AC/DC

AC/DC, 1976. Photo credit: Martyn Goddard.

AC/DC is an Australian hard rock band and one of the best-selling rock groups in the world. They scored hits with songs like High Voltage (1975), Jailbreak (1976), Whole Lotta Rosie (1977), Rock 'n' Roll Damnation (1978), Highway to Hell (1979), You Shook Me All Night Long (1980), Back In Black (1980) and Thunderstruck (1990).

David McMacken illustrated the cover for AC/DC's album Ballbreaker (1995).

Frank Zappa

Zappa met AC/DC when he returned from Australia in January 1976. According to Dweezil Zappa, Frank Zappa was a huge fan: "He loved rhythm and blues, and AC/DC is essentially is a very heavy-duty, electrified rhythm and blues band." Zappa wanted to sign AC/DC to his own label, but they eventually chose for Atlantic Records instead. Other groups Zappa once wanted to sign to his label, but couldn't, were Popol Ace and The B-52's.

Dweezil: "I think he saw what everybody saw. They could play, they had a ton of energy and they were authentic." Zappa owned one of AC/DC's records, which he bought in Australia. According to Dweezil: "He just thought they were great because they always had this rock edge. But it was really just a high volume version of the blues."

When Frank Zappa was guest DJ on KSJO, San Jose (April 2, 1980), he played Rock 'n' Roll Damnation by AC/DC.

Interviewed by Dot Stone (Frank Zappa and the Scarlet Letter, RIP, June 1985):

Because of the fact that the alleged L.A. mass murderer – the Night Stalker – sometimes wore a cap bearing the moniker of the group AC/DC, the PMRC is building the case that heavy-metal is evil and needs to be suppressed.
Frank Zappa: "When he was arrested he may have beer, wearing one garment that said "AC/DC," but he was weaning something else that said "Jack Daniel's." Now, who's to blame? Jack Daniel's is a great Tennessee company."

But PMRC advocate Tipper Gores husband represents the state of Tennessee in the Senate. To pass judgment on Jack Daniel's and alcohol wouldn't be in their best interest, now would it?
Frank Zappa: "Well, those are the people who put Senator Albert Gore in office. But you can't point your finger at someone's musical consumption when there's something even more damaging that he has ingested that can drive someone to an antisocial act, and I think alcohol is a great candidate for that. The other thing is, if you're going to use the criteria of someone's musical consumption as a tool by which to convict an individual, then let's make it fair. Everybody who's convicted or arrested for anything, let's see what kind of music they are into. There are plenty of people in the U.S. who have committed murder who are just plain old Christians who don't listen to heavy metal at all. Take that guy on the boat in Staten Island with the saber. He didn't do it because of AC/DC, he did it because of Jesus. Jesus kills more people than AC/DC, there's no question about it. There's more documented evidence to support the theory that religious fanaticism is a far more lethal social problem than any song that has ever been written by anybody."

Dweezil Zappa has also an unreleased musical project, What The Hell Was I Thinking, a 65-minute piece, featuring contributions by Brian May, Eddie Van Halen, Eric Johnson, Steve Morse, Steve Vai, Joe Walsh, Brian Setzer, Albert Lee, Robben Ford, Steve Lukhater, Jimmie Vaughan, Warren DeMartini, Tim Pierce, Angus and Malcolm Young (of AC/DC) and Yngwie Malmsteen.

Angus and Malcolm Young are mentioned and thanked in the liner notes of The MOFO Project/Object (2006) album.

External links

• Wikipedia:AC/DC