AC/DC - Power Up available November 13

[DownUnderScott]

19 hours ago, adamsapple said:

I would have enjoyed a studio collaboration with Axl of some sorts too, but let's face it - any new AC/DC record could be their last. I doubt they would want to have any guest on what could be their final studio album. And it's a damn fine album as it is.

Brian is over 70 years old, he already had issues with his hearing severe enough to not be able to finish a tour. On Power Up he kicks the living shit out of most rock singers and he is actually singing not just screaming. I always thought of him as a poor man's Jimmy Barnes (no disrespect) but on Power Up he just totally owns it, no point bringing Axl to the mix.

Also they made it very clear they appreciate Axl and respect him as much as he does respect them, even Brian had good things to say about him. And Angus sure doesn't do guest performances with just any band, but he did for GNR, might happen again in the future, who knows? Even though I think Axl did a great job in AC/DC (why can't he sing this good in his own band?), I'd rather have Angus on stage again with GNR than Axl on an AC/DC record.

Great post. Brian is sounding amazing on it. Obviously manipulated studio voice is different to what it may be live, but he sounds bloody fantastic. Jimmy Barnes is a bit of a legend here in Australia. He’s an incredible rock singer and I saw Cold Chisel live earlier this year and he still is great live. Gives Axl a bit of a touch up, as both have screamed hard for a few decades but Jimmy still sounds great, whereas Axl lost his grunt years ago.
 

I agree about not having Axl on the album. I mean AC/DC are one of the biggest rock bands ever, GnR ‘were’ one of the biggest, and yes, most dangerous, band ever but that was just a few short years and we all know the sad waste of talent that story became. So AC/DC really don’t need or want Axl on their album. It really adds nothing and it’s just us Axl fans that would want that! 😊

[adamsapple]

6 hours ago, DownUnderScott said:

Great post. Brian is sounding amazing on it. Obviously manipulated studio voice is different to what it may be live, but he sounds bloody fantastic. Jimmy Barnes is a bit of a legend here in Australia. He’s an incredible rock singer and I saw Cold Chisel live earlier this year and he still is great live. Gives Axl a bit of a touch up, as both have screamed hard for a few decades but Jimmy still sounds great, whereas Axl lost his grunt years ago.
 

Jimmy is awesome, saw him live back in the 90's and he just blew me away, one of the greatest and most soulful and versatile singers ever. Come to think of it, Jimmy might have made a great fill in for Brian if Axl hadn't offered to help out.

[Tom2112]

On 11/17/2020 at 2:58 PM, adamsapple said:

I would have enjoyed a studio collaboration with Axl of some sorts too, but let's face it - any new AC/DC record could be their last. I doubt they would want to have any guest on what could be their final studio album. And it's a damn fine album as it is.

Brian is over 70 years old, he already had issues with his hearing severe enough to not be able to finish a tour. On Power Up he kicks the living shit out of most rock singers and he is actually singing not just screaming. I always thought of him as a poor man's Jimmy Barnes (no disrespect) but on Power Up he just totally owns it, no point bringing Axl to the mix.

Also they made it very clear they appreciate Axl and respect him as much as he does respect them, even Brian had good things to say about him. And Angus sure doesn't do guest performances with just any band, but he did for GNR, might happen again in the future, who knows? Even though I think Axl did a great job in AC/DC (why can't he sing this good in his own band?), I'd rather have Angus on stage again with GNR than Axl on an AC/DC record.

Much rather Axl singing on an AC/DC song than Angus on stage with GnR... outside of of Angus had retired in which case I'd be happy seeing him up there with any band. And if Angus's presence can make Axl step up his vocal game then I'm even more in favour of it. 

I think it's possible that we see an album with Axl / Angus down the line... but in order for that to happen AC/DC needs to be done, and that will only happen if Brian, Cliff and Phil bow out. I'd love if AC/DC hit the studio again seeing as they can't tour! Get another record out while they sound this great! 

[Sosso]

Angus has confirmed that Power Up won't be the last AC/DC in an Interview with the german magazine Classic Rock. 

Angus: No, this is not a good bye. The title is a good way to express what AC/DC really is. 

Edited November 18, 2020 by Sosso

[Sosso]

7 hours ago, Tom2112 said:

I think it's possible that we see an album with Axl / Angus down the line... but in order for that to happen AC/DC needs to be done, and that will only happen if Brian, Cliff and Phil bow out. I'd love if AC/DC hit the studio again seeing as they can't tour! Get another record out while they sound this great! 

Sounds great but there is one problem: There hasn't been one "new" musician who joined the band since 1989 (with the exception of Axl, of course). The band relied on former members to fill empty spots since then and they will certainly do so in the future. The return of Phil in 1994 and Chris joining for a second time in 2015 are two good examples. That's why it would be hard for fans to accept any new or unknown musicians. 

Edit: I could see Brendon O'Brien on the bass but he seems to much of a "behind the scenes" guy for that. 

Edited November 19, 2020 by Sosso

[jimisbatman]

On 11/3/2020 at 6:50 AM, Silent Jay said:

The album leaked. I had to stop on the first track, Realize, because it's so amazing. Strong 80s feels. It should have been the lead single right away. SITD is boring compared to it.

Easily the best song on the album in my opinion 

[StrangerInThisTown]

I actually went back and listened to BI to compare. Wow, that album is much more dull than I remembered it to be, the songs seem so bland to me compared to PWR UP. Money Made, RNR Train and Black Ice are the only songs I'd consider up to par with this album. 3 out of 15! Not a weak track on the new album anywhere. But man is that groove they lock into in the outro of Money Made tight, probably my favourite musical ACDC moment since the glory days, those moments are otherwise completely absent from BI.

I might relisten to the entire Brian era to see where it ranks for me, it's been a while.

Edited November 19, 2020 by StrangerInThisTown

[Sosso]

I think that Angus is much more structual and serious about the material than he wants to make us believe. Writing so many songs in advance (2003 until 2008) or saving the best songs for the last couple of albums for example. 

It's just a theory but I think that some of the unreleased songs are even better than those on Power Up. 

Edited November 19, 2020 by Sosso

[James Bond]

I have to admit, I'm still not feeling Realize as much as the rest of the world seems to be. Probably in the middle of my ranking. I even saw one publication (Loudwire, I think) say it starts with a riff akin to Thunderstruck! What? It doesn't sound anything like Thunderstruck.

Don't get me wrong, it's nice to have an uptempo song to open the album but I must be missing something. At least half the album is superior to my ears.

[Sosso]

 https://www.instagram.com/p/CHx2-wlJhD7/?igshid=vi0spr652j3i

[Powerage5]

14 hours ago, StrangerInThisTown said:

I actually went back and listened to BI to compare. Wow, that album is much more dull than I remembered it to be, the songs seem so bland to me compared to PWR UP. Money Made, RNR Train and Black Ice are the only songs I'd consider up to par with this album. 3 out of 15! Not a weak track on the new album anywhere. But man is that groove they lock into in the outro of Money Made tight, probably my favourite musical ACDC moment since the glory days, those moments are otherwise completely absent from BI.

I might relisten to the entire Brian era to see where it ranks for me, it's been a while.

I feel like I need to revisit the entire Brian era also. It’s been so long since I’ve spun any full albums besides BIB, FOTS, ROB, or Power Up. Curious to see if any of the mid 80’s albums click with me a little more, or if the more recent albums don’t hold up. 

13 hours ago, Sosso said:

I think that Angus is much more structual and serious about the material than he wants to make us believe. Writing so many songs in advance (2003 until 2008) or saving the best songs for the last couple of albums for example. 

It's just a theory but I think that some of the unreleased songs are even better than those on Power Up. 

I feel so much better about the long hiatus between SUL and Black Ice in hindsight now having two albums of material from the vaults released. At the time that break felt impossible to wait out, I remember thinking they might just never decide to get the machine started up again. But there’s been some real bangers on the last two albums, and it seems a good chunk of those tracks were written during that window. It could prove to be one of their most creative periods in the band’s history. 

[Sosso]

I just realized that the Rock Or Bust line-up hasn't played a single live show yet. That's nothing against Chris Slade and Axl (they were both fantastic) but I think those five musicians deserve a proper world tour more than anyone else after the Covid19 havoc.

Edited November 19, 2020 by Sosso

[Tom2112]

16 hours ago, Sosso said:

Sounds great but there is one problem: There hasn't been one "new" musician who joined the band since 1989 (with the exception of Axl, of course). The band relied on former members to fill empty spots since then and they will certainly do so in the future. The return of Phil in 1994 and Chris joining for a second time in 2015 are two good examples. That's why it would be hard for fans to accept any new or unknown musicians. 

Edit: I could see Brendon O'Brien on the bass but he seems to much of a "behind the scenes" guy for that. 

Oh I don't mean an AXL/DC album, I mean an album under Axl and Angus's name. I think Angus will retire the band name when Brian and co decide to go. I think he'd tour with a new bass player for any extra shows Cliff isn't willing to play, but I think at this stage on the AC/DC career he isn't contemplating a whole new line up. He even said that he thought the band was over after the last run.

[Sosso]

3 minutes ago, Tom2112 said:

Oh I don't mean an AXL/DC album, I mean an album under Axl and Angus's name. I think Angus will retire the band name when Brian and co decide to go. I think he'd tour with a new bass player for any extra shows Cliff isn't willing to play, but I think at this stage on the AC/DC career he isn't contemplating a whole new line up. He even said that he thought the band was over after the last run.

I don't think that Angus will retire the AC/DC name anytime soon. He gave Malcolm the promise to keep AC/DC alive and blood is thicker than water. He also said several times that everything he does is AC/DC. That's his life until the very end.

Edited November 19, 2020 by Sosso

[Tom2112]

13 minutes ago, Sosso said:

I don't think that Angus will retire the AC/DC name anytime soon. He gave Malcolm the promise to keep AC/DC alive and blood is thicker than water. He also said several times that everything he does is AC/DC. That's his life until the very end.

Yeah I'm not totally convinced that he'd retire the name, but I'm just going from the few things he's said in the recent interviews that suggests his mind was towards AC/DC not playing again, but he would always play.

[Sosso]

7 minutes ago, Tom2112 said:

Yeah I'm not totally convinced that he'd retire the name, but I'm just going from the few things he's said in the recent interviews that suggests his mind was towards AC/DC not playing again, but he would always play.

AC/DC means more than anything to him and there is also the unreleased material. He seems determined that he wants to release those songs as the ultimate tribute to Mal.

Edited November 19, 2020 by Sosso

[Sosso]

 

[Tom2112]

58 minutes ago, Sosso said:

AC/DC means more than anything to him and there is also the unreleased material. He seems determined that he wants to release those songs as the ultimate tribute to Mal.

Yeah that's all true, I think he fully intends to work through the vaults. Hopefully he can rally Brian, Cliff and Phil when he goes through the next batch.

[Sosso]

3 minutes ago, Tom2112 said:

Yeah that's all true, I think he fully intends to work through the vaults. Hopefully he can rally Brian, Cliff and Phil when he goes through the next batch.

That's true. The Rock or Bust line-up is as close to Back in Black as they can get. That said, I would be happy with any new AC/DC album. They could include Mark and Simon or Chris. Those members also had a connection to Mal.

Edited November 19, 2020 by Sosso

[Sosso]

 
Slash has long expressed his love for AC/DC, calling them one of his biggest influences. So, when we had a chance to speak with him about the new Guns N’ Roses pinball machines and his new collection of custom Gibson guitars (full interview coming soon), we couldn’t help but ask the guitarist about his thoughts on the new AC/DC album.

“I obviously have a long history with AC/DC, and then Axl [Rose] was singing with them for a minute when Brian was out, so we got reacquainted during that period,” Slash told us. “So, the first bit of great news, I talked to Brian and he was telling me about this hearing [device] that he got, and that he’s back in AC/DC. And that was just f**king awesome news.”

He continued, “And the tragedy of losing Malcolm … the fact that Angus and company would survive that and keep it going, in the spirit of probably what Malcolm would have done, was great. I just love those guys because as far as rock ‘n’ roll is concerned, they just are driven.”

https://consequenceofsound.net/2020/11/slash-ac-dc-new-album-great-record/

[Tom2112]

4 hours ago, Sosso said:

That's true. The Rock or Bust line-up is as close to Back in Black as they can get. That said, I would be happy with any new AC/DC album. They could include Mark and Simon or Chris. Those members also had a connection to Mal.

Yeah this line up is as good as it gets. Obviously bands swap out entire line ups (Foreigner), or even lose seemingly key members (Judas priest) and continue and still sound great! I just wouldn't be sure I'd care too much for anything less than this version of the band... He said something to the affect of "This is the band people have known for 40yrs, it's what they expect" when asked about getting Brian, cliff and Phil back on board... I think he knows anything else would be a bit of a hard sell, not impossible to pull off, but definitely a hard sell.

[Sosso]

4 minutes ago, Tom2112 said:

Yeah this line up is as good as it gets. Obviously bands swap out entire line ups (Foreigner), or even lose seemingly key members (Judas priest) and continue and still sound great! I just wouldn't be sure I'd care too much for anything less than this version of the band... He said something to the affect of "This is the band people have known for 40yrs, it's what they expect" when asked about getting Brian, cliff and Phil back on board... I think he knows anything else would be a bit of a hard sell, not impossible to pull off, but definitely a hard sell.

I would be fine if former members would fill the empty spots. They know how the band works and what the fans expect from them. 

[Powerage5]

37 minutes ago, Sosso said:

I would be fine if former members would fill the empty spots. They know how the band works and what the fans expect from them. 

That’s how I feel too - I’m fine with Mark, Simon, or Chris coming back into the fold. Axl as well should Brian ever decide to step down (He is AC/DC alumni now, after all). But I just don’t have any desire to see someone new in the band. 

[Sosso]

15 minutes ago, Powerage5 said:

That’s how I feel too - I’m fine with Mark, Simon, or Chris coming back into the fold. Axl as well should Brian ever decide to step down (He is AC/DC alumni now, after all). But I just don’t have any desire to see someone new in the band. 

The main reason why I would want former members to rejoin is their connection to Mal. Angus could probably hire any bassist or drummer he wants but they wouldn't be connected to the bands founder. Axl is the only exception I would make from that because of his involvment in 2016.

[James Bond]

On 11/19/2020 at 1:24 PM, Sosso said:

I just realized that the Rock Or Bust line-up hasn't played a single live show yet. That's nothing against Chris Slade and Axl (they were both fantastic) but I think those five musicians deserve a proper world tour more than anyone else after the Covid19 havoc.

Agreed. It was a nice start just to see Phil in the music video for Shot In The Dark since he missed all promotional material last time with Bob Richards filling in for the first two videos.