AC/DC in a 40 year career have never bowed to any modern trend. Their if it ain’t broke then why fix it mentality have enabled them to ride out every change in the music industry. Everyone knows the songs but what Mick Wall has tried to answer is why the band is what it is. We really don’t know much about the band members and they want to keep it that way. As the author states in the introduction you are either part of the band’s inner circle or they won’t give you the time of day.
With no official endorsement from the band the author instead has relied on his past experiences with them as well as interviewing former managers,members and people in the industry.Similar to his Metallica book Enter Night a large proportion of the book is spent on the bands early years. We get to learn that it’s Malcolm Young who pulls the strings especially when Brian Johnson enters the fold, that the older brother George had a huge effect on both the sound and attitude of the band and that Bon Scott though much loved and successful second guessed many of his decisions later in life.
This is not a fanboy book. Everything the band has done is not examined through rose tinted glasses. The band has made many mistakes because of the Young’s fuck you attitude. The author gives his two cents worth on the music and isn’t afraid to put the boot in when he feels it’s warranted. What you end up with is a fascinating story, the parts you already knew are given a fresh perspective (Bon Scott’s death and his last hours are examined in detail) but there is so much more. This book is well worth a read.
Richie.
