Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen has made his thoughts on AC/DC making a new album with touring frontman Axl Rose pretty clear.
Rose finished AC/DC’s last world tour with the band after Brian Johnson had to step down from his position due to problems with his hearing. There have been reports that Angus Young has plans to record a new AC/DC record with the Guns ‘N’ Roses frontman but Collen reckons it’s a bad idea.
Asked by US radio station 96.9 The Eagle whether there should be an album with Rose on vocals he bluntly answered, “no”.
“I’m a huge AC/DC fan, and if the whole band’s left or gone… Malcolm dead, obviously. Brian Johnson got kicked out. Cliff Williams retired and Phil Rudd got arrested. You’ve got one person [left], so it’s not really AC/DC. Maybe call it ‘A, WITH AXL ROSE.'”
He continued, “It kind of loses its appeal. It becomes karaoke; it becomes something else, and it’s lost its integrity, really.”
He said that Rose did a, “great job,” filling in for Johnson but he doesn’t believe that it can be labelled an AC/DC album if it goes ahead.
“I think as a band, if he was gonna do an album, it may sound good, but it’s not really the band anymore,” he concluded.
The last AC/DC album was 2014’s Rock Or Bust. Young hasn’t officially announced plans to record another album nor has Rose said that he’s doing so but there are murmurings.
We’ll just have to wait and see whether it’s more than just a rumour.
For now, you can listen to Collen’s opinions below.
https://soundcloud.com/radioforrest/phil-collen-from-def-leppard-2
