Many successful bands have featured brothers. Whether it be The Kinks, Van Halen, Pantera or Oasis, there’s something largely indescribable but immensely powerful about the brotherly bond that has allowed groups to create music that resonates on a deeper level with listeners. Although this telepathic creative understanding has given rise to some of the best-loved songs known to man, due to the inherent complexities of sibling relationships, it’s also caused many high-profile fall-outs.
Brothers Dave and Ray Davies of The Kinks have one of the most tumultuous sibling relationships in music lore, as do the Gallagher brothers of Britpop sensations, Oasis. These are just two examples though, and we’ve seen repeatedly that the sibling bond can produce sparks in the rehearsal room and studio, but the power of such personal connections can also cause schisms of legendary proportions.
These flashpoints can be so fraught that the brotherly relationships never recover, such as in the case of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s John and Tom Fogerty, who did not reconcile before the latter’s tragic 1990 death. Yet, there are some who are lucky enough to dodge the acrimony, and continue in unison until the end of their careers. Perhaps the best example of this is AC/DC’s Angus and Malcolm Young, the brotherly partnership central to the Australian band’s sound and success.
Thick as thieves since childhood and both clear in that they wanted to create heavy rock that harkened back to the frenetic grooves of the early rock ‘n’ roll period, the Young brothers knew that they were the ideal foil for each other, and that they were stronger as a consolidated unit. Of course, they were each other’s biggest critic, but they did it in a way that was constructive, and for the betterment of the band.
Asked how he and Malcolm got on so well and enjoyed sustained success when others such as The Kinks and Creedence Clearwater Revival did not, Angus Young explained all when speaking to Classic Rock in 1992.
He said: He’s certainly an underrated rhythm guitar player. That’s true. Musically, I’m the left hand and he’s the right hand. Add the two together, we play as one. As for writing, I might have an idea, like the riff for Moneytalks, and I’ll play it for Malcolm when we come to do an album, and he does the same. Then we play critic with each other – “Oh, that’s a good one…”
Given this tight bond between the two Young brothers, where honesty underpinned their approach to creating heady rock licks, the two were able to create towering sonic moments that have continued to reverberate.
They were unchained by the fear of hurting the other’s feelings – a sticking point for so many other musical siblings – and more importantly, united in their mission to bring guitar music back to its glory days, railing against what they saw as the laughable ostentatiousness of 1970s rock. If bands such as The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin represented individual virtuosity in this era, the brothers Young embodied grit and togetherness.
They were each other’s biggest supporters and harshest critics, which created a dovetailing guitar sound like no other. Whether it be ‘Moneytalks’, ‘Back in Black’ or even deep cuts such as ‘Big Balls’, you don’t have to search far in AC/DC’s back catalogue to realise just how effective their partnership was.
