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The AC/DC song that Angus Young hates

The AC/DC song that Angus Young hates

As AC/DC’s guitarist, Angus Young doesn’t have many regrets. Not only is he one of the most famous and influential musicians of his generation, but given the group’s penchant for producing sonorous anthems steeped in the essence of living in the here and now, you wouldn’t necessarily think he spends much time thinking about things they could have done better.

In the grand scheme of things, there’s no real reason for that. The Australian band’s long list of successes, including global classics like “Back in Black,” “Highway to Hell,” and “Thunderstruck,” would be more than enough for most musicians to die happy and put their creative concerns to rest.

And with other songs like “TNT” and “Hells Bells” also considered classics of the rock genre – all featuring the unmistakable roughness of Young’s Gibson SG – this highly successful career has not produced many artistic regrets.

In Young’s case, this is especially true. The group set out to bring good, old-fashioned rock ‘n’ roll back to the forefront as a pompous interpretation of the genre emerged as a zeitgeist in the early 1970s, and they succeeded with flying colors. The outspoken Young even named the two most overrated live bands of the decade, Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones, groups that he felt had abandoned their electrifying rock ‘n’ roll roots in favor of something far more boring.

This departure from the style of the English bands gives a clear idea of ​​how Young and AC/DC view music. It also underlines why he hates one song in his band’s work that stands out as a rare moment he would rather forget. In conversation with vulture In 2020, the guitar hero named the song he regrets most, and in true style chose their only ballad, “Love Song (Oh Jene),” from their 1975 Australian debut album. High voltageIf it wasn’t already clear: he is a true rock’n’roll purist.

“On our first album high voltage, We made a love song called Love song,” Young explained: “It was very different for us. I didn’t know if we were trying to parody love songs of the time because Bon (Scott) wrote the lyrics. I don’t even remember the lyrics.”

He recalled: “I remember that song because the guy who worked for us at our record label told us it was on the local radio at the time – very soft music. He said we should release the song because it would probably get played on the radio. I remember thinking, ‘Who in their right mind would want that out?'”

In further proof of AC/DC’s indefatigable courage, things went well on that front. With their frenetic sound having caused a sensation in clubs across Australia, radio stations knew the ballad wasn’t their true selves, so they took a closer look at their work. High voltage was released simultaneously as “Love Song”; however, the B-side, their cover of the blues classic “Baby, Please Don’t Go”, ultimately garnered all the acclaim.

Since AC/DC are essentially a fast blues band, “Love Song” was not played on the radio, and “Baby, Please Don’t Go” was played instead. Young concluded, “We actually had a hit with the B-side! That was the only saving grace for the song.”

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