A fantastic book, whether you're a fan or simply someone who would like to find out what all the fuss is about.

Published by: Independent Music Press

Anyone involved with rock music who hasn't heard of AC/DC really needs to be tracked down and, as Basil Fawlty once said, given a damned good thrashing. So influential was the band in the period between 1974 and 1980 that the legacy is still felt today with a new breed of bands peddling their own brand of AC/DC influenced pub rock. Indeed there are literally hundreds of bands who claim to have been influenced at one time by the band.

There are plenty of books about AC/DC, and at first glance you might just think that this is another one looking to capitalize on the huge popularity of the band. However look a little closer and you'll see that it's lovingly penned by respected music author Neil Daniels who in the past has offered us great reads on bands such as Journey, Metallica, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, among others. As with Daniels other titles, this is both authoritative and exhaustively researched delving and probing into the golden years of the band with the retrospective view of an outsider looking in rather than the more common introspective books on the subject.

Daniels entertainingly charts the bands rise from its inception in 1974, Scott's membership in 1975, through its formative golden years right up to the untimely death of the singer in 1980. The book is both engaging and informative featuring some excellent photographs, a foreword by Uriah Heep's Mick Box and an afterword from Bruce Kulick enhancing the authenticity and authority of the book. Throughout there are contributions from musicians and journalists who were fortunate enough to have lived through the era and together with the timeline, comprehensive discography and a small bonus chapter focusing on the 'Back In Black' album after Scott's death, Daniels has left no stone unturned.

This is a book that you can't put down. It's nostalgic, engaging and Daniels balances out his obvious love of the band with just the right amount of hard-nosed journalism. In short a fantastic book, whether you're a fan or simply someone who would like to find out what all the fuss is about and one that should further enhance Daniels reputation as a journalist of some note.

Mike Newdeck