntamiento de Leganés decidió sacar a la venta dichas placas para satisfacer las ansias de los fans. Esta anécdota fue expuesta en la película española "ISI/DISI, Amor a lo bestia" dirigida por Chema de la Peña y protagonizada por Santiago Segura y Florentino Fernández.

En el año 2003 AC/DC fue inducido al Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. En octubre de 2004 la ciudad de Melbourne también hizo honor a la banda con una calle, la "ACDC Lane", al aprobar el Ayuntamiento la sustitución del nombre anterior: "Corporation Lane". Inscribieron "ACDC" porque la normativa de la ciudad no permite usar determinados símbolos como la barra "/" en los nombres de sus calles.

En el año 2005 se lanza el dualdisc de Back in Black y el DVD Family Jewels, que es una recopilación de los videos del la banda desde 1973-1990.



extraido de wikipedia

domingo, 1 de abril de 2007

ACDC


AC/DC es una banda de Hard Rock formada en Melbourne (Australia), en 1973, por los hermanos Malcolm y Angus Young. Sus álbumes han sido vendidos en numerosos países, con un total estimado de 150 millones de copias,y su álbum Back in Black vendiendo más de 21 millones en Estados Unidos y 42 millones en todo el mundo, haciéndolo el segundo álbum más vendido de la historia. Aunque el grupo es considerado como pioneros del rock pesado y el heavy metal junto con Kiss,Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple y Black Sabbath,sus miembros refirieron su música como rock & roll.
en la foto: Angus Young y Campino, cantante de la banda de punk rock Die Toten Hosen, en 2001.