What ya think ? Was it Brian or Bon ?

This has been something I've always wondered about. Bon died on Feb, 19th 1980. Back In Black was released July 25th and recorded from April to May of same year. It is no secret that pre-production with Bon had been started before his death. Seems odd that everything with Bon was kicked to the curb with his passing....AC/DC scans the globe for a replacement....One is found and they write and record a new album from scratch, start to finish in less than three months time.


The biggest head scratcher of all is listen to the vocal melodies and lyrics on the Back In Black album. Listen to melodies and lyrics on the previous albums with Bon, then do likewise with the subsequent albums with Brian afterwards. The Back In Black songs sound more like Bon stuff than anything done with Brian on alll the lp since.

You decide and please discuss. I may just be trippin.....I am gettin old

Supposedly songwriting had commenced but no studio time was booked prior to Bon's death. The band traveled to the Bahamas with Johnson to record the album, most sources I can find state Johnson wrote the lyrics.

My guess is their might have been some basic vocal melodies developed by Bon, but probably no finished lyrics.

I voted "Some".

i never really thought about it before, but I voted "Don't Care". no matter who wrote it, Brian pulled it off perfectly & made it feel like his own. that album is a near perfect rock album.

mc666 wrote:

i never really thought about it before, but I voted "Don't Care". no matter who wrote it, Brian pulled it off perfectly & made it feel like his own. that album is a near perfect rock album.

^^exactly^^

Much like Def Leppard's best work, I think Mutt Lange had a lot to do with the sound and success of that album.

Good call Spec. I voted some.

i said no but it really doesnt matter - great album!

Never thought about it before.

mc666 wrote:

i never really thought about it before, but I voted "Don't Care". no matter who wrote it, Brian pulled it off perfectly & made it feel like his own. that album is a near perfect rock album.

My opinion too.

Never thought about it.

I think some, Bon Scott did start writing lyrics but they were in early stages of pre production in Feb of 1980. I doubt they used any of his lyrics, if you compare the lyrics Brian Johnson is not as clever as Bon's were.

I do think that Mutt Lange had a bit to do with their success, but AC/DC unlike Def Leppard where not his puppets, Bon Scott refused to do multi takes or have his vocal performance spliced together from various takes, same thing with the Young brothers, they enjoyed working with him, but it was a definite an AC/DC album not a Mutt Lange album.