Angus Young’s opinion on Cliff Williams

Malcolm and Angus Young are undoubtedly the backbone of AC/DC and what gives the band the sound they are known for, but there have been many vital members over the decades who also contributed to the greatness of their music. Longtime bassist Cliff Williams, who made his debut on “Powerage” (1978) and has been part of every album since, has also been an important element of their sound. Angus once gave his opinion on Williams and explained how talented the bassist is.

What is Angus Young’s opinion on Cliff Williams

“Cliff he is very solid, a very solid bassist, besides he also knows a little bit of bottom end (lays down the low-frequency foundation, the bass and rhythm, that anchors a song and drives its groove). But he also got the very solid right hand and after we reward him every night with a couple of beers (laughs),” he said in an interview with Planet Rock in 2016. Cliff answered to that praise, saying: “I love the music, I love playing in the band, I’m all filled up (when playing).”

“My role as part of the rhythm section is to give drive, to give foundation, an engine if you like, and support the guitars. My first album with the band was ‘Powerage’ and that was in 1978. I mean, it was all new and fresh, (I didn’t know) them. They are Australian and I’m from London, there was a whole fitting in thing.”

“But they were great, I mean, very accepting. But they were very famous in Australia when I joined them. They pretty much got to the top of the heap there very quickly. They’ve been to Europe once or twice at that point too. But we were still touring on a modest basis. You know, we were playing small venues with little equipment, with a little van. We were all driving together in a station wagon and stuff. That over the years has changed, thankfully (laughs).”

He continued:

“Not to say it wasn’t fazed, but it was hell of a lot of fun. There’s always been the sound that AC/DC has. Angus (is) the dynamite, fantastic to play with. I’ve been trying to stay out of Angus’ way for 40 years (laughs). He’s like a whirlwind out there. Stevie (Young – Malcolm’s replacement) is a great rhythm player like his uncle Malcolm, the same style Stevie grew up on. He inherited that and he’s naturally Young (from the family) as well. So it’s kind of in the genes,” Cliff Williams said (Transcribed by Rock and Roll Garage).

On his final show with AC/DC before the reunion in 2023, in 2016, at the end of “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You),” Angus brought him to the front of the stage and bowed to him, while Axl Rose asked the audience to applaud Williams. At the time, the band had Axl Rose as the vocalist for their remaining tour dates of that year. Brian Johnson had to step out due to his hearing issues. Interestingly, although Angus was technically the leader, since his brother Malcolm had already left the band due to his health issues related to dementia, he also relied on Cliff to make decisions, as he was the longest-serving member of the group after him.

Angus Young recalled:

“I knew that Cliff, from the very beginning, even when we started to get ready to go on tour (Rock & Bust), Cliff said this would be his last. We knew that and when all of this come up (Brian’s hearing issues), me and Cliff had to sit and go ‘Ok, we gotta deal with the options. What we’re going to do, to do these dates anyhow,” he said. But a few years later, when Brian Johnson had resolved his hearing problems, Angus decided to get the band together to record a new album. The result was “Power Up”, released in 2020. According to Angus, after the 2016 tour was over, he told Cliff: “Even at the end of the last tour, I said to him, ‘If I’m going to do something, do you want me to contact you?’ He said, ‘Yeah, contact me.’”

When talking to Rolling Stone to promote the album, Cliff said he couldn’t miss this opportunity to reunite with the classic line-up. “It was like the old band back together. It was not like starting over again, but as close to the band that’s been together for 40-plus years as we can possibly make it. I didn’t want to miss that.” During the same conversation, Angus recalled that, these days, Cliff is the longest-serving member of the band besides him. “Besides myself, Cliff has been there the longest, since 1977. Cliff and Brian are in the same age bracket. They like to go out, hit the pubs, they had that bond,’ he said in 2020.

How Cliff Williams became AC/DC bassist

Cliff Williams was born in London, England, in 1949. At the age of 11, his family moved to Liverpool, where he saw the rise of The Beatles. He left school at the age of 16 and worked in a metal shop for about a year. He hated it, but he was still playing in bands at night. At the age of 17, Williams had the chance to become a professional musician. He moved back to London with one of the bands he was part of.

In the late ’60s and ’70s, he played with many different bands and even recorded some albums. One example was with the band Home, which he formed with Laurie Wisefield, who later became a member of Wishbone Ash. “Around 1977 I got a phone call from a buddy of mine, Jimmy. (He said) that there was a group called AC/DC in town and they were looking for a bass player. (My friend said) that I should maybe go and audition. (At the) time I (I felt like I shouldn’t but I had) seen them on Top of the Pops and they were great.”

He continued:

“But I was kind of like thinking maybe I was all done with it. So I went along luckily (laughs). I auditioned a few times, got on well with the guys. (I) joined them in 1977,” he told Bass Frontiers in 2011 (Transcribed by Rock and Roll Garage). Besides being the band’s bassist, Cliff was also important to AC/DC’s backing vocals alongside Malcolm Young.

During this same conversation, Cliff praised the AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd. “Phil is a hell of a drummer to play with. He is solid as a rock, he’s such a metronome and he’s got that little back slap (when playing). He’s just got a tremendous feel, he is the best for us.”