Customer Reviews

AC/DC: Get Your Jumbo Out of My Airport: Random Notes for AC/DC Obsessives

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

First off, this book is supposed to be a collection of "random notes for AC/DC obsessives," which a good deal of it really is. The problem is, even though this book is aimed at "AC/DC obsessives," the author is a man who merely believes that AC/DC used to be a pretty good band. He makes it very clear that he isn't a tremendous AC/DC fan, and that he has pretty much given up on the band since Back In Black was released. This wouldn't be such a big deal if he had stuck to writing articles for rock magazines, where being strongly opinionated is a good thing, but this is a book which is mostly going to be read by huge AC/DC fans such as myself. Calling much of AC/DC's work "rubbish" as Howard Johnson has in this book is not exactly the most endearing way to present his writing. If he wanted to write a book about AC/DC, he would have been better suited sticking to the Bon Scott era, because apparently everything Brian Johnson has ever sung on is total garbage, save for Back In Black. There are plenty of fans out there who believe that the time Bon Scott spent with AC/DC was the best six years of the band's existence, but to write an entire book from this viewpoint is just obnoxious when the book is to be presented to "AC/DC obsessives."

So now I've got that off my chest--on to the rest of the book. Fortunately, only about a quarter or so of the book is actually written by Johnson--the rest is either interviews with the band or fan stories. The fan stories are pretty interesting for the most part, especially the ones where fans visited key areas in AC/DC's career, such as where Bon lived during his years with the band, and the place where he sadly lost his life. Mostly the fan stories are a good read. Where the book really shines, I think, is in the band interviews. Every current member of the band has at least one fairly in-depth interview in the book, including some past members such as Dave Evans. These interviews are what make the book worth getting for the serious AC/DC fan.

However, you're likely better off going for "AC/DC: The Definitive History" if you're uninitiated or a big fan of all eras of AC/DC, not just the Bon Scott era. On the other hand, if you're a fan who believes the band was only great when Bon Scott was behind the mic, you'll probably enjoy this book. But personally, I listen to every bit of AC/DC because it's all AC/DC, and in the end that's what matters most. "AC/DC: The Definitive History" shares this viewpoint and presents the material in a much livelier, more fan-friendly fashion.

The title of this book, however, is great...and it's likely what I'd say to Howard if I confronted him on the street.

Let's face it, if you've read one AC/DC book, you've pretty much read them all. Then only difference is what year they were published. This one IS different, though.
First off, let's make it clear--this is not really a book focusing on AC/DC. This book assumes that the buyer already knows about the band, the history, the music. It doesn't mess around too much in the bio department, opting only for little sidebars about present and past members of the band.
This book is really more about the fans for the fans. Random notes, as the title says. The book goes over various fans' experiences, from internet site webmasters to people who knew the band when they were fresh faced and living in London in the '70s. The book has testimonials from fans not only about meeting the band, but about excursions made to places important in AC/DC history, like Bon's final resting place in Freemantle or old haunts in various areas of London.
All of these essays and notes are intertwined with the author's own experience listening to the band throughout the years. It's clear the author is not a manic fan of the band, but it is apparent that, even though he feels the band's best days are behind them, he still has a great respect for them and finds them entertaining still. Some people may find the author's views out of place in the book, but I think it provides a good contrast to some of the notes in the book about the more fanatical followers. It illustrates that there are many different kinds of AC/DC fans, and they're all welcome to rock along together.
Over all, this is a refreshing book. Instead of beating the same old AC/DC anecdotes into the ground, the author went out on a limb and created a book aimed at and about people who love the best band in the world. I think it works!

Like another reviewer said, this book is for fans who already know most of the history of the band. This book is pretty much a collection of people talking about their AC/DC experiences. But there are also rarely seen pics, bio pieces on the band members, sections about the videos, and other interesting bits. Even a 1991 interview with Phil Rudd, where he talks about what he's been doing away from the band. AC/DC has been my favorite band for 24 years, and this book was perfect for someone like me. It offered something new and made me think about my interest in the band in different ways due to the writers describing their meetings, concerts, etc. This book is worth it!