Some think that AC/DC albums all sound pretty similar, if not virtually the same. But that’s a good thing according to Angus Young.
The more cynical-minded music fans out there usually have one complaint about AC/DC: all their albums sound the bloody same and everything about the band hasn’t changed a bit over the last few decades.
Hell, Angus Young still wears his school boy outfit when performing live and singer Brian Johnson will forever wear that trademark newsboy cap every time he steps out on the stage.
But sounding similar is a good thing for AC/DC according to none other than Angus Young.
Appearing on The Project alongside Johnson to promote their latest album Power Up, Young was asked by host Waleed Aly why the band never changed its style over the years.
“With us, it’s to be expected,” says Young. 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.”
Young also confirmed again that Power Up is a tribute to Malcolm, saying how his late brother “would just always get rolling” and how he played a part in the making of AC/DC’s latest album.
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Interestingly, Young also said that there’s plenty of unreleased AC/DC material that could resurface on future albums. Presumably these albums will get the ol’ “it all sounds the same!” complaints from certain folks, but as Angus says, it’s to be expected.
No matter how you look at it though, it seems like the whole “same same but only a touch different” approach is still working for AC/DC after so many decades because not only has Power Up scored positive reviews, it’s topping charts around the world.
That’s just amazing for a band that’s been around for as long as AC/DC have and you can’t really fault their approach since it’s clearly still working.
Check out Brian Johnson and Angus Young talking about AC/DC (and why the band still sound the same) on The Project:
