Reyes Del Sonido Metalico

esto es rock
(Above: a scan from Hana’s 1983 Mexican Heavy Metal zine…)

AC/DC actually can put me in this kind of mood…say if im feeling down or whatever, I can put some of these classic Bon Scott albums on and then I get in that kind of hyperactive mood. Something about it takes me back to being fifteen and then I can tap into that youthful spirit…and I think that’s something Bon Scott carried with him as well. That youthful spirit of living the good life…
Demolition Damo, February 5th, 2007

With this mood-altering theory of Damo’s in mind, I’m a-bloggin’ away with Back in Black blaring through the speakers. I know, I know, it’s not a Bon album (depending on which side of the fence you sit on, vis-a-vis that conspiracy theory) …but I’m yet to aquire any Bon-era albums beyond T.N.T. (I’ll remedy that later on today down at a discount CD shop on Pitt Street Damo told me about). But in the meantime, I’m trying to spit words out on my keyboard with these driving beats and the screeching of Brian Johnson… hammering out words and headbanging (mildly) at my desk …It really slows my word-per-minute rate down, and I have no idea if the resulting paragraphs will be readable, but it sure feels good…

Anyway, I’ve been rummaging through the Bon Scott Blog Mailbag®. Thanks to everyone who’s written or sent in their stories. Here’s a highlight: an email with attached images from Hana, who seems determined to boost my Bon Scott credibility by sending through some extremely rare old Mexican Fanzines. She writes:

Hi Lucas!

When I visited Mexico City some years ago, I was surprised by the availabilty or even surplus of the entire discography of ACDC albums on vinyl over there….quite a number of them Mexican pressings…I was living in Tokyo at that time, where the 2nd hand record market booms and thrives and turnsover… you are preetty much guaranteed to find whatever your earhole desires, so long as your guts can take the pricetag. The Nipponese generally kno what they have their hands on, so the bargains don’t come so thick n fast…anyway, I digress…It was at these street markets in Mexico City I that managed to adopt the entirety of ACDC’s recordings in one fell swoop. Up until that time the ACDC section of my record collection had started and ended at Back in Black. So, I felt a little Australian sheepish and cheapish.. but I figured these feelings would pass in time, so for very few peso, the stunnin collection became mine! needless to say, I’ve never looked back….

I bought many more strange and wonderful thingymies during my stay….parts of stuffed toys sold separately and new for makin yr own playmates….freeballing eyes/ears/teeth/noses of all kinds….alot of Mexican comic books and (extremely soft) porn from the 50’s n 60’s…mainly for their beaut typography and printing….I also bought many “shitty” photographs taken by adoring/sneaky diehard fans of soap stars whilst they were having their photos taken by professional photographers. These are wonderful…anyway, I also found a lovingly compiled 1983 hi-level zine type affair dedicated to ACDC, Judas Priest and Iron Maiden…..again I was drawn to the thing for its aesthetic prowess….I am attaching the ACDC sections of it for your perusal…..plus a section of a page with their respective discographies side by side….the graphics and comerardery are wonderful.

I dunno if this will help any in yr plight Luca, but I thought at the very least you could run the images in front of your glasballs when you have a spare minute.
-Hana
xxxx

She’s darn right, the graphic quality of this zine is fantastic. I’ve uploaded her scans here, if you want to check em out at higher resolution. Those 1983 Mexicans really managed to get something out of that lo-fi photocopy process which speaks of the determination to publish despite lack of resources. The “authenticity” of working class determination wins out over the hi-gloss of Rolling Stone mag, or something like that. Of course, these days, that grungy graphic quality is a “style” which comes in and out of fashion periodically. But back in 1983, in Mexico, it was the real deal (wasn’t it??).

I also really liked this paragraph from the zine:

ac/dc zine quote

Podriamos decir que AC/DC es un electrizante sonide que escuchando a alto volumen, nos hace escapar de la tremenda rutina en la que’ vivimos, a solo unos pasos de llegar al ano 2000. Habra’ que experimentar en casa, a solas, con todo el volumen de nuestro aparato para entender el alto voltaje que el grupo contiene.

Or in English, with (ahem) apologies for my freewheeling translation:

AC/DC’s sound is electrifying. Listened to a high volume, it blasts away the stultifying routine of everyday life in these last days of the twentieth century. Just try playing it at home, alone, with the volume turned up to maximum, and you’ll understand the high voltage of the band’s music.

2 thoughts on “Reyes Del Sonido Metalico”

  1. Awesome stuff Hana love ya work.
    How about you do one of your amazing portraits of the mighty Bon in all his glory.
    That would be the best of the best.
    x

  2. Don’t mind if I do neither!
    I’m gunna pull out the massive, shiny sharpened ones for this one!
    Fangs mayte,
    Hana

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