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Classic Rock News And Views
July 31, 2009
AC/DC’s Brian Johnson Considers Retirement
“I try to keep myself fit, and I love it being in this band…but the other lads are in their early fifties. I’m the old dog in the regiment. I don’t want for people to see me on stage and say, ‘Oh, poor old f**er, the band’s carrying him!’”
Those are the kinds of things that worry aging rockers. At least in the case of Brian Johnson, who has been fronting AC/DC for around three decades. At 61, Johnson is thinking that the Black Ice tour may be his last. There are others in the band that don’t seem willing to give up their long-time vocalist just yet, however.
Guitarist Malcolm Young responded to the news of Johnson’s possible retirement by saying: “What are you talkin’ about? We’re not gonna let you retire!” That’s surely a nice vote of confidence for Johnson, but it sounds as if Johnson just wants to go out on a high note, so to speak.
Being an aging rocker can present problems that seem a thousand years in the future when you’re a twenty-something rock sensation, but there’s no stopping the aging process, and the changes it imposes on all of us. Recent health problems that have plagued Aerosmith are a stark reminder of that fact.
After 30 years of singing AC/DC songs, it’s hard to fault the guy for wanting to hang it up. Perhaps he just wants to go home and relax and enjoy the rest of his life without the physical and emotional demands that go hand-in-hand with being the vocalist for a hard-rocking group like AC/DC. That’s got to be a pretty demanding job even for a young guy!
Although this is a development that may disappoint AC/DC fans, it seems there may still be a chance to see Johnson perform with the group again before he hangs up his microphone. He has agreed to remain at his post until the Black Ice tour is complete, and there is talk that it might be 2011 before that happens.
Johnson was recently interviewed by Classic Rock Magazine.
October 29, 2008
AC/DC Is Back And In The Black
This time, the reference to being in black has nothing to do with their album Back In Black and more to do with black ink, as opposed to red ink, which, in the world of business, separates the difference between financial success and financial failure.
The fact that AC/DC’s brand-new album, Black Ice, has topped the charts in 29 countries is a pretty good indicator that the group’s latest effort is adding significant quantities of black ink to their balance sheet.
Having already sold in excess of 780,000 copies in the U.S. alone, the release of Black Ice marks the second time that 
the Australian rock group has topped the charts here in the U.S.
With the group just getting their tour underway, we now have word on the list of songs that will comprise their 2-hour show:
01. Rock ‘N Roll Train (from Black Ice, 2008)
02. Hell Ain’t A Bad Place To Be (from Let There Be Rock, 1977)
03. Back In Black (from Back In Black, 1980)
04. Stiff Upper Lip (from Stiff Upper Lip, 2000)
05. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (from Dirty Deeds, 1976)
06. Thunderstruck (from The Razors Edge, 1990)
07. Hard As A Rock (from Ballbreaker, 1995)
08. The Jack (from TNT, 1975)
09. Hells Bells (from Back In Black, 1980)
10. Shoot To Thrill (from Back In Black, 1980)
11. You Shook Me All Night Long (from Back In Black, 1980)
12. TNT (from TNT, 1975)
13. Whole Lotta Rosie (from Let There Be Rock, 1977)
14. Let There Be Rock (from Let There Be Rock, 1977)
15. Highway To Hell (from Highway To Hell, 1979)
16. For Those About To Rock (from For Those About To Rock, 1981)
17. Anything Goes (from Black Ice, 2008)
18. Big Jack (from Black Ice, 2008)
19. War Machine (from Black Ice, 2008)
20. Black Ice (from Black Ice, 2008)
21. Bad Boy Boogie (from Let There Be Rock, 1977)
Check out Undercover for more on AC/DC.
October 23, 2008
Classic Rock Briefs For October 22, 2008
AC/DC CD Selling Like Crazy
Not surprisingly, AC/DC fans are quickly snapping up copies of the group’s new album, Black Ice. It’s is projected to sell 800,000 copies during the first week of its release. It is already ahead of the Eagles last album, which, like Black Ice, was an exclusive deal with Wal-Mart. Full Story.
Relishing a surprise Grammy, Frampton shows fans his way
He sure doesn’t look the shaggy-haired rocker we remember for the days of “Show Me the Way” and “Do You Feel Like We Do?,” but Peter Frampton is still making music and entertaining fans in person. With a 2007 Grammy Award under his belt for his instrumental album Fingerprints, Frampton’s style has certainly evolved through the years, but proves that he can still sell albums and draw fans to his live performances. Full Story.
How Rockers rocked the ’70s
Although not a new release, Barney Hoskyns’ book, Hotel California: The True Life Adventures of Crosby, Stills, Nash, Young, Mitchell, Taylor, Browne, Ronstadt, Geffen, the Eagles, and Their Many Friends may be an entertaining and revealing read for classic rock fans. One particularly interesting and surprising fact that comes to light in the book is the infamous Charles Manson’s connection to the music scene at the time, and how he actually had some influence on a track that was included on a Beach Boys album. Full Story.
The book is available at Amazon.com
Alice Cooper To Host ‘The Monstrous Munster Mash’
Veteran shock rocker Alice Cooper has been in the news quite a lot recently and with Halloween just around the corner, there’s no reason to stop talking about him now. Cooper will host WGN’s The Monstrous Munster Mash on Halloween starting at 4:00 PM ET. The program features 16 classic back-to-back episodes of The Munsters, who are obviously near and dear to Cooper’s heart. Full Story.
October 21, 2008
New Interview With AC/DC Guitar Man Angus Young
With the release of AC/DC’s brand-new album, Black Ice, the spotlight is back on the group after the eight or so years since their last album we released. Lead guitarist Angus Young, famous for his school boy stage costume, talked recently with Australia’s Undercover website.
Some of the more interesting facts to come to light during the interview include word that AC/DC may not live up to the “bad boy” image that they have seemed to picked up during their hard-rocking career.
Young mentions another interview that was done with his brother Malcolm where a German interviewer asked him if he had any desire to toss a nearby television out a window. Answering with what the interviewer may not have expected, Young said he would rather just take it home.
Providing more evidence that he is more like a normal guy than some might suspect, Angus Young talks about how he would not be allowed into his own home if he showed up in his costume, and how he is instructed to wipe his feet before he comes in. Something a lot of us regular folks can relate to – excluding the costume, of course.
He also talks about how he handles the wealth that being part of a successful group provides and says that he has never been one to go for the flashy things like big houses with swimming pools. Although he does admit a “bimbo” on each arm might not be such a bad thing.
We also get a little insight into Young’s seemingly non-stop movement while on stage, often running back and forth from one side to the other. He reports that he does it partly in an effort to prevent hearing loss, which one could consider a serious possibility as a result of standing in front of a massive stack of speakers for too long.
The death of original singer Bon Scott is talked about, which was a very difficult thing for the group to deal with, and almost led to their break-up. Young reports that he was particularly close to Scott and that his loss was perhaps even more difficult than losing a family member.
This interview reminds me of the recent interview with Alice Cooper that was done up in Canada with the CBC because we hear more about the normal lives of these people, who are known to most of us only as rock stars on a stage, or on the radio and television. To me, it is always interesting to hear how normal many of them are when they are not performing, and how different their personalities can be in contrast to the characters they play for a living.
You can read the entire interview at Undercover.
October 20, 2008
Classic Rock Briefs For Monday, October 20, 2008
AC/DC’s Black Ice Hits Store Shelves Today
The store shelves, however, will be limited to Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club stores, where special display areas will be set up for the event.
Some tongue-in-cheek comments from AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson may have a few fans chuckling a bit today. The 61-year-old says that ticket sales for the upcoming tour have sold so briskly because fans expect that one of the aging rockers may die on stage.
Johnson was reported to have said: “Some fans are saying, ‘The singer’s 61. I’m going to that show, I might see him die.’ ”
Johnson does not appear to be taking his own jokes lying down and has hired on a trainer that will work with the singer to improve his stamina. With 42 dates on the itinerary, that does not sound like a bad idea. Full Story.
‘The Q’ Keeps on Rocking Texas
These days radio station changing formats to stay current with the desires of their audience is not a rare event. For one enduring rock station in El Paso, that has not been a decision that station management has had to wrestle with.
Since 1978, KLAQ-FM has been rocking the airwaves around El Paso and continues with no sign of a format change on the horizon. In fact, the station is keeping up with the latest in technology, including HD radio, a digital format that allows them to split their signal in two and provide more current rock music on one channel and classic rock on another.
Technology marches on and rock marches right along with it. Full Story.
Alice Cooper Interview
During the Canadian leg of his Along Came A Spider tour, the shock rock veteran took a little time for an interview with the CBC. Among other things, Cooper confesses to be terrified of needles, talks about his long marriage, his children and how he loves playing the part of Alice Cooper.
As a warning to fans planning to attend one of his shows, and have seats situated in the first 20 rows, Cooper ends by saying that they will be part of the show. In particular, watch out for the jugular vein.
