RIP, Malcolm Young

Time marches on, I guess -- Malcolm Young, the rhythm guitar player and co-founder of iconic Australian rock bank AC/DC, died today. He was only 64. He and his younger brother, Angus, the band's lead guitarist, founded the band in 1972. Their producer and older brother, George Young, died in October at age 70. George gained his own measure of fame with The Easybeats, who scored a hit in the 1960s with "Friday on My Mind."

I always thought Malcolm, playing rhythm, must be the most bored guitar player in history, as AC/DC was often accused of using the same three chords and always sounding the same. Maybe so, but Angus was famously quoted as answering the question, "Why do you always use the same three chords?" with, "Because they work." I'm not sure he ever actually said it -- I feel like it would have been here if he had -- but the band was proud of keeping it simple. And it worked. Malcolm was a big part of that.

I don't know if his death means the end of AC/DC. I hope not. But rock on, Malcolm, whereever you are.

This one's for George:

George was the rhythm guitar player.

And this one's for Malcolm:

Yeah, you barely see him. Damn, they were young. Almost everyone in the video is dead now.