CBEB’s

CBEB’s Note: My hosting company’s media server is acting up today. Sometimes the videos load, sometimes they don’t. The problem will eventually clear up, so be patient… thanks!

Last week we celebrated Darwin Day, and what a Darwin Day it was. Next year will be Darwin’s 200th birthday - and the sesquicentennial of the publication of The Origin of Species, so we ought to be able to usher in the End of the World with next year’s festivities. Today, however, I’d like to honor another great man who should be an inspiration to Church Burnin’ Ebola Boys (and girls) everywhere.

It was 28 years ago today that AC/DC frontman Bon Scott died in London due to alcohol poisoning. AC/DC had recently become a worldwide phenomenon with their Highway to Hell album, and many people - including Bon’s fellow bandmates - thought he would be irreplaceable. Brian Johnson would ultimately take Bon’s place, and AC/DC’s next album, Back in Black would go on to become one of the biggest-selling albums of all time.

Still, there are many fans who believe the Bon Scott era was the Golden Age of AC/DC. In fact, Bon Scott is considered by many to be one of the greatest Rock & Roll frontmen ever. That’s a subject that could be argued for hours, but I’d definitely say he’s in the top 10.

Bon Scott deserves to be honored by CBEBs not only because he was a kickass frontman, but because he and the rest of the boys in AC/DC were a constant thorn in the side of uptight parents and religious wankers everywhere. For years, the rumor subsisted that “AC/DC” stood for “Anti-Christ Devil’s Child”. In addition to their classic song, “Highway to Hell”, the song “Hell Ain’t a Bad Place to Be” made AC/DC a favorite whipping boy for anti-rock music crusaders. Instead of toning things down to gain mass acceptance, AC/DC basically found a working formula and stuck with it. Other bands had sung about the devil and hell before AC/DC (Screamin’ Jay Hawkins probably started it with “Little Demon”, followed by the Sonics’ garage rock classic “He’s Waiting”, and the Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy For The Devil” to name a few), but Bon Scott & Co. brought it front and center, with the added bonus of not being pretentious about it.

Shit. I could probably write about AC/DC and Bon Scott for hours, but that would be missing the point. AC/DC’s music isn’t meant to be analyzed on an intellectual level, it’s meant to be enjoyed for what it is: pure, dumb fun. So enough of my bullshit; here’s some choice Bon Scott videos.

First up is one of AC/DC’s first television appearances, where they perform a rockin’ version of the oft-covered “Baby, Please Don’t Go”. This clip is dedicated to CBEB’s favorite Darwinist Drag Queen Transvestite Imitation Lesbian, JanieBelle McKnight.

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Below the fold are three more clips, including two live performances.

Here’s a great video of AC/DC playing their classic tune, “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock & Roll)”:

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Here’s a live performance of “Riff Raff”, from the Powerage album. One of the most neglected of AC/DC’s Bon Scott-era albums, Powerage is actually one of their best. It has some killer riffs and great lyrics - Angus and Malcolm Young consider it their best album, and even Keith Richards has praised it.

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When I say Powerage is a great album, this song explains why. This is one of AC/DC’s first American television appearances, doing a fine version of one of their best songs, “Sin City”:

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