Stand Up and Be Counted For What You Are About To ReceiveSorry bout the hiatus there but I'm Back In Black now so Let's Get It Up. Oh yea and in case you haven't guessed, I'm all sorts of fired up on AC/DC these days. This is not one of those things where I used to dislike a band or was ambivalent towards them and have suddenly come around.
I've always dug the 'DC.
ACDC was one of the first rock bands that got me on a musical path that branched out beyond the rap and hip-hop that dominated my boom-box back in Jr. High (that's right...I was that suburban kid who listened to N.W.A...and nothing else)
One of the first songs I ever played while learning to drive was "Thunderstruck" from "The Razors Edge". It was a warm day, I had the windows down, my sunglasses on, and the radio turned up. At that moment my mom succeeded in totally deflating me by asking in a disarmingly patronizing tone, "Feelin cool over there?"
well...frankly...yes...Until that moment I was feeling exceptionally cool. Like the biggest fuckin badass ever to drive a Volvo with his mom in the car.
On top of that "Thunderstruck" is one of a few songs that consistently whips me into a testosterone infused frenzy. I just get so fuckin fired up when those first bars start trickling into my ears.
In fact...Let's listen to it right
now.
"aaahh-ahhhh-ah ahhh-ahhh-oh aaah ahhh!"
(right now your nodding your head - saying yes to every beat)
"THUN-DAH! aaahh-ahhhh-ah ahhh-ahhh-oh aaah ahhh"
(something inside you is saying, "you really should be pumping your fist in the air with each syllable of 'THUN-DAH!'" Go ahead...Don't be ashamed)
By now it really takes all my efforts to keep myself from kicking something over. When Brian Johnson snarls, "You've Been...Thundah-struck!" He's certainly talking to me.
This rediscovery of AC/DC corresponds with my recent Ipod upgrade. By the way I have to go off on a bit of a tangent here. When I went to the Apple Store I was prepared to throw down for the 20 gig Ipod. I got there and was confronted with
this price scheme.
Now...I'm already resigned to droppin a few bills right? I mean call me small-time, but three hundred bucks is a lot of money. But if your already gonna drop 3 bills for 20 gigs...What's really holding you back from going that extra mile for the 60 gigs. Three TIMES the amount of storage.
You might say, "I don't need that much space". To which I say, "Fuck what you think you need". Don't make me bust out some math on you...Cause I hate math but I'll do it. Your spending 15 dollars per gig with the smaller version, while the larger one costs about 6.50 per gig.
Maybe it's just me, but if I leave that store with the 20 gig Ipod...I can't sleep at night.
Anyway...The new Ipod means I'm transferring songs over to it like crazy. In the process I'm making a lot of discoveries. Some of them are startling. For instance: did you know I actually like a handful of Boston songs?! Yea...Neither did I, don't let that get out.
Of course amongst these epiphanies my long-dormant love affair with AC/DC has blossomed once again. AC/DC is really one of the ultimate rock bands. If you need proof go check out an live show by any up and coming inde/alterna rock band. In my experience there's a about a 1 in 5 chance they have an AC/DC cover song in their repertoire.
Why is that? Because they know (like I know) that AC/DC is silly and stupid enough to give your cover song a funny "ironic" flair to it. You just don't get that by covering some more legitimate classic rock bands. The songs are also pretty darn simple and I think those simple songs give the artist a broader canvas upon which he or she can explore their interpretations. I mean you can really work your own personal style into a song like "Big Balls". On top of that these three-chord wonders are full of standard, hook-friendly, rock progressions that are tried and true.
I mean, if pop music is a sandwich shop, AC/DC is the PB&J.
Let There Be Rock.
-B
Labels: pop and/or culture, video games
