The company Blown Ups! is adding rock 'n' roll to its collection with the release of an Angus Young inspired by the classic album Highway To Hell .
Blown Ups! are collectible inflatable punching bags featuring a diverse roster of pop culture icons from various eras. The doll measures approximately 15cm and is made of high-resistance vinyl. It is available for pre-order on the band's official website for $19.99.
Earlier this year, Angus spoke to Guitar about his early musical influences. He said: “I played a little guitar, but I really focused on it around when I was about 12, in my teens. And around 13 or 14, that's when Jimi Hendrix appeared on the horizon.”
He also recounts that when he first heard the song “Purple Haze,” he was completely fascinated. “'How is he doing that?' I was very impressed. Also, Malcolm , my brother, had some shows that we saw together. We saw the band The Yardbirds ; they had come to Australia. At the time, the lineup had just changed. I think originally they used to have Jeff Beck . But then, later, when we saw them, they didn't have Jeff Beck; they had Jimmy Page on guitar. So, it was good, because at that time that kind of sound, especially for guitar, the sound really grabs you. But when Hendrix came along, you kind of think: 'Wow! This is another level on the guitar.' So I was a big fan of his,” he concluded.
Angus spoke about not being good at easily "picking up" notes, in the same way that some people can listen to a song and identify the notes with ease. "I used to tell Malcolm: 'You pick up the notes and then show me.' [...] He would pick all the notes of anything I wanted to know, and just show me, and then I would play the way he showed me... But I had a range of styles," he said.
“With other family members who played, I learned a little Chuck Berry , a little blues, and some folk music. So, I had a bit of variety in different things, even some old traditional jazz,” he stated. “My sister, she always got me records and things like that because she knew we were interested in doing things. It wasn’t so much guitar. I listened to Louis Armstrong play trumpet, do a solo, […] and I learned the notes… So, I had quite a bit of variety. When I look at all the musicians I admire, there are many.”
Power Up , the band's most recent album, was the best-selling album of 2020 in at least three of their biggest markets: the US, Australia, and the UK. Furthermore, it debuted at number one there. The album features Brian Johnson (vocals), Phil Rudd (drums), Cliff Williams (bass), Angus Young (guitar), and Stevie Young (guitar) in the lineup.
READ ALSO: Gene Simmons talks about the first time he saw Angus Young: “He didn’t have his front teeth”
