Customer Reviews

Highway to Hell : The Life and Times of AC/DC Legend Bon Scott

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This book was great. I don't often read anything, but this one only took a short amount of time because I couldn't stop reading it. It dives back into the life of Bon Scott, but not the Bon Scott that is whats sort of "mythical" or "legend", nor does it start from when Bon joined AC/DC!

This book was originally supposed to be a movie, but Alberts wouldn't allow a movie about Bon to be made. Clinton Walker has not given you a collection of rumors or story's that are just words of fans who heard rumors, he has actually gone and found friends & family of Bon, and gone straight to the horses mouth for the info, from the people who knew Bon best!

It starts from the beginning of Bons life; And gradually tells you about Bon's life during the 50's & 60's, and the previous bands he was with, and why they collapsed. It is very surprising to find out who Bons closest friends actually where!!! Not to mention that many of Australia's best rock bands members all kind of worked together at one stage, or knew each other, it is very interesting to read about who Bon knew!

Then of coarse, the life into Bon's introduction to AC/DC. And it lays to rest the rumors that Bon was a driver/roadie type of person for the band, it explains why people would think that, and the real story of how Bon joined AC/DC; and you will discover it was on purpose, not accidentally as many have come to believe!

There is a lot of great information that let you into the life of not just a rock & roll legend that we are all familiar with fronting the worlds greatest rock band, but also who Ronald Scott was on the inside. He was not the wild man everyone saw him as, he had a public image that he would put on, but behind the front mans public mask, there beat the painful heart of a man who's dream was to be the biggest. And he got there after a hard struggle. But unfortunately, when he got there, he didn't have anyone to share that glory with. You'll find out that Bon, despite what his public interviews and character said, he was really searching for love and someone to take care of him. My thoughts on when Bon died, it wasn't just choking on his own vomit as you would have heard. He was also dieing of a broken heart. The poor man achieved fame, but didn't find love before his time had come.

Many other interesting things I found from this book. How Bonny got into AC/DC, who Bon really was, Who Bon's friends where, how Bon was not as solid in the band as you might think, he was considered disposable of and replaceable by the Youngs until around about 1977!! It also speaks about the struggles and hurdles of AC/DC, they where almost dropped by Atlantic until pretty much the Highway To Hell album! There struggles on the road in the early days, there disrespect in Australia, and there hard fight as they discovered that it really is a long way to the top, if you wanna rock n roll!

The only reason I drop it one star is that I feel that Walker has a grudge about the Young Brothers. He seems ticked about them not wanting to be interviewed for the book, and maybe having something to do with the movie not being made? But he speaks about there shyness like it was some kind of disgrace, and he just doesn't seem to have much nice to say about Angus or Malcolm, and I get a strong vibe that he feels that the Youngs pushed him into his grave, and drove him to drink himself to death. But I don't think so, Bon i'm sure died of a broken heart after splitting up with his girl. Then it doesn't seem to talk about AC/DC's success after Bons death, it mentions the 80's and early 90's, but doesn't mention the success they had with LIVE performances as they always did from the beginning. He seems to have gone out of his way to try to make it look like AC/DC died when Bon did, and blames the Youngs for it.

But apart from some bad blood issues; I think the book is great, letting us see the Bon that we never knew, and his days with Fraternity and the Valentines, even back with the Spektors, his hay days in Perth and what Bon would get up to, the great story's of friends memory's of Bon, and the sad tragedy that Bon was seen as the wild legendary front man of a great powerful rock band, but on the inside, just your average Joe looking for friends and love, and who sadly didn't get to settle down as he wanted to

Rest In Peace Ronald Bon Scott - We Salute You

Before we get started, let's make one thing clear. I am an AC/DC nut. They are my favorite band and have been for 15 years. Sorry to the elders, but being 29 I got in ASAP in the mid to late 80's.

I love this book. I thought I knew it all, but I did not. Bon possibley being thrown out of the band? Contradictory to everything I've read or heard.

The book is gripping, especially the 2nd half. A must read for any AC/DC fan who thought he knew it all. Trust me...you don't.

Great read and great buy. Well written. Highly recommended.

I hope the author writes the "Brian Years". I need to know more...

Steve Malo Litchfield, CT USA

If you are going to read a biography about Bon Scott and/or AC/DC then THIS book is definately the one to read.

Very well written. Intelligent, detailed, honest and was definately written from the heart. A truly excellent piece of work.
The author had had encounters with Bon personally and seeked out Bons friends & family for information and had Bons parents consent and blessing to do so. Bons mother said, after Clinton Walker asked if it was ok to write a book about Ronald Belford Scott, "Bon would have liked that".
Alberts, who had the AC/DC rights were uncooperative. How absolutely arrogant of them.
In any case Clinton Walker did a brilliant job and this is definately a MUST READ for all Bon Scott lovers.
I was only 7 or 8 years old around the time AC/DC brought out "It's a long way to the top - if you wanna rock n roll", living in Fitzroy, Melbourne, and loved it instantly as I did every other song AC/DC brought out when Bon was singing with the band. Sorry Brian but there is just no comparison.
Bon has made a deep impact into so many millions of lives and the whole world, I'm sure, still mourns this brilliant artist and lover of music (and women).
Bon left us far too early but he will NEVER be forgotten. He will always be loved.

This book is simple a must if you're a real AC/DC fan. Altough it is focused mainly on Bon Scott ( for the simple reason of the man's unbeliavable great charisma ), of course it deals a lot about AC/DC's career until the "HIGHWAY TO HELL" album. YOu have to got a little patience in the first hundred pages or so, when the book deals with all the secundary bands Bon worked before joining the Young Brothers. But this phase is fundamental in understanding the man's backgorund and way of life. Of course there is no official quote from AC/DC actual members ( AC/DC would never permit it!!!), but a lot of interviews from ex-bassist Mark Evans. What becomes clear after reading the book (what was already clear for clear-minded fans) is how the band lost creativity after Bon died, mainly in the lyrical department. The book reveals that some years ago the band even contemplated sacking Brian Johnson (the guy just can't sing or scream anymore - it's awful !!). The band today is almost an "Institution", like the Stones (that's why they released only two albuns in the entire period since 1991)and losing their second singer could be a definitive blow to the band. All in all, this book is a must have.

Despite the playful title, Highway to Hell is quite an intelligent read about Bon's storied career. Ample attention is given to Bon's pre-AC/DC career, with a lot of detail and insight into the Australian pop music scene of the 70's. I did feel that the AC/DC years could have been more thorough, but considering no one in the band cooperated with the author, I guess that's to be expected. A good read.

The book is great!!! You find out the story behind Bon Scott. I was very touched by this book. Bon lived more life than most people will EVER see in their whole entire lifetime. And he died so young. Right before AC/DC got SUPERHUGE. But as it was stated in the book, the band moved on, and it's the way Bon would have wanted it. Nothing could have been done to change that. Clinton Walker does a very good job of making Bon out to be the legend he surely was.

Bon fans must get this book! It offers amazing insights into this legendary hard rocker's fascinating background and life. I waited 20 years for a book like this to come out and it was worth the wait. Buy it!

I can't understand the Young Brothers ruthless personality. I love AC/DC.
So, when a writer like CLinton Walker tries "heroically" to pay a unabiased tribute to Bon Scott, one should expect that the Young clan would give support to his project.

No. That didn't happen. Malcolm, Angus, George, drummer Phil Rudd, Harry Vanda, ex-manager Peter Mensch, well, nobody connected to Alberts Productions accepted to give an interview for this book, which was almost a "last chance" to homage their fallen comrade. This is even made worse by the fact that Bon's parents, Chuck and Iza, gave their blessing to the project...
Just intriguing, I assume... The author could not even obtain permission to quote from Bon's lyrics, what would have certainly made the book still better!!!
As for the book, it's excellent, altough it quotes so much from Bon's girlfriends (as explained above, this was the only line of action left to the author).
As for people within the band, the most interesting sources are ex-bassist Mark Evans and ex-manager Michael Browning. Altough sometimes criticizing the band, they (and the author) did it in a very soft manner, with respect and gallantry.
Well, once we don't have (and probably never will) any kind of oficial biography about AC/DC, we've gt to put our hands upon anything released. And this is a fine effort!

I found this to be a very good book about Bon Scott. it gives an insight in to him from his birth to his death. it gives space to go in to his life apart from his time with ac/dc. it uses interviews from persons that knew the man to build a good picture of him. I could hardly put the book down until I finished it.

A great portrait of words on the life of AC/DC frontman Bon Scott. The author has done a great job telling Bon's story by getting his facts from the people that knew Bon(family, friends, wife, girlfriends, people in the music business, former band mates, etc.)rather than just relying on interviews in magazine's or gossip spread by tabloids and people who just knew Bon briefly. This book would make a great movie about Rock and Roll.

A must read for any AC/DC - Bon Scott fan.