From the Holiday 2005 issue of Guitar World:
Dave Mustaine of Megadeth comments on
"The Record That Changed My Life"
AC/DC - Let There Be Rock
"I was 16 or 17 when I got this album. I remember taking it home,
putting it on my cheap turntable & dropping the needle down on the
vinyl. The first couple of notes of 'Overdose' just blew my mind. The
sound of the guitar was so untamed, and it lit a fire inside me to
approach the guitar like weapon. The lore behind 'Let There Be Rock' is
that Angus & Malcolm would face a Marshall against the wall & crank the
sucker all the way up. You can tell the amp was turned up unbelievably
loud: you can practically feel Angus' fingertips rubbing up against the
strings.
"Singer Bon Scott instantly became a hero of mine, too, because of
the words he was using. I was a teenager and here was this guy singing
about blowjobs, overdosing & dating fat chicks! I'm thinking to myself,
Well, I haven't had the misfortune of dating fat women yet, but I sure
relate to the rest of it. Bon was singing my song!"
"The more I got into AC/DC, the more I started to develop as a
musician. When I was a really young kid & learning music, I was very
influenced by the Beatles, the Who & the Stones. But when it came to
developing my own guitar playing style, it was all about the New Wave of
British Heavy Metal. Some people will argue whether or not AC/DC were
part of this new wave, but I do know there was a void between the
British Invasion & the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, and that AC/DC
fell into it. When I think of how my style evolved, it was certainly
influenced by bands like AC/DC, Diamond Head & Iron Maiden. If you
listen to my style --- even though it's sloppier ---- it contains
essences of Jimmy Page, Michael Schenker & Angus Young. But while Angus
was always a hero of mine, I identified more with Malcolm. Rhythm is
really important in rock & metal, & taking a percussive approach to
guitar is an art that's vital to the sound of that music. That's what
Malcolm brings, and that's why AC/DC is his band."
"To this day, I listen to 'Let There Be Rock' & it motivates me. That
album marked the defining moment in my life when I made my mind up that
I was gonna do this, no matter what."
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