"That's the Way I Wanna Rock and Roll" by AC/DC

     Are you ready to ROCK, friends? Crank it up and rip the knob off for Australia’s AC/DC as they blast through your speakers into your brain with their anthem "That’s the Way I Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll"!

"Party gonna happen at the Union Hall… shaking to the rhythm ‘til everybody fall…"

From 1988’s Blow up Your Video LP, "That’s The Way" reached #28 on the US mainstream rock singles chart, but did not crossover to the Billboard Hot 100. It managed a little better "across the pond" by peaking at #22 on the UK singles chart.

A hard rock interpretation of a classic blues and rockabilly blend, "That’s The Way" is a tribute to the formative days of rock and roll, and contains lyrical references to early rock classics "Blue Suede Shoes" (both Carl Perkins, and Elvis, 1956), "Be-Bop-A-Lula" (Gene Vincent and his Blue Caps, 1956), and "What'd I Say" (Ray Charles, 1959).

At one point, Brian Johnson sings the line "Be bop a lula baby what I say", stringing two different song titles together. It took me a little while to recall where I had heard that exact phrase before. I re-listened to the original songs from the 50s, but this line merging the two song titles does not appear in either the Gene Vincent or Ray Charles tunes. Then it occurred to me… that same lyric can be found in Dire Straits’ 1985 smash hit "Walk of Life"! ("Here comes Johnny singing "oldies-goldies"… Be bop a lula baby what I say")

Was AC/DC tossing in a shout out to Mark Knopfler’s group, or is this just a strange coincidence? Either way, it’s really cool.

"Picking up my woman in my Chevrolet… Glory hallelujah gonna rock the night away."

Featuring Brian’s growling vocals, powerful lead and rhythm guitar work by brothers Angus and Malcolm Young, bass slappin’ by Cliff Williams, and Simon Wright pounding on the skins, the music video humorously features a guy in a full body cast in the hospital, who many believe is a reference to GNR's Slash. He does have a Les Paul guitar which he eventually wails on, and big hair as Slash does... hmmmm...

It’s also interesting to note that while AC/DC earned no less than TWENTY-NINE (!) US Mainstream Rock hits spanning a quarter of a century from 1980 through 2015, including four that topped that chart, the boys from Australia only managed THREE top 40 singles in the states! The classics "You Shook Me All Night Long" (#35/’80), "Back in Black" (#37/’81), and "Money Talks" (#23/’90) are those three, though they nearly had a total of five top 40 hits, with "Highway to Hell" (#47/’79), and "Let's Get it Up" (#44/’82) knocking on the door to the top 40.

"We’re gonna roll roll roll… We’re gonna roll roll roll… We’re gonna take this town, turn it around, We’re gonna roll roll roll…"

When I was a kid, I mainly listened to current top 40, occasional country, and my parents’ "oldies" (50s and 60s pop and soul), so I was never part of the headbangers crowd. In fact, my Mom essentially raised me that anything with hard rock or heavy metal stylings had no merit and was only listened to by people that I had no business associating with. So, whenever I would see anything Metallica, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, or even AC/DC (albums, cassettes, t-shirts, posters, band logos scribbled on textbooks by classmates…) I felt it was the worst thing ever. Ya know, because that type of music was associated with people who do drugs and use profanity and get in trouble in school and all that stuff.

It wasn’t until my later teenage years that I started to go back and listen to these bands and appreciate them for what they are… powerful, unapologetic rock and roll that has, at its core, much of the same rhythms and structure found in early rock and blues. And then, I became a fan. Just don’t tell Mom.

"I’m gonna blow up my video… shut down my radio…"

Sadly, this legendary Australian act was dealt two crushing blows in the latter half of last year, as long time AC/DC producer George Young (older brother to Angus and Malcom), passed in October, and then Malcolm himself left us in November.

George produced the Blow up Your Video LP alongside co-producer Harry Vanda, in addition to the band’s classic ‘70’s albums "If You Want Blood You've Got It", "High Voltage", "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap", "Let There Be Rock", and "Powerage".

Malcolm, of course, was a co-founder of the group, who retired from the band in 2014 due to dementia. He has since been replaced by his nephew Stevie Young. 2008’s "Black Ice" is his final album with the band. Malcolm is regularly lauded as one of the greatest and most influential rock guitarists ever and his legacy will continue to be felt all across the rock universe.

So to honor George and Malcolm, you totally need to check out this classic cut from "The Thunder from Down Under"… those boys from Sydney… AC/DC! And be sure to tune in at the beginning of next month for our annual "April Fools" selection, to find a song with a humorous slant from radio’s past. Kyle’s Radio Dial… the more you listen… the MORE you remember!

"Told boss man where to go… Turned off my brain control. That’s the way I want my rock and roll".

 

 

 

 





"The Formula" by The D.O.C.

 

    Whazzup, friends? Today, the Dial rewinds the virtual Walkman back to 1989, as we slip on our gold chain necklaces, four finger rings, and hip hop hats (Kente print, or Kangol… take your pic) in order to get the most out of “The Formula” by The D.O.C.!

“High energy flowin’ with the wisdom… sense of a rich man, knowledge and the rhythm…”

Extracted from The D.O.C.’s influential LP No One Can Do It Better, “The Formula” reached #4 on the rap singles chart, but only managed US R&B #76, and earned no Hot 100 showing at all, which is a damn shame, as this is by far, among the best rap songs of the era, IMHO.

Released at a time when rap was still viewed as an underground phenomenon, though the genre was clearly knocking on the door to mainstream acceptance with artists like LL Cool J, Salt N Pepa, Run DMC, the Beasties, and 3rd Bass all experiencing critical acclaim and pop crossover success in the later years of the decade.

“Creative so I’ll never be regarded as a regular… more than just a little bit better than my competitor.”

“The Formula” is what is referred to as a “boasting” rap, in which The D.O.C. (a.k.a. Tracy Lynn Curry) outlines why his skills are superior to other rappers. However, this tune carries more of an intellectual lean, as “Doc-T” (as he was also known as) discusses the calculations and science of making lyrical rhymes, almost as if he is a rapping professor. There are no “disses” and no violent imagery, nor does he resort to vulgar lyrics, which makes “The Formula” the kind of rap song that I tend to like. Interestingly, the song has no vocal chorus, just a periodic instrumental break following each rap verse.

There’s also a cool “call and response” appearing at the end of each rap verse. The D.O.C. asks Dre for validation of the title subject, to which Dre responds with a variation on… “That's the formula!"

Sampling Marvin Gaye's "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)", (US #9 and R&B #1 in ‘71), and The Magic Disco Machine's 1975 album cut "Scratchin'" (a frequently used break in hip hop music), The Formula builds on its classic music bed with The D.O.C.’s smooth delivery and clear lyrics. Confident and authoritative without slipping into brash arrogance, the D.O.C.'s rhymes and lyrical flow was widely considered to be the best of his peers.

“Originality is a must whenever I bust a funky composition, its crush and I trust that you know it when you hear a funky record with potential.”

The music video is a stand out of the era as well. It opens with Dre and fellow NWA alumnus Eazy-E auditioning prospective rappers for a project they are working on. We are treated to hilarious goofs of a generic rap group from Compton, MC Hammer, and even the New Kids on the Block, (“yo man, we got the right stuff”) as they try their hand at being rappers and fail miserably. Though all of the spoof rappers are still better than the real rappers of present day… but I digress.

The rest of the video is pretty cool too, as Dre, sequestered in a creepy castle dungeon, with his cute lab assistant by his side, decides to create his own rapper ala Frankenstein. Make sure to watch all the way ‘til the end.

Sadly, The D.O.C.’s promising career was cut short by a car accident that crushed his larynx. He survived, but his voice was irrevocably changed, and he was never able to recapture the magic from his debut LP, though he did release two other LPs, 1996’s Helter Skelter, and 2003’s Duece. He ended up writing lyrics with many other rappers, most notably Dre, and Snoop Dogg.

So check out this classic old school track below, and give mad props to Dre and The D.O.C., and their “Formula”. In this reviewer’s humble opinion, it is both “fresh” and “dope”. I just have one question… when is the New Kids in the Hood’s album dropping? I’ve been waiting almost 30 years!

D.O.C.: “Knowledge and the talent that my mother had born to her, equals the DOC, what is it, Dre?”             

Dre: “Yo man, that’s the formula!”