Published by Black & White Publishing
The timing of Jesse Fink’s book could not have been better, as it hit the shelves around the same time AC/DC announced plans for a new album, the first in six years and the first without Malcolm Young, while drummer Paul Rudd has also been hitting the headlines.
Fink provides a rich commentary from more than 75 important figures, many of whom give their stories for the first time about the making of AC/DC and the Glasgow-born brothers, Angus, Malcolm and George Young, who built it.
The author successfully undermines the opinions of people who say their music lacks diversity, arguing they miss the point that the band’s very lack of boundary pushing is exactly what made their music break boundaries and resonate with so many people worldwide.
He cites examples such as the time in 1989 when a young Australian band called Scooty Blotch played, Jailbreak (1976 AC/DC song) to a crowd of Aborigine felons in a Darwin prison. The place erupted, not just because of the primal riffs, but for the political statement it carries about the rate of Aboriginal imprisonment and deaths in custody in Australia.
It’s hard to disagree with Fink on the power of the band’s raw sound. During past times in the gym I remember listening to songs like Shoot to Thrill through
the headphones and wondering how on earth it seemed to transform me into a close descendant of the incredible
hulk.
The author also does well to subvert the common perception of the Youngs’ socially reclusive personalities, highlighting that this is simply a product of their tough Glasgow roots while he suggests critics of the band stop being so pretentious.
That said, he acknowledges that the Youngs are a stubborn lot and might shock readers with a revelation or two, particularly with Gerard Huerta, the designer of the band’s iconic lettering and lightning bolt logo.
An exceptionally well-researched biography, The Youngs is a must read for any true AC/DC fan.