 His
younger lead guitar-playing brother Angus may be the main attraction of
AC/DC in concert, but rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young is the band's musical
anchor. Born on January 6, 1953, in Glasgow, Scotland, Malcolm and his
family relocated to Sydney, Australia, when he was ten-years-old. Inspired
by his older brother, George, who hit it big as a member of the Easybeats
(scoring a worldwide smash with "Friday on My Mind"), young Malcolm began
playing guitar in local bands, one being the Velvet Underground (not the
same V.U. as the one fronted by Lou Reed). By 1973, Malcolm decided to
join forces with younger brother Angus, and after they lent their talents
to an obscure recording (Marcus Hook Roll Band Tales of Old Granddaddy),
the duo formed AC/DC. Although they went through numerous lineup changes,
by the time the lineup consisted of singer Bon Scott, drummer Phil Rudd,
and bassist Mark Evans in 1974, the band had already carved their niche
(straight-ahead, unglamorous rock & roll) and were signed. The band became
a must-see live attraction due to Angus' wildman persona, but Malcolm
created quite an imposing figure on-stage -- standing stoically while
bashing out Chuck Berry-esque riffs on his battered Gretsch Jet Firebird
guitar. AC/DC's brand of tough barroom boogie created quite a stir with
both metalheads and fans of just good ol' rock & roll who were sick of
prog rock and disco -- issuing a string of classic albums in the process
-- 1976's High Voltage and Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, 1977's Let There
Be Rock, 1978's Powerage and If You Want Blood, and 1979's Highway to
Hell. With massive breakthrough success just around the corner, the band
was dealt a devastating blow when Scott died from alcohol poisoning in
early 1980, but AC/DC regrouped with new singer Brian Johnson, and
returned stronger than ever with one of rock's all-time classics (and
best-sellers), Back in Black. The quintet spent the rest of the decade
churning out albums and touring the world, but shortly after the release
of their 1988 album, Blow Up Your Video, Malcolm realized that a lifelong
alcohol addiction had spiraled dangerously out of control. Not wanting to
follow in the footsteps of Scott, Young took a leave of absence from the
band, and sorted out his personal problems once and for all (his nephew,
Stevie Young, filled in for Malcolm during the band's world tour that
year). When he returned, AC/DC picked up just where they left off,
releasing one of their most commercially successful albums yet, 1990's The
Razor's Edge, and continuing their album-tour routine for the remainder of
the decade and beyond. Malcolm Young's sturdy rhythm guitar style has
influenced a legion of hard rock players over the years, namely
Metallica's James Hetfield and Guns N' Roses' Izzy Stradlin. |