The official music video for AC / DC‘s song “Realize” will make its online debut this Wednesday, January 13 at 10:00 a.m. EST / 7:00 a.m. PST. A preview of the clip is available below.
“Realize” is taken from the long-awaited comeback album from legendary rockers, “Power Up,” which was released in November. The 2014 follow-up to “Rock Or Bust” features AC / DC‘s 2020 lineup comprised of Brian Johnson (vocals), Phil Rudd (drums), Cliff Williams (bass), Angus Young (guitar), and Stevie Young (guitar).
In a recent interview with France’s Heavy1 TV, Angus talked about “Realize” which is the opening song for “Power Up”. He said, “‘Realize’, I remember working with Mal [the late AC / DC rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young], and we worked on that track. We spent quite a bit of time on it. It was another strong idea that I had. For me, I knew how much he really liked it. I remember when we were originally writing it, the effort he put in, and how he built it. The thing is, I remember we had the music side together, how we wanted to do it. And he gave me his idea of the hook, the chorus. . When he gave me the idea of the verse, how he wanted the lyrics, he sang it to me harshly. And I listened to it, and it stuck in my head all day. And I just thought, how smart is he? He comes up with something. It was one of those things where I kept repeating it and repeating it in my head. ”
He continued: “Sometimes I used to think, ‘I don’t know where you get these ideas from.’ His great gift was … For him, a song was not a combination of riffs and hooks and that. For him, he had a kind of natural gift … Every time he created a song, the parts came together: lyrics, music, and even a kind of dynamic … So it was never a case for the two of us [where] just we settle for the chords you played first or something; you went through all the different angles with him. And even with a song, a song with us never really … Let’s say you were doing it at that tempo or in a different way, sometimes we can even go back to another route and say, ‘Okay, try it from another perspective.’
“With this one, however, it was very clear to me, and it stuck with me,” added Angus. “I was going to get a mic and just scratch his voice because you can do it at some point. And I was like, ‘Wrong, if it’s for me, it’s not necessary. I’ve got it here [points to his head]. [Laughs]”
“Power Up” is a tribute to Malcolm, who died in 2017 from the effects of dementia at the age of 64. Malcolm is credited as a writer on all 12 tracks of “Power Up,” along with Angus.
In December 2014, Malcolm revealed that he had dementia that forced him to withdraw from AC / DC. His nephew Stevie Young took Malcolm’s job.
Angus later said that he realized during the recording of the band’s 2008 album “Black Ice” that his brother’s faculties were impaired.
Malcolm died in November 2017 after failing health for several years.
Hundreds of mourners gathered for his funeral in Sydney, Australia, including Angus and other members of the Young family, along with Johnson, AC / DC drummer Phil Rudd, and bassist Cliff Williams.
Malcolm was remembered as a “humble man” and a “musical mastermind,” and his friend David Albert said in praise of him that Malcolm’s impact on the music industry was momentous. Young’s beloved Gretsch guitar, “The Beast,” rested on his casket during the service.