AC/DC Finish New Album, Malcolm Young In Hospital

By Darryl Mason

You may now call him Dr Rock, but AC/DC’s lead singer Brian Johnson had even bigger news when he picked his Doctorate in Music from Northumbria University, in his hometown of Newcastle, England: 

The new AC/DC studio album is finished.

Earlier this year, rumours swamped the world’s media that AC/DC were finished, after news leaked that rhythm guitarist and founding member Malcolm Young was seriously ill, and unable to play.

But after two weeks of an incredible outpouring of emotion and grief from millions of AC/DC fans that filled millions of tweets and tens of thousands of Facebook posts, 

Angus Young and Malcolm Johnson defied ‘AC/DC are RIP’ claims and decided to push forward with plans to record the band’s first new album since 2008’s Black Ice. They recruited Angus’ nephew Stevie Young (who had replaced Malcolm Young on tour in 1988, while Malcolm Young had been in rehab) and did what Johnson had earlier promised. They picked up their guitars and had “a plonk.”

Johnson said, in April, they were going into the studio to jam and to see “if anybody has got any tunes or ideas.”

Turns out, they had both.

Through May and June, AC/DC recorded their 15th studio at Warehouse Studios, in Vancouver, Canada, with veteran producer Brendan O’Brien. The sessions have been described as quickfire, even frantic, and new songs were built up from jam sessions.

For their last album, Black Ice, which sold more than six million copies worldwide, becoming the 2nd highest album of 2008, Malcolm and Angus had worked on the songs for five years, amongst tours.

But this time, it was back to the way Angus Young had begun recording AC/DC songs at Alberts Studios in Sydney, in the mid-1970s. Ideas were jammed, songs were written on the spot, notebooks scoured for lyrics.

Johnson told Classic Rock magazine yesterday, “We’re done,” describing the recording sessions as “brilliant. I’m very excited and we’ve got some great songs.”

The presence of Malcolm Young, recognised by most longtime AC/DC fans and friends as the man who really ran AC/DC, was sorely missed in the studio, Johnson said, revealing Malcolm Young was now in hospital in Sydney.

“But he’s a fighter,” Johnson told Classic Rock. “We’ve got our fingers cross that he’ll get strong again. He’s a small guy but he’s very strong.”

Stevie Young looked delighted to be recording with AC/DC, in photos that circulated online in June. photos that also revealed Angus was now completely grey-haired, and had aged considerably since the band last toured in 2010.

“Stevie was magnificent,” Johnson said. “but when you’re recording with this thing hanging over you and your work mate isn’t well, it’s difficult. But I’m sure (Malcolm) was rooting for us.”

Johnson said he had proposed calling the new AC/DC album ‘Man Down’ to honour Malcolm, but feared fans might find the title a bit negative. The proposed title does, however, fit with the Youngs notoriously dark sense of humour.

The new album, whatever title they settle on, is expected to be released later this year, to tie in with a proposed 40th anniversary world tour. Johnson had previously said any new AC/DC tour would not be as long or as extensive as earlier ones had been now they were all in their 60s, and may instead simply be 40 shows in total.

The two year long Black Ice tour was one of the highest earning in music history, racking up more than $430 million in ticket sales, and another six figures in merchandise.

Johnson hinted to Classic Rock that AC/DC may return to Wembley Stadium in 2015, but no word as yet when AC/DC might return to Australia. Stevie Young is expected to fill-in for Malcolm Young if he is not fit to tour.

Darryl Mason is now writing a biography of Doc Neeson and The Angels.

AC/DC's Future Still In Doubt

In an interview with UK Daily Mirror, AC/DC's lead singer Brian Johnson makes it clear that the band's future is still in doubt, and that even a new album is not a locked-in possibility:

“I don’t know what happens next. We are just going to take it one day at a time.

"I think we are going to into the studio again anyway just to get together again after four years.

"It’ll feel nice to sit in the same room and knock a few tunes out. We’ll see where we go from there.”

 A curious comment from Johnson on the leaking of Malcolm Young's illness to Australian media. 

“I didn’t know they were going to do that because Malcolm is a very proud man. It is a debilitating disease, it’s fucking horrible and I hate it!"

 The band didn't end up holding a media conference on their future, but friends and some family members were talking about Malcolm's condition, and what might or might not happen next with the band, within hours of the news being leaked to a Perth radio station via an anonymous email. It was like a dam of emotions bursting, people who love him dearly had been living with the secret for many months, unable to discuss Malcolm or how they were feeling. Once the news got out, some wanted to talk, needed to talk.

And so they did.

On the likelihood of a new AC/DC album, if sessions do go ahead, if AC/DC members do reunite in the studio next month, and that's if, they will go in without new songs already written by Malcolm and Angus Young to work on. Malcolm is, some say, not in any condition to join the rest of AC/DC in the studio, or to even write songs anymore.

A new world for AC/DC.


AC/DC: 1973 - 2014

AC/DC Confirms Malcolm Young Taking A Break Due To Ill Health, But Rest Of The Band Will Make New Music

Malcolm Young, Photo By Bob King

By Darryl Mason

AC/DC's lead singer Brian Johnson has said members of the band will still reunite in Canada next month to try and write songs for a new album, while founder and rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young is recovering in Sydney, but plans for a 40th anniversary tour "are still up in the air at the moment."

"We are definitely getting together in May in Vancouver," he said.

"We're going to pick up some guitars, have a plonk, and see if anybody has got any tunes or ideas. If anything happens, we'll record it." 

In the interview, Johnson denied Malcolm Young's ill health will be the end of the road for the band, but with the caveat:

"I wouldn't like to say anything either way about the future. I'm not ruling anything out. '

The idea of 40 concerts in 40 different venues, to celebrate 40 years of AC/DC, before the end of the year would be, "a wonderful way to say bye bye."

"We've stuck to our guns through the Eighties and Nineties when people were saying we should change our clothes and our style. But we didn't and people got it that we are the real deal."

That might be all we'll hear from anyone in AC/DC on the proposed new album and tour, or Malcolm Young's illness, for now.

UPDATE: Okay, cancel that. AC/DC have released an official statement on Malcolm Young and the future of AC/DC:

"After forty years of life dedicated to AC/DC, guitarist and founding member Malcolm Young is taking a break from the band due to ill health. Malcolm would like to thank the group’s diehard legions of fans worldwide for their never-ending love and support.

"In light of this news, AC/DC asks that Malcolm and his family’s privacy be respected during this time. The band will continue to make music."

So it sounds like AC/DC will work on new music, towards a new album, and presumably do the 40th anniversary tour, possibly with Stevie King (who filled in for Malcolm on the 1988 Blow Up Your Video tour), or another guitarist playing Malcolm's parts live.

Just to clarify, information about Malcolm Young's illness reported here in earlier posts did come from a family member, and friends of the band. At the time it was published, there was a belief that AC/DC would not continue without Malcolm Young, that they couldn't continue. Obviously, the remaining members of AC/DC have decided to try and go forward, at least for now.

Here's a brilliantly simple explanation from Malcolm Young on why AC/DC have remained so successful, for so long:

“If you look at The Beatles, they started out as a rock & roll band, playing in Hamburg. They became really successful. And then they started doing things like Sgt. Pepper and Magical Mystery Tour...

“But eventually they came back to playing straightforward rock & roll like ‘Get Back’. The Stones did much the same. We’ve learned from bands like that that it’s best just to stay where you’re at; you’re going to come back there anyway, so why leave in the first place? Why not simply work better and harder at what you’ve got?”

More To Come