Making For Those About To Rock ... A Burden to Bear For AC/DC

When you're tasked with following up one of the greatest rock records ever made, you know it won't be easy.

Such was the case for AC/DC as they got ready to enter the studio in Paris during the early summer of 1981, hot on the heels of their critically acclaimed blockbuster Back in Black album.

What they came out with, For Those About To Rock We Salute You, could be considered Back in Black's bastard son, since most people revere the latter, holding it in such high regard, while For Those About To Rock is more the forgotten son, and doesn't get that kind of love these days, even though it went to No. 1 in the U.S., something Back in Black never did.

Make no mistake, however, For Those About To Rock deserves plenty of kudos as a great album, but it was a massive weight to bare for the Aussie rockers at the time.

As with Back in Black and Highway to Hell before it, Angus Young and Co. decided on working with producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange once again.

Sound Issues Impacted Early Recording Sessions

Brian Johnson in 1982

After rehearsing the songs for the album, the band headed into the EMI-Pathé Marconi Studios in early July, where they were ready to lay down basic tracks.

But after trying and trying, they just couldn't get the right sound, or a sound that Lange was happy with. Heck, the story goes they worked for three days just on the snare drum sound alone. Only the snare drum.

Singer Brian Johnson recalls "The studio came highly recommended, but we just couldn't get a good live sound. Mutt finally said 'This is hard work - we're missing the point.'"

So in August 1981, after trying (and not liking) several different studios around Paris, the uber rock producer found a solution to their recording problems: He’d simply moved the operation to a rehearsal space on the outskirts of Paris, and hired the Mobile One Studio from London to record the group. The sound was deemed solid, and recording began anew with basic tracks. Vocals and overdubs were completed at Family Sound Studio and overdubs at HIS Studios and recording was finished in September, ending a five-month process that included lots of tinkering by Lange. Back in Black was done in two months.

Malcolm Young would famously say, in a 1992 interview that "I don't think anyone, neither the band or the producer, could tell whether it sounded right or wrong. Everyone was fed up with the whole album."

Lange is a notorious perfectionist in the studio, and it's highly probably AC/DC were more than fed up with doing take after take, especially since it was their third time working with him.

So, it's not surprising For Those About To Rock was the last time the Aussie rockers worked with Lange.

While the album sounds very polished and crisp, their follow-up records, 1983's Flick of the Switch and 1985's Fly on the Wall were self-produced, with neither boasting exceptional sound, certainly nothing as sonic as found on the Lange-produced records. Neither Flick of the Switch nor Fly on the Wall sold particularly well.

The Five Greatest Ballads by The Rolling Stones

Labelled as the Greatest Rock N' Roll band in the world, the Rolling Stones have also produced their fair share of ballads over the years. With dozens of slow songs in their lengthy catalogue, choosing the top five is no easy feat, so this list actually features six songs listed (in no particular order) because it's a dead heat between "Waiting on a Friend" and "Beast of Burden". So here are the Stones' best ballads:

"Angie" from Goat's Head Soup (1973)

Arguably the most well-known Stones ballad, "Angie" is a heart-tearing ballad about an ending romance. The mournful string section adds very nicely to the overall sad tone of the track, which was mostly written by Keith Richards, including the sorrowful and distinct piano lines, which were played on the album by legendary Stones session man, Nicky Hopkins. There are various tales about who the song is actually about, with Richards first claiming the title and inspiration came from the birth of his daughter, Angela. But in his autobiography Life, Richards said the name was totally random and it "wasn't about any particular person". However David Bowie's ex-wife, Angie, maintains she was the inspiration. Either way, it's a fantastic Stones ballad.

"Winter" from Goat's Head Soup

One of the Rolling Stones most under-appreciated songs, "Winter" is the highlight from "Goat's Head Soup". While there is no doubt guitarist Mick Taylor helped write it, along with Mick Jagger, he never got credit. It was credited as a Jagger/Richards collaboration, but Richards doesn't play a single note. "Winter" features some stellar guitar playing from Taylor and a beautiful string section adding another layer to the track. It's a great example of a track where the feel of the music mirrors the lyrics.

"Wild Horses" off Sticky Fingers (1971)

Another popular ballad, "Wild Horses" is one of those songs that gets better and better the more you hear it, thanks to the many, layered guitar parts and fantastic vocal harmonies from Jagger and Richards during the chorus. Largely written by Richards, it was recorded at Muscle Shoals studio in Alabama in December, 1969. It's Richards playing the country-like guitar licks on the track, which took only two-takes to nail down (virtually unheard of for the Stones at the time, who were notorious for taking forever in the studio). As an interesting side note, it's Jim Dickinson playing piano, not Ian Stewart (who was at Muscle Shoals), because Stewart didn't like playing minor chords (it's starts with a B-minor chord). Richards relates in Life that Stewart called it "fucking Chinese music".

"Beast of Burden" from Some Girls (1978)

"Beast of Burden" is laid-back track with a fantastic groove that features Richards and Ronnie Wood trading guitar licks. The title comes from Richards, basically saying he wouldn't be the band's beast of burden because of ongoing heroin habit. Richards finally got clean in 1978 after getting busted with smack in Toronto the year before. While Richards called it "Beast of Burden", Jagger's verses are generic.

"Waiting on a Friend" from Tattoo You (1981)

Another Stones ballad with a whole lot of Mick Taylor influence, "Waiting on a Friend" comes from the Goat's Head Soup sessions in Kingston, Jamaica, and yes, it's Taylor playing guitar. It has a reggae-like feel to it backed by Sonny Rollins on saxophone. Richards and Ronnie Wood provide a nice vocal harmony on the chorus, which was their only contribution to the song.

"Moonlight Mile" from Sticky Fingers

This song about life on the road, away from friends and family is another of those famously under-appreciated Stones songs. It wasn't even released as a single from the album, but it's an amazing number that builds and builds until it reaches the ending crescendo with Jagger belting out "Yeah I'm going home, cause I'm just about a moonlight mile on down the road". It's yet another song said to be co-written by Mick Taylor.

The Most Expensive Album Ever Produced: Why Chinese Democracy is a Great Record

Throughout the history of recorded music, Guns N' Roses Chinese Democracy is acknowledged as the most expensive album ever recorded.

With a cost of $13 million, Chinese Democracy was largely considered a major dud when it was released on Oct. 22, 2008, just ahead of the Christmas rush.

While it cost Geffen a fortune, there was no way that album was ever going to make money (it sold 2.6 million worldwide by Feb. 2009) as the music business was being overrun by digital piracy and online streaming.

Moreover, by the time it was finally released, Guns N' Roses was an Axl Rose solo band after Slash, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum quit or were fired prior to actual recording of Chinese Democracy, which began in 1997.

Cost-wise, the numbers are staggering:

• Guitar Techs - $6,000 per month
• Studio Engineer - $25,000 per month
• Studio Costs - $50,000 per month (14 different studios)

Not mention dozens of musicians and a massive assortment of assistant engineers who worked on the record.

Costs were so high, in fact, that Geffen took Chinese Democracy off its release list in 2005 and cut funding at the same time, stating "Having exceeded all budgeted and approved recording costs by millions of dollars, it is Mr. Rose's obligation to fund and complete the album, not Geffen's."

Given the record label cut funding, it's no surprise Rose took his band out on the road for 75 shows in 2006 (the most concerts in one year during the touring around Chinese Democracy) presumably to earn money to help cover costs.

During production, Rose stated he had recorded enough songs to make two albums, and he's publicly stated another album will be released, but of course, nobody knows when. But, in and of itself, Chinese Democracy is a solid album.

Despite Costs Chinese Democracy A Great Album

Buckethead live in 2002

While being a commercial flop (a relative term here given it did sell in the millions and Rose did no promotion for the album at all), and largely written off by critics at the time, Chinese Democracy is a very, very good record.

Naturally, given how long it took, it's over-produced with plenty of digital augmentations, and is very far removed from Appetite For Destruction, but the songs are strong and the guitar playing from the likes of Buckethead, Robin Finck, Richard Fortus, Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal and Paul Tobias is phenomenal.

The solos on "Better" courtesy of Buckethead and Finck are amazing, and a fine example of the playing on the album. Speaking of guitar solos, Finck's work on "This I Love" takes it to another level. Mind-blowing.

A song like "If the World" shows Rose expanding his musical horizons with a distinct African/Middle Eastern influence to the track, which is a standout cut on the album.

"Riad N' the Bedouins" is a kick ass song with more of an industrial feel to it, while "Sorry" is a power ballad with a great Buckethead solo.

One of the best songs on the Chinese Democracy is "Prostitute", which closes the record. It's Rose at his introspective best in a song that is both angry and reflective while combining an orchestra overtop of some seriously amazing guitar riffing.

So while many consider Chinese Democracy a throw-away album, it's actually a fine piece of work. And it should be - it sure cost enough.

How Jane's Addiction Almost Imploded Before Recording Nothing's Shocking

This record almost wasn't recorded

One of the most significant albums of the 1980s, Jane's Addiction's seminal Nothing's Shocking, almost didn't get recorded.

While the album turned out to be so influential to alternative music and the beginnings of grunge, the band that went into LA's Eldorado Studio to record it nearly broke up during production.

That's because frontman and band co-founder Perry Farrell demanded 50% percent of the album's royalties for writing the lyrics, as well as another 25% of the remaining 50%, giving him 62.5% of all the records publishing royalties.

Naturally the rest of Jane's Addiction, bassist Eric Avery (also a co-founder), drummer Stephen Perkins and guitarist Dave Navarro were understandably miffed and shocked, given most of the tracks had been written in collaboration by the band.

Farrell, however, refused to budge on his demands.

So, one day producer Dave Jerden was heading up to the studio only to find Farrell, Perkins and Navarro leaving. They told him the band had broken up and there wouldn't be a record.

With plenty invested in the band after signing them (and handing the band a rumoured $250,000) advance, Jane's Addiction's record label, Warner Bros. (which won a bidding war for the band), was having nothing to do with a breakup and set up an emergency meeting to get the problem resolved.

But the solution turned out to be Farrell getting his demands, while the trio of remaining members got 12.5%, which, according to Avery, created a major internal division and had a profoundly negative effect on the band as a whole.

Things came to a head when Avery and Farrell had a serious falling out over a Farrell believing Avery had to tried to pick up his girlfriend at the time, Casey Niccoli.

Nothing's Shocking Bridged Heavy Metal and Alternative

Jane's Addiction (late 1980s)

Fortunately for music fans, the band kept it together and released Nothing's Shocking on August 23, 1988.

It's one of those one-in-a-lifetime records that bridges major musical genres. For fans quickly tiring of the same cock-rock drivel coming out of Los Angeles, Jane's Addiction brought a more underground feel to their music with songs that bridged the alternative/punk scene with metal, sprinkling a little Pink Floyd influence into the equation.

The album's first two tracks "Up the Beach" and "Ocean Size" are two prime microcosms of this. You've got heavy guitar and bass with plenty distortion blending with spacey vocals accompanied by lots and lots of delay on "Up the Beach", then "Ocean Size" begins with a soft Pink-Floyd like intro, followed by heavy, bombastic thunder as the song kicks in as if a huge wave was crashing onto the beach.

The album is a sonic tour de force that was so different from anything being heard in 1988.

And it's all thanks to Warner Bros. - selfishly of course - for intervening to keep the band from imploding.

"Mountain Song" from Nothing's Shocking

Izzy Stradlin: A Key Cog Missing From Guns N' Roses Reunion

Izzy Stradlin

With prominent and recognizable members like W. Axl Rose and Slash at the forefront of Guns N' Roses, it's easy to forget about Izzy Stradlin.

And, as their "reunion" tour resumes Oct. 16 in Peru, some fans of the band may not know how much of a key member the guitarist/vocalist was during his time in the band's heyday (1985-1991).

Not only was Stradlin a founding member, he was a main songwriter who brought a laid-back, Keith Richards-like stage presence to the group that a hired hand like touring guitarist Richard Fortus can't really replace.

Stradlin and Rose both grew up in Lafayette, Ind., and were buddies in high school, playing in bands before moving to Los Angeles and forming Hollywood Rose in 1983. They wrote a some songs (including "Anything Goes" and "Reckless Life") in that band which ended up as Gun N' Roses tracks.

No doubt Stradlin's early friendship with Rose was a key component to the band and the band's chemistry, certainly during the booze and drug-filled Appetite For Destruction days.

And some of the best songs on the Appetite album were largely thanks to Stradlin including "Sweet Child O' Mine", "Mr. Brownstone" and "Paradise City", and then "Patience" from the Lies album.

Not to mention his major input on the Use Your Illusion records where he wrote "Double Talkin' Jive" and "Pretty Tied Up", co-wrote on "Right Next Door To Hell", "Dust N' Bones", "Don't Cry", "14 Years" and "You Could Be Mine". Those are some of the best songs on those records, and it's Stradlin handling lead vocals on "14 Years"(a song about his relationship with Rose), "Dust N' Bones" and "You Ain't The First" and "Double Talkin' Jive".

Stradlin More Than Just A Hired Sideman

Given his contributions to the band (far more in terms of songwriting than bassist Duff McKagan), Stradlin isn't some fill-in or studio muscician, and he was understandably miffed when he wasn't offered equal pay to take part in the "reunion", where the band was rumoured to be asking for $3 million per show (reports on Blabbermouth.net say they're getting around $2.75 million).

You've gotta give Stradlin credit for sticking to his guns and not settling for a lesser payday than Rose and Slash are getting from the tour.

Now, Stradlin has done some gigs with the Guns N' Roses since he quit in 1991 (sober and frustrated with Rose's chronic lateness for shows and the Guns N' Roses touring circus). He played with them for five shows in 1993, a few gigs in 2006, plus several shows as recently as 2012. Unlike former drummer Steven "Popcorn" Adler, (fired in 1990) who has played a few times on the latest tour, Stradlin hasn't played a single show.

For the fans who haven't seen Guns N Roses live, this tour is the closest they've come to seeing the original lineup (the real Guns N Roses), but it's not the same as seeing the original lineup with Izzy Stradlin there.

"14 Years" live in 1991 - Feat. Stradlin Vocals