Malcolm Young’s underappreciated brilliance was demonstrated by the AC/DC riff that went, “He was great!”
“Steven was always underrated in Guns N’ Roses because of the obvious,” remarked Slash when he was talking about the dynamic in his band. “But he provided a type of groove and a type of energy, and the Appetite record in particular, that is half of everything that makes it so fuckin’ charming.” Quite a few individuals are completely unaware of that fact.
Slash, whether he intends to or not, touches upon something that is extremely appropriate in this context. This is the fact that although bands are composed of all of their members and all of them are important aspects when it comes to the rise to fame of the band in question, a significant number of them are disregarded due to the fact that certain individuals put themselves in the spotlight. The members of Guns N’ Roses, Axl Rose and Slash, were the ones that captivated the attention (and ears) of everyone who was watching. Similarly, Angus Young was the driving force behind AC/DC.
There is no disputing that Angus Young has always been firmly planted in the limelight for the entirety of AC/DC’s history. This is despite the fact that both Bon Scott and Brian Johnson, who have served as lead singers for AC/DC, are extremely important members of the band and are quite entertaining to watch. Despite the fact that he is not only the lead singer of the band, he is also the image that many people associate with them. This is because he is featured prominently on the record cover and has a look that is synonymous with AC/DC.
This renown is completely deserving of itself. The two most vital qualities that every artist ought to have are incredible talent and a terrific stage presence, and Angus possesses both of these qualities. During the time that he was running up and down the stage, blasting solos that would melt your face and destroying every riff that AC/DC had, it was difficult for fans not to stare on in marvel. However, despite the fact that his guitar playing is exceptional, it meant that a significant number of the time, people failed to recognize one of the band’s actual geniuses, which was his brother Malcolm.
In comparison to Angus, Malcolm was much more restrained. During live performances of AC/DC, Angus would engage in running, duck walking, and rolling around on his back as he was playing. During this time, Malcolm was content to do nothing more than stand in the background, banging his skull and allowing his music to do the talking. Malcolm was responsible for many of the riffs that the band became famous for because he was the one who came up with them. Although he may not have been the main attraction, the band would not have been the same without him.
He was not content to merely let the notes to be played in the manner that they would typically be played since he had a way with rhythm. On the contrary, he was adamant about incorporating his own impressions into them, so imparting a swing to the normally crushing riffs that AC/DC has. Although it is not overt, it is the factor that has contributed to the band’s rise to prominence as one of the most massive hard rock bands on the entire planet.
When Angus was talking about the underappreciated talent of his brother, he especially mentioned the song “Bad Boy Boogie,” stating that it is one of his favorite songs to perform. According to him, “[It] has a flavor because it has a little bit of a twist in it,” and he went on to say, “It sounds easy, but Malcolm had a little twist that I don’t think many could do.”
Angus proceeded by saying, “Even if I were to do it today, I would still listen to how clever he was.” That was a very astute move on his part. “I still play it just for the fact that he changed that little note around,” he added. “It just made all the difference in the world.” And at the same time, he was the same way when you were working with him on stuff like guitar riffs. He was an outstanding individual!