AC/DC: 'The Ultimate Illustrated History' Book Author Interviewed

Voyageur Press has has just released "AC/DC High-Voltage Rock 'N' Roll - The Ultimate Illustrated History", which follows the band from its roots in Sydney, Australia, to its most recent releases and sold-out world tours. No stone is left unturned, from the band's formation and early gigs on the club circuit Down Under, to the 1980 death of singer Bon Scott and ultimately astounding worldwide success. Jam-packed with more than 400 illustrations — from handbills, posters, backstage passes, and vinyl from around the globe, as well as rare candid and performance photography — this massive contribution to the AC/DC library gives fans a all-access visual tour through almost four decades of unadulterated rock mastery. Additionally, sidebars and essays from top rock scribes examine all studio releases, document the band's numerous personnel changes, and delve into the guitar gear of the Young brothers, while musicians past and present comment and reflect on the band's lasting influence.

Complete with a specially commisioned band history and discography, an afterword from DEF LEPPARD's Joe Elliott, and a complete index, this book brings fans as close to the band as possible without a ticket.

AOL's Noisecreep recently conducted an interview with the book's authord, London-based freelance journalist Phil Sutcliffe. An excerpt from the chat follows below.

Noisecreep: How long in the making was your AC/DC book? Was a lot of research required to unearth the photos and set lists?

Sutcliffe: It took about six months, but the book is a bit unusual in that, when I say that, I don't just mean my time. I was writing my 30,000 words, but at the same time, a bunch of other writers were hammering away on the album reviews and other "articles" the book contains and the special heroes of an illustrated history, the picture/visual researchers at Voyageur were doing their magic thing. It's a real skill that most of us writers don't possess and discovering all those photos from around the world plus the memorabilia and so on. So what I stress that, although I'm lucky enough to have my name on the cover of a book, I'm proud to be involved in, this really is a team endeavor, just like a rock band, in fact.

Noisecreep: What was the most poignant thing you learned about the band while doing the research?

Sutcliffe: Poignant is a good word to introduce when thinking about AC/DC because it's easy to imagine they're a bunch of hard nut Aussies, almost superhuman and unfeeling. No way, so I like the human side of thinking about those Young boys as immigrants in a strange land, Australia, when they'd just flown in from Scotland to make a better life; the story of Bon Scott finding his way through from a kind of lost childhood and mid-20s, and then the tragedy of his death; the astonishing way the band came together again after that, encouraged by Bon's dad and then "saved" by discovering such a kindred spirit as Brian; Malcolm's iron-willed recognition that he had an alcohol problem and self-motivated recovery from it; the ups and downs of Phil Rudd, a rock of a drummer but clearly a fragile man in some ways ... Everything that says these are real human beings getting through all that to bring us all those good-times-rolling nights for almost 40 years.

Read the entire interview from Noisecreep.

Formed in 1973 by the brothers Angus and Malcolm Young, AC/DC has gone on to become one of the most popular and bestselling bands in history, thanks to live-wire stage shows and a sonic attack that has attracted fans from all rock camps.

AC/DC is often credited as pioneers of heavy metal, a tag that Angus and Malcolm Young both eschew, insisting they're simply a rock 'n' roll band. However the band is classified, their starring role in the history of rock is undeniable. Now, there is a book that dares to tackle that legacy.

Contributors:

* Phil Sutcliffe
* Joe Bonomo
* Danie Bukszpan
* Jen Jewel Brown
* Anthony Bozza
* Garth Cartwright
* Ian Christe
* David Dunlap
* Andrew Earles
* Dave Hunter
* James McNair
* Martin Popoff
* Sylvie Simmons
* Bill Voccia

About the author: London-based freelance journalist Phil Sutcliffe has been writing about rock since 1974 and has interviewed greats like Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, PINK FLOYD, Kate Bush, RADIOHEAD, NIRVANA, Nick Cave, and QUEEN. His work has appeared in myriad publications, including Mojo, Q, the Los Angeles Times, Blender, Sounds, and more. Phil's back catalog is mostly available on the world's best archive of music writing: Rocksbackpages.com.