AC/DC: THE SAMMY DAVIS, JRS. OF ROCK!
By Jake Austen
(Illustration by Jason Kochis)

We gather here to declare the Sammy Davis Jr. of ROCK, and when I say Rock, I mean RAWK, not neutered hippie drivel, or the singer songwriter stuff that's clogging the arteries of the so called Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. When one invokes the music I speak of, the term, (to quote Udo, the greatest dwarf-sized Euro Metal crooner ever) "Balls To The Wall" must come to mind. Certainly a number of folks who have mated with Metal can be thought of as Bastard children of Sammy Davis Jr.: Ponder David Lee Roth's glitz, Bruce Dickinson's love of theater and Ozzy's amazing vox. But when the last dove's head is bitten off, and the last groupie abandoned, and one must declare the true Sammy of ROCK, there can only be one logical choice...

AC/DC!

Though their musical styles are certainly of different worlds, and though there is but a scant cross section of fan bases they share, when it comes down to it, two factors overwhelmingly make AC/DC and Sammy soulmates: Consistency and total devotion to entertainment.

When it comes down to consistency few acts are on par with these two. Forget the pizza boy and the obstetrician, if you want people who always deliver count on Sammy Davis Jr., Angus Young, Malcolm Young, Bon Scott, Phil Rudd, Cliff Williams and Brian Johnson. When you get an AC/DC record you know exactly what you're getting, and you know exactly how good it will be. While Sammy may have a more diverse repertoire, when you get yourself some Sammy product you know it will have the distinct Sammy vibe pervading it no matter what.

Most significantly, though, where these two acts meet spiritually, magically and bombasticly is on stage. Sammy is described by many as the greatest "down-front" performer of all time, which refers to a certain sense of showmanship and talent that comes alive when an audience is present, a total devotion to entertainment that allows everyone in the house to connect with the performer, to feel the excitement of being at the event. AC/DC fans can attest to getting the same feeling from the Thunder from Down Under. They deliver High Voltage performances like few before or after.

Yes, it's true they don't have the raw "talent" of Sammy, but they compensate on stage with cannons, giant props, and money with their faces on it raining on the crowd. Sure, a number of bands, KISS most prominently, also "go there" with pyro and props, but AC/DC keeps its showmanship pure and low key as well, with Angus' schoolboy costume and his stage histrionics that owe as much to the vaudeville Three Stooges moves as they do to Hendrix. And ultimately it is talent, not props, that puts them over. When Bon Scott was singing he was one of the most distinct powerful, amazing vocalists ever. When he tragically died, and Brian Johnson ably took over, the focus shifted from lead singer as frontman to lead guitarist as frontman, and Angus Young handled it masterfully. He did so not simply with great showmanship, but also with great talent as a guitarist, and a remarkable ability to write simple, infectious, perfect RAWK. The latter is a legitimate talent as creative and brilliant as Sammy's tap dancing.

Certainly there's a number of other factors marrying these two acts. Both engaged in half-assed Satanism, Sammy joining Anton LeVay's Church Of Satan just for the orgies, and AC/DC using Hell imagery just because it was the Hard Rock thing to do. Both survived devastating accidents, and came back strong, Sammy losing his eye and AC/DC losing the greatest voice in Hard Rock history. Both began their careers with an aura of legitimacy amongst the hep (Sammy with Jazz critics early on, AC/DC with punk fans) before drifting towards the mainstream, out of the radar of the intelligentsia but into Joe Lunchpail's music collection. Both have a penchant for anthems ("Birth Of The Blues" = "Let There Be Rock," "I Gotta Be Me" = "Problem Child," "Yes I Can" = "Rock and Roll Singer"). Both displayed remarkable familial loyalty, Sammy keeping his father and uncle in the act years beyond logic and Angus and the band staying behind brother Malcolm Young when he was going through awful alcohol/drug abuse addiction and recovery. And both faced public scorn in the 70s by being associated with the decade's top villains, Sammy for supporting Nixon and AC/DC for allegedly inspiring The Night Stalker killings.

But when the cannon smoke clears, there's really one supreme thing that makes AC/DC the Sammy of ROCK. The mastery, consistency, power and magic of their concerts. Their remarkable ability to deliver the Rock touches their fans and is appreciated as powerfully as Sammy's legendary stage gifts.