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jimmyjazz

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Dennis Taylor

Dennis Taylor 19292

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16 hours ago, Al_4_ISU said:


Bon Scott era AC/DC is the peak of hard rock.

IMO, the greatest “what if” in rock history is what Back In Black would have been with him singing. It’s a stone cold classic as it is, but it’s probably on the Zeppelin IV/Exile level with him.

I like Brian.  Coming into that band at that point in time and putting Back in Black out there was an amazing accomplishment. There are places on the internet that will attempt to convince you that Bon had finished writing the follow-up to Highway to Hell and that may have been the occasion he was out celebrating the night he died. Is that true? Who knows besides Angus (and probably a few others) and he denies it . And Bon doesn't strike me as a guy that needed a reason to go out partying. But I do know that in the 40 years since Back in Black, they have put out very few songs that are as good as what they put out in the 7 years prior to it, and I wonder why that is. In my head I can hear Bon singing all the songs on Back in Black, and almost all of them sound better          

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Al_4_ISU

Al_4_ISU 12612

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2 minutes ago, Dennis Taylor said:

I like Brian.  Coming into that band at that point in time and putting Back in Black out there was an amazing accomplishment. There are places on the internet that will attempt to convince you that Bon had finished writing the follow-up to Highway to Hell and that may have been the occasion he was out celebrating the night he died. Is that true? Who knows besides Angus (and probably a few others) and he denies it . And Bon doesn't strike me as a guy that needed a reason to go out partying. But I do know that in the 40 years since Back in Black, they have put out very few songs that are as good as what they put out in the 7 years prior to it, and I wonder why that is. In my head I can hear Bon singing all the songs on Back in Black, and almost all of them sound better          

I'm with you on this 100%.  Brian Johnson has done as good of a job as can possibly be expected in that situation.  I love Back In Black (of course) and have enjoyed plenty of songs he's done lead vocals for. 

But after Back In Black, it was never even close to the run they had before that. 

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jimmyjazz

jimmyjazz 46982

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I'm no AC/DC historian, and I love "Back In Black" more than any of their other records for two reasons:  the songs and the production.  But to me, Brian Johnson strikes me as the quintessentially affable bar band singer, whereas Bon Scott was a hard rock superstar.  It's no slam on Johnson, as others have said, he's done a helluva job replacing an icon.  I mean, Kenny Jones is a terrific drummer, but outside of "Eminence Front", I felt like The Who pretty much died when he took over for Keith Moon.  It's just a near-impossible task, and it has little to do with talent and far more to do with replacing someone who was so distinct in their own style that they're impossible to imitate, much less improve upon.

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Dennis Taylor

Dennis Taylor 19292

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27 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

I'm no AC/DC historian, and I love "Back In Black" more than any of their other records for two reasons:  the songs and the production.  But to me, Brian Johnson strikes me as the quintessentially affable bar band singer, whereas Bon Scott was a hard rock superstar.  It's no slam on Johnson, as others have said, he's done a helluva job replacing an icon. 

that's interesting...To me Brian makes them sound like a much harder band. I'm assuming you have listened to Powerage (and other early stuff) and what stands out to me is the dialed-back production and the emotion Bon conveys. When he says he's hiding from the rent man and it makes him want to cry...you fucking believe that shit. When he says he's been up to his neck in trouble, up to his neck in stife...up to his neck in misery for most of his life- you feel for the guy...I don't get the same from Brian.                 

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jimmyjazz

jimmyjazz 46982

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5 minutes ago, Dennis Taylor said:

that's interesting...To me Brian makes them sound like a much harder band. I'm assuming you have listened to Powerage (and other early stuff) and what stands out to me is the dialed-back production and the emotion Bon conveys. When he says he's hiding from the rent man and it makes him want to cry...you fucking believe that shit. When he says he's been up to his neck in trouble, up to his neck in stife...up to his neck in misery for most of his life- you feel for the guy...I don't get the same from Brian.                 

To me, Brian Johnson has more grit, that's why I called him a "bar band singer".  I could see him fronting a trio in front of 50 people.  (Lord knows he probably did it enough.)  Bon Scott worked more in that classic 70's high-pitched hard rock style, like Rob Halford or Steven Tyler.  It's not even that they sing in different registers so much as it is the way they use their voices.

I certainly don't think AC/DC sounded "harder" when Johnson took over, but that's a matter of interpretation.  I just wanted to chime in from the perspective of someone who mostly observes from a bit more afar.

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Dennis Taylor

Dennis Taylor 19292

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Just now, jimmyjazz said:

To me, Brian Johnson has more grit, that's why I called him a "bar band singer".  I could see him fronting a trio in front of 50 people.  (Lord knows he probably did it enough.)  Bon Scott worked more in that classic 70's high-pitched hard rock style, like Rob Halford or Steven Tyler.  It's not even that they sing in different registers so much as it is the way they use their voices.

I certainly don't think AC/DC sounded "harder" when Johnson took over, but that's a matter of interpretation.  I just wanted to chime in from the perspective of someone who mostly observes from a bit more afar.

i get it...

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jimmyjazz

jimmyjazz 46982

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4 minutes ago, Cheeseweasel said:

Enjoy every sandwich. 

As a man who is now roughly Zevon's age when he died, his admission to David Letterman that that he "might have made a tactical error in not going to a physician for 20 years" rings true.

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Al_4_ISU

Al_4_ISU 12612

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26 minutes ago, Nole-4-Life said:

He may have been a giant asshole but he was the heart and soul of the band.

 

rs-224757-123123.jpg

It's hard to say he was really cut short, artistically.  His best work was decades in the rear view.

Edited by Al_4_ISU
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Onboard 2.0

Onboard 2.0 9083

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On 5/25/2020 at 11:55 PM, DalTxHornFan said:

Quiet around here lately.  Look at Kath beginning around 3:00 of the video to the end.  He's making some amazing sounds come out of that guitar.

Interesting Chicago tidbit... or not.  A friend who went to my HS was asked what he wanted to be when he got his career off the ground..  Lead guitarist for Chicago was his immediate response..  that kids name..... Keith Howland.

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South Austin

South Austin 53155

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1 hour ago, tbone_ said:

Randy Rhoads was big for me. We got two albums out of that guy. Such a brilliant brilliant player.

I wore out the shit of this cassette in middle and high school.

spacer.png

 

Had he not died so early, I've always wondered how long a relatively sane and sober Randy Rhoads would've lasted with Ozzy. 

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DalTxHornFan

DalTxHornFan 3130

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10 hours ago, Onboard 2.0 said:

Interesting Chicago tidbit... or not.  A friend who went to my HS was asked what he wanted to be when he got his career off the ground..  Lead guitarist for Chicago was his immediate response..  that kids name..... Keith Howland.

Great story!  I'd read that he aced his tryout with the band.  Remarkable that he's been playing lead guitar for them longer than Kath did.

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Onboard 2.0

Onboard 2.0 9083

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1 minute ago, DalTxHornFan said:

Great story!  I'd read that he aced his tryout with the band.  Remarkable that he's been playing lead guitar for them longer than Kath did.

Yeah even as a kid he loved Chicago. He played their music all the time. He actually kind of forced his way into the try out.  He went in, and said I can play anything y'all have done. Apparently he did blow them all away, and got the offer that day.

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DalTxHornFan

DalTxHornFan 3130

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4 hours ago, Onboard 2.0 said:

Yeah even as a kid he loved Chicago. He played their music all the time. He actually kind of forced his way into the try out.  He went in, and said I can play anything y'all have done. Apparently he did blow them all away, and got the offer that day.

I think he slightly knew Tris Imboden, who was playing drums for them until recently, as a means to finangle that audition.  The band has done so much better since they fired Bill Champlin.  Champlin and Lamm openly clashed on stage, I'm told.  Lou Pardini has been a great addition to the band. 

Sorry to derail the thread.

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Dennis Taylor

Dennis Taylor 19292

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7 hours ago, Degenerate Gardner said:

I'm grateful that unplugged was even recorded. All the more amazing since they'd been on a 2 1/2 year hiatus and had all of 4 performances after it.

This show features a younger, not yet dope sick Layne. Pure fire from the band. 

 

Layne was so freaking talented.  Such a unique voice and style. He looked like death warmed over at Unplugged but still was incredible.  So sad he couldn't kick his demons

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jimmyjazz

jimmyjazz 46982

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I didn't "get" AIC until many years down the road when a friend made me listen to his copy of "Dirt".  Hearing it on a good system, front to back, was really ear-opening.  To me, the vocal harmonies were the thing that really set them apart from their peers.

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South Austin

South Austin 53155

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28 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

I didn't "get" AIC until many years down the road when a friend made me listen to his copy of "Dirt".  Hearing it on a good system, front to back, was really ear-opening.  To me, the vocal harmonies were the thing that really set them apart from their peers.

I was also a late fan of Alice in Chains, and completely agree on the harmonies.  Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell's vocals were an incredible pairing. 

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Al_4_ISU

Al_4_ISU 12612

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It was the MTV Unplugged that turned me onto AIC.  I was in grade school during Grunge, and became an instant Nirvana fan.  My old man really liked the other 3 (AIC, PJ, Soundgarden) and so I was initially opposed to them somewhat from A) him playing it into the ground, and B) rebellion.  He never liked Nirvana as much either (for probably the same reasons).

I threw on the MTV Unplugged one time in college, after I had discovered I actually really liked Pearl Jam, and it despite having heard it many times as a kid, it blew my fucking doors off.  After that, I was completely capable of "getting" AIC.

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Al_4_ISU

Al_4_ISU 12612

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19 hours ago, hullabelew said:

For me, it begins and ends with Buddy Holly.  All of those great songs written and recorded in under 2 years.  He was 22 when he died.

Lowell George (24) and Gram Parsons (26) were the other two I was thinking of.  

Lowell George was 24 when he died?

Jesus Christ.  He looked 50.

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Dennis Taylor

Dennis Taylor 19292

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2 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

I didn't "get" AIC until many years down the road when a friend made me listen to his copy of "Dirt".  Hearing it on a good system, front to back, was really ear-opening.  To me, the vocal harmonies were the thing that really set them apart from their peers.

 

2 hours ago, South Austin said:

I was also a late fan of Alice in Chains, and completely agree on the harmonies.  Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell's vocals were an incredible pairing. 

 

2 hours ago, Al_4_ISU said:

It was the MTV Unplugged that turned me onto AIC.  I was in grade school during Grunge, and became an instant Nirvana fan.  My old man really liked the other 3 (AIC, PJ, Soundgarden) and so I was initially opposed to them somewhat from A) him playing it into the ground, and B) rebellion.  He never liked Nirvana as much either (for probably the same reasons).

I threw on the MTV Unplugged one time in college, after I had discovered I actually really liked Pearl Jam, and it despite having heard it many times as a kid, it blew my fucking doors off.  After that, I was completely capable of "getting" AIC.

csb alert- Myself and 3 or 4 buddies were in Dallas for Texas/ BlowU 1990 at a seedy titty bar on Friday and Man in the Box came on...I went and asked the DJ what in the hell that song was. I bought Facelift the following Monday and loved it. When Dirt came out I had a friend that worked at Blockbuster Music (?) and he actually got me a copy of that a couple days before it was released. Couldn't stop listening to that entire album...an all-timer for me for sure  

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South Austin

South Austin 53155

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On ‎5‎/‎30‎/‎2020 at 9:06 PM, Mdhorn said:

maybe Jim Morrison if he had anything left in the tank  

Good point about Morrison.  At the time of his death he had taken a break from The Doors and was reportedly tired of the rock and roll scene.  But he hadn't left the group, and the most-recent L.A. Woman album showed the band could still crank out some great tunes.

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