AC DC is the most underrated major band ever

How could any band that is generally described as "FAWKIN AWSUM!!!!!" be underrated?

that's a nice analogy - Allmans and jazz. I think that is right. I really don't like jazz and I really don't like the Allmans.As for Bad W - jaysus you are wrong on this one.

ryan foreman wrote:

Why are you guys talking about Allman Bros vs AC/DC? They are both great, they share some roots music, but they are not comparable. Allman Bros went more the way of jazz. They were essentially a Jam band the predecessor of Phish. Being a session players for some of those R&B artists doesn't necessarily speak to the music they play on their own recordings.

Hellooooooo? wrote:

Rock n roll has it's roots in the blues and black music. And Duane Allman did session work for Aretha, Wilson Pickett, Otis Rush, and many more. And let's not forget "Layla and Other Assorted Love Sings." The ABB is/was an extension of all of this. It's hardly "blue eyed blues".

Agreed the ABB never sat down and swung thru All The Things You Are. They certainly listened to jazz, and some elements of it come thru in their music, but they're not jazzy … in 1992 they did a tune called Kind Of Bird, a tribute to Charlie Parker, and it's more of a shuffle than a swing thing .. then it wanders into this odd-time thing that's kinda cool, but not jazzy; the last section is just flat out weird. :)

They were a great band, and I've enjoyed their music .. Duane's long been a favorite guitarist of mine.

one of the best wrote:

As for Bad W - jaysus you are wrong on this one.

not long after writing:

'serious' rock band like ... G n R

Metal is posers but Axl and co. were a serious rock band? Find a leg to stand on before trying to talk down.

You're obviously a fan of big-production pop rock but are deluded about the amount of musical talent it involves. With the bands you've mentioned so far, I wouldn't be surprised if you started praising Def Leppard or even U2. Do you know any that aren't radio regulars?

Look, I know the Allman Brothers music. Jazz greats like Miles Davis and Coltrane were a huge influence on their music.

You are reading way too much into him as a session musician. All that says is that he was a great musician and he knows the musical vocabulary of R&B music. We all agree on that. But just sitting in a studio waiting for someone to tell him what to play doesn't say anything about his own band. It didn't carry over.

Its similar to Buddy Guy. Buddy Guy was a Chess studio musician. What he did in the studio playing behind Muddy Waters and Howling Wolf didn't carry over to what he did in his own live performance.

Bad Wigins wrote:

one of the best wrote:

As for Bad W - jaysus you are wrong on this one.

not long after writing:

'serious' rock band like ... G n R

Metal is posers but Axl and co. were a serious rock band? Find a leg to stand on before trying to talk down.

You're obviously a fan of big-production pop rock but are deluded about the amount of musical talent it involves. With the bands you've mentioned so far, I wouldn't be surprised if you started praising Def Leppard or even U2. Do you know any that aren't radio regulars?

you think GnR was metal? is that your point? I really don't know what your point there is. You think G n R were posers but Slipknot isn't? I don't know - give us your views there, I can't wait.

And also - and this will be excellent - Do tell O BW of your favorite bands. I wait with hushed breath for the revelation of true rock genius.

and BW, if you cite the smiths I will feel sorry for you indeed. Because that's where I would guess you are going. And...maybe joy division. That kind of thing. Prove me wrong.

The most underrated rock band is Queen. They are the greatest band of all time, yet this is not the consensus view.

If there were two identical clubs on the same block, and one had Queen and the other ACDC, the ACDC club would be empty. Great band, probably top 20 all time, but no Queen.

Best Adult Contemporary band is Bruce Hornsby and the Range.

Tool is the most underrated band of all time.

Who made Who , Who made you?

Yes, Tool is better than GNR, ACDC, Etc.Duane Allman was great. Whipping Post, Layla, etc.

RunningPhreak wrote:

Tool is the most underrated band of all time.

I've listened to AC/DC since my brother started buying their albums in the 70s. A couple were only released in Australia and had to be ordered through Peaches records and tapes.

I believe Black Ice released in 2008 is their best album.

If you want to do a tempo run, this is the song you need to be listening to.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAMc3oaE_hs

If you listen to the lines he plays, the chord voicings he plays, the tones he uses, with ABB, they stem a LOT more from the roots he came from and the stylings of stuff he played in his studio days than they do from from Miles or Coltrane.

I know he enjoyed Miles and 'trane, a lot, but he didn't ever play thru Giant Steps .. he didn't even play All Blues or So What.

They didn't employ the model thing, somewhat, but they didn't play with it harmonically, at all, like jazz players did/do.

ABB were far more rock, blues and R&B than they ever were jazz. Even the improv thing they did came more from Cream than it did Wayne Shorter.

I will most likely get crucified for this, but I think GnR is highly overrated and is the beneficiary of having one iconic album come out at exactly the right time, as the listening public needed a break from the hair bands. The provided fresh characters to what was becoming very cookie-cutter music. Slash is the real deal though.

The did very little after Appetite that would warrant the love that they get.

Brian Johnson the lead singer bought me and some friends a couple bottles of really good Australian wine. He's the real deal and I literally "had a drink on him"!

Can a major band be considered underrated?

I think it depends. They seem to lack critical acclaim, evidenced by some of the low rankings on the lists. I suspect that comes from the consistent knock that they are very simplistic. However, I think they are highly regarded by their peers and certainly have a massive following.

I think you could say the same for Queen. They were routinely lambasted by critics, but when you take a look back, they were really something quite special, and as it turns out, much more important and influential than anyone gave them credit for.

I think AC/DC is similar in that respect. They lost a very charismatic lead singer and emerged as strong, if not stronger (this is certainly open to debate) with the new lead singer. I think their sound changed. Personally, I think Bon Scott was much better than Brian Johnson and as a band much better, but that is nothing more than personal preference. I think overall, they will be looked back on as much more than they were ever considered along the way.

I think the main reason ACDC is underrated is the kitschy stagecraft and some of the songs - like the OP said, in isolation they can seem like novelty songs - dirty deeds for example, but hells' bells too and others.

the comparison to kiss is correct - the two are sort of lumped together as silly good time commercial rock. While I'm sure ACDC has enjoyed getting very rich by selling millions of records/tickets...I agree that they created pretty high caliber music - it will stand time, like Van Halen quality. Kiss won't.

And GnR - they absolutely rocked - not consistently - but their top 5 songs will stand up against anyone's top 5. Immortal stuff. the combo of great front man axl and true guitar hero slash was brilliant...and the songs...the songs...

This concert is the guts of hard rock - really impressive stuff in all ways:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoSFhHAh-vw

agip wrote:

the comparison to kiss is correct - the two are sort of lumped together as silly good time commercial rock. While I'm sure ACDC has enjoyed getting very rich by selling millions of records/tickets...I agree that they created pretty high caliber music - it will stand time, like Van Halen quality. Kiss won't.

Van Halen? Really? They were one of the first bands I was a huge fan of. I think their stuff has mostly aged terribly. There are a couple of songs that stand the test of time (Unchained comes to mind). The guitar playing is good but the song writing never came up with much that stands out.

Of course my musical tastes have evolved a lot since then so maybe other people have different opinions. Never much of a Kiss fan (I came of age past their mid-70s heyday) always viewed them as kitchy, sometimes fun but never music to be taken seriously.

Liked AC/DC both then and now.