If the AC/DC Retirement Rumors Are True…

Various media outlets are reporting that AC/DC will officially retire later this week due to Malcolm Young's ongoing health problems.  I hope those rumors aren't true, but if they are, AC/DC will go down as one of the greatest hard rock bands of all time.

I'll never forget the first time I heard AC/DC.  The opening riff of "Highway to Hell" whooped my young, impressionable ass.  Then came "Back in Black" and I was hooked.  I was thinking of how I could properly put my appreciation for this legendary band into words.  As usual, someone way smarter than me, summed it up perfectly.

This is a quote from my friend, former boss and radio colleague Paul "Neanderpaul" Marshall, who programs the mighty KDKB in Phoenix.

"You never realize how much you *really* love something, until you can't have it anymore.

As their albums' sales prove, AC/DC have (not so) quietly assumed a legendary status alongside the greatest of all time. They are indisputably the best bar-band ever assembled. They write songs that rock for the boys, and groove so the girls will shake their asses. Their songs are easy to figure out, but cannot be duplicated. They are the essence of chemistry.

And they did it *twice.*

Two different textures. Each one instantly recognizable. Sure, there are always the "Bon vs. Brian" debates. But, they are never entered into with malice intended. It's always like #1 & 1a. The fun fact is, you could always have them both, and not lose by choosing.

Today, it appears we're going to have to say goodbye to AC/DC.

There are very few bands that have literally changed my life. AC/DC isn't the first one that I'd cite. But, I just cannot imagine Rock n' Roll without AC/DC. As I said; quietly. That's a testament to their reliability. It's always been a joke that the band has made the same album, 18 times over.

I bought it. Every time. Without hesitation.

Although I will selfishly miss the band, should they actually call it a day today (as has been rumored), I cannot applaud them enough for making the decision. It is the right thing to do. And, AC/DC have *always* done the right thing.

My good friend Mark Abramson once said; "If you don't like AC/DC, we can't be friends." I think that's as sound a philosophy as can be espoused.

I feel like I'm losing a friend today."