# AC/DC: The All Encompassing Thread. Please Contribute.



## keto (May 23, 2006)

Inspired by hearing that while out in the garage puttering, it is my favourite of theirs, I thought maybe we should have an encyclopedia of AC/DC around here.

I know there are several big fans, and I thought I'd also say a peace offering and best wishes with that thing going on over there, cute pups, @Lola . If you got some spare time and want to take your mind off, fill 'er up.

What does everyone have? Tabs? Concert tales? Best performance/lesson vids? Plain jane history? Let's hear it.

I did not realize this was a thing. Going to give it a listen. Peace out.


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

Right up my alley. Best band in the world! There’ll never be another band like them.


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

Thank you so much for starting this most amazing thread. I have always loved them and always will. While Angus is not considered a technical player wtf cares.


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

I have so much to show you. I have been a collector of acdc music and memorabilia for a really long times. I am actually asking Santa this year for a full sized cut out of Angus for my tiny studio.


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## Tom T (May 3, 2016)

Love it! Here is some isolated Malcolm. Absolutely killer raw tone.


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## FatStrat2 (Apr 7, 2021)

The good & the bad.

Only recently has Malcolm Young been acknowledged as one of the best rhythm guitarists ever. I knew it the first time I heard him in the 80s in Montreal and again in New York, he was something special. Everyone scoffed at him, it was ignorant and unfair. I started playing guitar almost solely because of this band. And despite their cliched lyrics, they are funny, catchy and poignant too.

Given that, I have to admit that I love everything they put out from 1973 to the "Mutt" Lange years stopping in 1981. After that, maybe 1 song every 2 to 3 albums is worth listening to for me. And it's not so much the music and sketchy production, it's Brian Johnson's increasingly bad vocals over the years which was unbearable for me. If you knew the tight reins and the repeated takes Lange forced Johnson to perform for "Back in Black" to reel in his terrible vocals, you'd fall down. Only a few producers could tame him like good ol' Mutt could.

If only Mutt & AC.DC could get together one last time. I was hoping they would after Malcolm's death, maybe title it "Back to Black".


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## tonewoody (Mar 29, 2017)




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## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)

Bon Scott Rules!


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

First, I'm a fan. I think Angus is the poster child for rock stars and any time I've seen AC / DC take the stage, they have pretty much blown the other acts off the stage.

This tune just rocks. No, not Bonn and not classic by most fans standards, but that groove during the verses....so in the pocket. It locks in around 17 seconds into the clip.


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## MetalTele79 (Jul 20, 2020)

Big fan. My favorite song of theirs is If You Want Blood.






GWAR recently did a decent cover of the song.







While there will never be another AC/DC, Airborne have release a few pretty good albums that are very AC/DC-ish.


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## starjag (Jan 30, 2008)

I love love love the Powerage record. I have fond memories of early teenager me holding the record, listening, and marveling at the cover art. Pure visual and auditorial awe. What these brothers and the Young family have done for rock and roll is much beyond the sum of its parts. You almost have to listen to one song at a time, one record at a time. No judgement about technique and the other bla bla bla the “critics” say, just take it for what it is.


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## Rollin Hand (Jul 12, 2012)

I have loved AC/DC for a long time now, and have seen them live twice, once indoors, the other at Frank Clair Stadium outdoors.

The first time was a hoot, but a bit bittersweet, because one of my good friends had to bail because his father was fading fast. Still a fun show. Almost as entertaoning what the way the air partially left the room when Brian said "Here's one off the new album!"

We told my friend "the next time they come around, we're all going."

The second time was special. The entire area around Lansdowne Park was a party mixed with a festival. All the bars were full to the brim with AC/DC blasting through the speakers. Everyone was in a great mood. And the show was HUGE. My friend was loving it.

My biggest memories from the second show weren't necessarily positive, but here they are:

1) Angus' solo. It was too long. WAY too long. They could have fit another couple of classics in that time slot.

2) I think I lost about 5 percent of the hearing in my left ear. Angus' tone was like razor blades, and it was LOUD.

3) A couple had brought their very young son to the show--I guess about 18 months old. He had the big ear protectors on. I'll never forget the look on his face when they were leaving, a mix of "I can't believe they took me to this" and "what the flip was THAT?"

And no one hits like Phil Rudd. No one.


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## chiasson.matthew (Oct 20, 2021)

My favorite concert of all time was AC/DC in Moncton on their Black Ice tour. Saw the concert with my Dad, was very close to the stage and was blown away. The spectacle of the whole experience was amazing, and am just glad to have seen them before it was too late. I'm a sucker for a live album and Live at Castle Donington is one of the best. My off the beaten path favorite track would have to be Sin City.


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## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)




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## keto (May 23, 2006)

I think my aunt had that pantsuit Bon has on.



laristotle said:


> View attachment 387143


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## Permanent Waves (Jun 2, 2020)

AC/DC was one of the first rock bands I was ever exposed to, right around the time Back In Black came out, and I listened to that record on a loop. It was my introduction to what the raw power of hard rock guitar was all about. Every time I hear the album it takes me back to the early years of being a teenager interested in learning to play guitar. Finally got to see them in Ottawa in 2000 for the Stiff Upper Lip tour, definitely a bucket list item. They are truly the quintessential hard rock band.

Funny story - I've been doing the Rush tribute thing for over 25 years, and it's the only tribute band I've ever done, but twice I came close to doing Malcolm in an AC/DC tribute band. Back around 2005, our band spawned a AC/DC tribute that unfortunately never got off the ground. I learned rhythm parts for close to 40 AC/DC songs and gained a new respect and understanding on why Malcolm Young was, in addition to a master riff maker, probably the greatest rhythm guitarist ever. The rhythm subtleties in songs like Thunderstruck and Who Made Who are delightful.

I took a break from gigs for a while for family reasons then got back into it in 2013. The singer got his AC/DC band off the ground and offered me the job again, but I was too busy with my newly re-formed Rush band. He went so far as acquiring all the authentic instruments, the Gretsch Malcolm Signature, the Sonor Phil Rudd kit, even the Music Man bass in the right color. Ironically, he had the hardest time acquiring a proper SG, so I found him a nice 2004 Special just in time for the first show. I eventually found him a good deal on a Standard and traded back the Special.

Other than Rush, AC/DC is the band that I learned the most songs from and I never get tired playing them, they are so much fun to play. When I get the house to myself, I plug the SG into my full stack and play through Back In Black repeatedly until the basement smells like roasted tubes. I really enjoy that, and hopefully so do the neighbors.


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## Permanent Waves (Jun 2, 2020)

Rollin Hand said:


> And no one hits like Phil Rudd. No one.


That became painfully obvious during Chris Slade's tenure in the band. Slade is a great drummer, but didn't fit with AC/DC. I don't know what it is with Phil Rudd, but he is a huge part of the sound. My singer friend says that he has a way of playing that's just a fraction behind the beat which seems to anchor everything down in a laid-back yet solid way. When Slade played on the live album, he seemed to be rushing the band through the songs. Phil just sits back there with his cigarette dangling and keeps the whole thing in the pocket where it should be.


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## leftysg (Mar 29, 2008)

My brother was an accomplished piper, so when I hear the bagpipes sound on "it's a long way to the top" I always think of him.
This is one of my faves, cause it's slower and I can play it, we'll sort of. It's all that opening riff anyway right!

[ h://video]



[h://video]


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## FatStrat2 (Apr 7, 2021)

Jeez, do I ever agree with the Phil Rudd comments - another underrated performer. A snooty drummer I played with years back used to call him Phil Crud, he was into N. Peart and other greats. But Phil knew how to anchor the sound, very solid guy. He reminds me of Michael Anthony in VH, not a great one by any means - but always there, always steady, the overlooked foundation of the band.


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## Thunderboy1975 (Sep 12, 2013)

Blow up Your Video is my fave album. Ive played it more than any other album. 
First time i heard Back In Black was at a friends house on vinyl. He only played it for a minute then shut it off in fear if getting caught in his older brothers bedroom. But Blow Up Your Video brings back the most memories. Great years. Definitely one of the reasons i play mean fuckin guitar.
Anyway here it is.


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

Bass lessons, covers, critiques here https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=ac+dc+bass+lesson+

Watching this now


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## Rollin Hand (Jul 12, 2012)

FatStrat2 said:


> Jeez, do I ever agree with the Phil Rudd comments - another underrated performer. A snooty drummer I played with years back used to call him Phil Crud, he was into N. Peart and other greats. But Phil knew how to anchor the sound, very solid guy. He reminds me of Michael Anthony in VH, not a great one by any means - but always there, always steady, the overlooked foundation of the band.


When I was younger, I used to think that way. But now that I am older, I see the importance of fit. M8ck Mars is a great example.

The first time I heard "Demon Fire" off "Power Up", I immediately laughed and said "ahhh, Phil Rudd...." Whatever his troubles are or were, he is the right guy for that band.


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## Permanent Waves (Jun 2, 2020)

FatStrat2 said:


> Jeez, do I ever agree with the Phil Rudd comments - another underrated performer. A snooty drummer I played with years back used to call him Phil Crud, he was into N. Peart and other greats. But Phil knew how to anchor the sound, very solid guy. He reminds me of Michael Anthony in VH, not a great one by any means - but always there, always steady, the overlooked foundation of the band.


In all my years of playing Rush gigs, I encountered my fair share of "Prog Snobs" and I never understood that judgemental attitude. I may love prog bands like early Genesis, Spock's Beard, ELP or Dream Theater, but I also have a lot of appreciation for bands like AC/DC, Sex Pistols, Motley Crue or The Cult. Good music is good music no matter how complex or simple it may appear to be. 

We would discuss the efforts we put in to make it sound right and we often heard comments like "Well, sure, I mean, you're playing Rush, not AC/DC" and I always thought that was ironic. AC/DC may seem easy to play, but it is hard to play *well*. Few bands get it in the pocket, their rhythm section is so stellar. That's the lesson I learned in my experience learning Malcolm's parts. As Bon says, "It's harder than it looks!"


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## Rollin Hand (Jul 12, 2012)

Permanent Waves said:


> In all my years of playing Rush gigs, I encountered my fair share of "Prog Snobs" and I never understood that judgemental attitude. I may love prog bands like early Genesis, Spock's Beard, ELP or Dream Theater, but I also have a lot of appreciation for bands like AC/DC, Sex Pistols, Motley Crue or The Cult. Good music is good music no matter how complex or simple it may appear to be.
> 
> We would discuss the efforts we put in to make it sound right and we often heard comments like "Well, sure, I mean, you're playing Rush, not AC/DC" and I always thought that was ironic. AC/DC may seem easy to play, but it is hard to play *well*. Few bands get it in the pocket, their rhythm section is so stellar. That's the lesson I learned in my experience learning Malcolm's parts. As Bon says, "It's harder than it looks!"


Scott Ian said it best about AC/DC: "It's just a coupla chords. But try playing it _right_."


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## Rollin Hand (Jul 12, 2012)




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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

Keto I would like to personally thank you for starting this thread. Today is just a bad day. I came straight here and I have read and reread everyone’s posts. 

I wish they would announce their tour dates for 2022.

They never change their format. It just works for them. They can change my mood in the drop of a hat. There is article about Angus’s guitars he plays on stage.

This guy obviously loves what he does.


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)




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## Paul Running (Apr 12, 2020)




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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

We’re embracing the strange buzz surrounding *ACDC* by looking at 8 ‘Weird Facts’ about the band…


1. Researchers Are Using Their Music To Help Combat Cancer.
Researchers at the University of South Australia have found that playing ‘Thunderstruck’ during chemotherapy treatment is effective at improving the efficiency of the drug. They chose this AC/DC track because it hits all the right notes. Vibrations from the song cause silicon micro particles carrying the chemo drug inside a vacuum to bounce. This results in a polymer coating that prevents the drug from escaping while being administered, improving delivery to cancer cells. Just another reason to love their Aus Rock tunes!

2. The US Military Used Their Music As Torture.
In 1989, when Panama’s General Manual Noreiga took refuge in the Vatican Embassy, the US Military blared AC/DC’s music in his direction for two days straight. Despite a United Nations ban on the use of loud music during interrogations, they proceeded to use ‘Hell’s Bells’ as their weapon of choice. The dictator surrendered

3. They Knocked The Wiggles From The Rich List.
In November 2009, AC/DC were announced as the Business Review Weekly Top Australian Earner in Entertainment. They raked in a sweet $105 million for the financial year and knocked The Wiggles from the number one spot for the first time in four years! Sorry Jeff and co…

4. Their Band Is Named After A Label On A Sewing Machine.
Brothers Malcom and Angus Young developed the idea for the band’s name after their older sister Margaret saw the initials ‘AC & DC’ on a sewing machine. It’s an abbreviation for ‘alternating current/direct current

5. Angus Didn’t Always Wear His Signature School Uniform Outfit.
Before Angus embraced the iconic school uniform costume he tried MANY other looks…Spider-Man, Zoro, a Gorilla and a parody of Superman named Super-Ang! In the early days, the whole band took on glam-rock outfits. They ditched this look when they discovered the Skyhooks were already totally owning the glam-rock aesthetic. Angus settled on the school boy look at the suggestion of his sister, Margaret.


Drummer Phil Rudd Has Been Charged With Attempting To Kill & Drug Possession. 
Last year Rudd was sentenced to eight months of home detention after pleading guilty to threatening to kill and possession of methamphetamine and cannabis. Although Rudd was sacked from the band in ’83 he is still often associated with the band. His former bandmates currently aren’t talking to him. 


7. Their First Album Was Slammed By Rolling Stone Magazine.
A 1976 review of AC/DC’s first album in Rolling Stone Mag declared “Hard Rock has unquestionably hit its all-time low.”. Ouch. They boys got the last laugh by making the cover of Rolling Stone in 2008.

8. The Band Has Been Commemorated On Stamp Sets.
In 1998 AC/DC were commemorated on an Aussie Rock ‘n’ Roll stamp set. In 2013, Australia Post honoured AC/DC by issuing a Black In Black album cover postage stamp. Because there’s nothing more rock ‘n’ roll than snail mail…right?


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## FatStrat2 (Apr 7, 2021)

Too many opinionated (and wrong) writers/contributors in Rolling Stone mag over the years.

Phil Rudd (thankfully) rejoined for their "Power Up" LP recently unlike what's written above.

The Daily Mail wrote an article about 7 years ago on Phil's, uh - lifestyle. It's a fun read. Go get 'em, Phil !









Prostitutes tell of AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd's bizarre sex habits


AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd likes group sex, prefers black girls and asks prostitutes in his hometown in New Zealand to call him 'babe', local escorts have told Daily Mail Australia




www.dailymail.co.uk


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

Guess we should have their home page up, shouldn't we?








Home


AC/DC "Through The Mists Of Time" music video out now! #PWRUP. Get AC/DC news, music, videos, tour info and more.




www.acdc.com





Wiki for some history lessons.








AC/DC - Wikipedia







en.wikipedia.org


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## Permanent Waves (Jun 2, 2020)

Looks like Rick Beato just put up his own take on the subject (maybe he's a lurker here?!?):


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

Permanent Waves said:


> Looks like Rick Beato just put up his own take on the subject (maybe he's a lurker here?!?):


Whoever drew the pastel on the cover shot gave Angus a maple board. Maybe. Lol.


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

Permanent Waves said:


> Looks like Rick Beato just put up his own take on the subject (maybe he's a lurker here?!?):


That was what the doctor ordered. Working for a living sucks. That changed my mood in the first 5 seconds of the video. Thx so much!


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## Permanent Waves (Jun 2, 2020)

Lola said:


> They never change their format. It just works for them.


My favourite quote from Angus Young - totally unapologetic: "I'm sick to death of people saying we've made 11 albums that sounds exactly the same. In fact, we've made 12 albums that sound exactly the same."


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

Did ACDC have groupies?

At the time, *the band enjoyed two distinct types of female* AC/DC fans, or some would say, groupies. There were friends, like Trudy Worme, whose mum used to drop her off at their house on Sunday afternoons so she could cook dinner for them. ... Then there were the other girls, who wanted to do more than cook for them.(I bet!) lol


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

Make this into a bit of a game. Ask some obscure ACDC question but you’re not allowed to use Google. It’s called, use that grey matter upstairs.

I will start.

Where was there very first concert venue?

Remember: no cheating(do some homework, pretend your in school) OR not!


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

ACDC Factoid: 

Cheap Trick are the only band that AC/DC have ever invited to encore with them. The band first played together at Greensboro in North Carolina on December 18, 1977. The band would enjoy a friendly relationship, continuing to jam together over the years. The only other person invited to jam with AC/DC was Atlantic Records exec Phil Carson, with the band in Brussels on January 25, 1981, on a cover of Little Richard’s Lucille.


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

Angus Young is well known for playing his now trademark Gibson SG guitar. The reason is that the SG guitar neck is the only one he can get comfortably his hands around.


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

What tour earned them the second highest grossing payout in musical history?


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

A plethora of ACDC factoids.


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## Permanent Waves (Jun 2, 2020)

That seems to rhyme with pretty much everything I have ever seen or read about Angus. A former coworker of mine used to work sound and lights at Alpine Valley Music Theater in Wisconsin, so he got to see tons of big acts during soundcheck and backstage and he had tons of stories to tell. I asked him who were the best and worst people to deal with. The best he ever saw was AC/DC. It was Angus' birthday and his wife and baked a cake for the band and crew. Nicest folks you could ever meet, and they really lived clean. His being a teetotaler is a well known fact, but they also enjoyed healthy food and lots of tea (I just cannot imagine tea with Angus). His only vice is that he is a chain smoker, hopefully that won't catch up with him. 

(For those curious about who my coworker reported as the worst artist he saw, that recognition goes to Yngwie Malmsteen, who was physically abusive with his partner. Great guitarist, but the personal stories on that guy are not flattering).


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)




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## Permanent Waves (Jun 2, 2020)

There's a good article on music radar on the 4th anniversary of Malcolm's passing. Great videos too.
https://www.musicradar.com/news/guitar-genius-of-malcolm-young

The best quote from that article seems to sum up what we were discussing here:

"That feel, mojo, attack, emotion… whatever you choose to call it, is the key to a dynamic in AC/DC that is often misunderstood by other players as simplicity, or more specifically ‘easy’. Because if the ingredients seem straightforward, the delivery is certainly not. Malcolm was at the centre of that."


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

Permanent Waves said:


> There's a good article on music radar on the 4th anniversary of Malcolm's passing. Great videos too.
> https://www.musicradar.com/news/guitar-genius-of-malcolm-young
> 
> The best quote from that article seems to sum up what we were discussing here:
> ...


What a beautiful find. There songs may seem simple to play but some of the songs are anything but.


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## pickslide (May 9, 2006)

Love me some ACDC, but when I feel like that exact sound, but new songs I listen to a band from Spain called 77. They have the look and sound. Sure its a copy, but maybe more of an homage to their favorite band ever.


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

pickslide said:


> Love me some ACDC, but when I feel like that exact sound, but new songs I listen to a band from Spain called 77. They have the look and sound. Sure its a copy, but maybe more of an homage to their favorite band ever.


Thank you. Something else to make my day a bit sweeter!

Gave ‘em a listen. Right up my alley. Thank you.


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

Loved this!


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## FatStrat2 (Apr 7, 2021)

I've been watching a few videos of many guitarists praising Malcolm's rhythm playing which incorporated his medium gain Marshall amplified Gretsch and his heavy use of open chords to keep the sound 'rough'. Angus once related to an interviewer that Malcolm used to tell him "If it doesn't swing, it ain't worth a thing."


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## MetalTele79 (Jul 20, 2020)

I saw my Spotify listening stats thing and it made me think of this thread...


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## Paul Running (Apr 12, 2020)




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