Formed in 1973 by brothers, Angus and Malcom Young, the band AC/DC has shaken the world all night long with their Australian hard and blues style rock. Most people know their songs such as, "Back in Black" or "Thunderstruck", but in this article, I want to shed some light on a few songs that I feel often get neglected or forgotten about.
1. Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution
The final track on their album, Back in Black, this song packs a serious punch. Beginning with a clean solo guitar and building as each member of the band layers their sound on top of the opening riff, the song takes off with a shout from lead singer, Brian Johnson. Seemingly simplistic, when looked at from a guitarists standpoint, the solo most certainly gives the fingers a workout. To me, this song feels like a big jam session - almost laid back in nature and straight to the point. After all, for those that love rock and roll, how could it ever be noise pollution? Take a listen here!
2. Whole Lotta Rosie
Released at the 8th and final track on the album, Let There Be Rock, "Whole Lotta Rosie" brings a real story into a straight up AC/DC style jam. From the intensity of the opening riff to the insane solo in the middle, this song screams rock and roll. This song also features the original lead singer, Bon Scott on the unmistakably raspy vocals. Essentially this song is about a Tasmanian woman that Bon Scott had a one-night stand with and he sings about her weight as well as her bedroom talents. Overall, this song stands out to me for the realness of the story and the wild Angus Young guitar spirit that brings the song to life. Catch this tune played live in 1979 here.
3. Fling Thing (Bonny)
Originally recorded in 1976, "Fling Thing" or as some know it "Bonny" is a rather peculiar number for the band. The song has been released first on the B-side of "Jailbreak", and later on the album, Backtracks. It brings a taste of their Scottish roots into their signature style. Contrary to Australia claiming AC/DC, majority of the band, both Young brothers and Bon Scott originally came from Scotland and moved to Australia. So this track played homage to their homeland and later after Scott's passing, they would play this as tribute to him. It's a cute little number - strictly instrumental and with the way it was recorded you can hear a bit of the Scottish dialect peeking through with Bon Scott talking at the end. This song to me feels like home. It brings the essence of the camaraderie that they all shared. Check it out here!
4. Crabsody in Blue
This is probably one of their more obscure songs for sure. It was recorded around the time of Let There Be Rock, but was not released until it appeared on Backtracks in 2009. Right from the get-go the title is a play on Gershwin's famous, Rhapsody In Blue, so the entire song is set up with the tone right from the title. Similar to their song, "The Jack", this song takes a humous look at the possible consequences of sex without proper protection. So in the case of this particular tune, Bon Scott is singing about getting crabs. Having a bluesy tone, Scott's vocals take a satirical turn emphasizing him having the "blues" aka the crabs. All humor aside, the music in this song is actually a fantastic blues rock jam coming from Angus and Malcom's guitar playing. Though the solo isn't overly complex, it brings that little bit of extra emotion and a slightly more serious moment to the song. "Crabsody in Blue" is also one of the few ballads that the band recorded. Take a listen here!
5. Love Song (Oh Jene)
Now if you think you have ever heard AC/DC, give this song a listen. It is radically different from anything the band has ever done. This song was released as the single with "Baby, Please Don't Go", from their debut album, High Voltage, and later on the album, Backtracks.The song never did well on the radio as most preferred the opposite side. I personally think this song is a masterpiece. It's so contrasting from their harder music and it's hard to believe that the same group who recorded "Hells Bells" was able to pull of a mega-ballad such as this. With a lengthy and very classical music-esque intro, this song takes a radical turn when Bon Scott enters with such tender vocals. Angus and Malcom compliment the tenderness with smooth clean, arpeggiated playing and the solo shows how truly clean the group could come when it came down to it. They truly are more than just some rock band. As albums full of rarities come out, more and more of the diverse style of AC/DC begins to show. This is probably one of my favorite tunes of theirs because of the sudden tender nature they take on. Take a listen to what I believe to be the most underrated AC/DC tune here!
