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Specials » by Nate Althoff - Oct 20, 2007
Overview |
Disc 1 |
Disc 2 |
Disc 3 |
2 Disc Set |
3 Disc Set |
Final Thoughts
DVD 2 (1981-2003)
Shot Down in Flames, What Do You Do for Money Honey, You Shook Me All Night Long, TNT/Let There Be Rock
(Nihon Seinenkan, Tokyo, Japan, Feb 1981)
My Rating: 5/10
Summary: I was a little disappointed with this one. I think I have 2 or 3 bootleg versions of this already, and the quality of the videos included was similar to those. It's a great example of the band at the end of the Back in Black tour, but I was really hoping to have better quality and maybe a complete version of TNT.
Back in Black, TNT
(Capital Center, Landover, MD, Dec 1981)
My Rating: 7/10
Summary: I had expected this to be a bit of a let down, but was surprised when I watched the songs. The audio is fantastic, and the video was nice and clear, and I saw things that I had missed before (there were seats directly behind the stage, almost like an 'In the Round' stage set up). Fairly common performance, but better than the rest I've seen. They also seem to confirm that this is from December 20 and not the 21st.
Shoot to Thrill
(The Summit, Houston, TX, Oct 1983)
My Rating: 10/10
Summary: If I could go higher than 10, I would. The video is crystal clear and the audio, while having it's quirks, is very good. There is a noticeable lack of crowd noise while the band plays and the mix is a bit off (either Brian's vocals are too prominent or too weak), but the quality is amazing. I can't wait for disc 3 when I can see the bulk of the show!
Guns for Hire, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
(Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI, Dec 1983)
My Rating: 7/10
Summary: Another more common recording, but this one was a bit different from what I remember. Just a few clips of the crowd that didn't look familiar, so nothing drastic. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap seems to define the band from this period. Loud, fast, high energy and in your face. Great to see how they opened the shows in 1983 as well.
Flick of the Switch, Bedlam in Belgium
(Capital Center, Landover, MD, Dec 1983)
My Rating: 9/10
Summary: Another show I never knew existed in any type before. The quality is pretty good, but the songs speak for themselves. Many of the die-hard AC/DC fans see the Flick of the Switch album as one of the band's best, while it is widely viewed as a bit of a failure among others. These 2 songs alone show the energy and great music that were a small part of that album.
Back in Black, Highway to Hell, Whole Lotta Rosie, For Those About to Rock
(Tushino Airfield, Moscow, Sep 1991)
My Rating: 7/10
Summary: I was a bit surprised to see these songs on here. All of them were released on an official vhs titled 'For Those About to Rock: Monsters in Moscow' which was just released on DVD within the past year. While the footage is top notch, there are other clips that could have been included in it's place. Definitely a great performance though.
Gone Shootin'
(VH1 Sutdio, London, Jul 1996)
My Rating: 8/10
Summary: This was apparently aired in Europe on VH1 at some time and is part of a great collection of older songs the band did for the television special. Gone Shootin' is one of my favorite songs, so it was good to see Brian sing it in such a great setting. Fairly common, but still new to a lot of fans.
Hail Caesar, Ballbreaker, Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution
(Entertainment Center, Sydney, Nov 1996)
My Rating: 10/10
Summary: Incredible quality on these songs. Taken from the video feed that supplied the large video screens at the concert, it comes off as more of a music video than live performance, but the quality is exceptional. Everything is clear and sharp, and the band really performs well. The quality alone make these songs great; add that along with the band's passion and energy and these few songs come across better than the 'No Bull' video from the same tour.
Hard as a Rock, Hells Bells, Ride On
(Stade de France, Paris, June 2001)
My Rating: 9/10
Summary: When I first saw these songs on the list, I was a bit let down. There is a widely available bootleg dvd that features a 4 camera mix from this show, so I thought I had seen it and wouldn't take anything new from it. I was way off the mark. Hard as a Rock and Hells Bells are great, but the real treat is Ride On. The video is clear and bright, and Brian comes across extremely well performing a seldom used Bon Scott song. They did this as a tribute to a singer that had passed away (his name escapes me right now), and it could have been more touching. I got the chills when I watched it the first time, and expect I'll get more when I see it the next time.
Stiff Upper Lip, Thunderstruck
(Circus Krone, Munich, Jun 2003)
My Rating: 9/10
Summary: Thunderstruck had been leaked probably close to a year ago already, if not longer so I knew what to expect from that. Stiff Upper Lip is another treat though. The filming on this show is amazing, and I would love to see the full show released in some fashion sooner or later. This small club tour was a nice surprise in 2003, and the band really has a killer performance for these 2 songs.
If You Want Blood, The Jack, You Shook Me All Night Long
(Downsview Park, Toronto Rocks, Jul 2003)
My Rating: 6/10
Summary: Again, a bit of a let down on this one. This show has already been released as part of 'Toronto Rocks', and I was hoping to get a bit better quality than what is included. Not that it's terrible by any means, I was just hoping for it to be a bit better. If You Want Blood is a killer song when they play it live, the strip tease during The Jack is a new twist, and You Shook Me All Night Long is always a crowd favorite. Still, I feel it could have been a little better.
Bonus Features
Beavis & Butthead 'Ballbreaker Tour' Intro film, 1996
My Rating: 8/10
Summary: Great to have this complete and in such great quality. Was looking for this one for quite a while and could only find it on amateur bootleg videos. Great to see AC/DC blend with the pop culture of the time.
Hells Bells, Interview & Live, Countdown, Brussels, Jan 1981
My Rating: 8/10
Summary: Great to see a live performance from this era, although the interview takes up most of the time. What you can see of the stage performance is great.
Interview, Monsters of Rock, Castle Donington Park, Aug 1984
My Rating: 6/10
Summary: This is part of a longer interview titled 'The Meldrum Tapes'. The interviewer has always come across to me as a poser and a bit of a tool, so I've never really liked it. The editing does emphasize the competitiveness between Van Halen (w/ Roth at the time) and AC/DC, so it would have been good to see more on that rather than the lame questions the interviewer asked.
Gone Shootin', Rehearsal, VH1 Studios, London, Jul 1996
My Rating: 9/10
Summary: Really a treat for the long time fans of the band. Very little rehearsal or practice footage seems to be available of the band, so this is great to see them warming up, getting the levels set and goofing off a bit. Like the song above, this is a small part of a larger collection of rehearsal footage that is great to see.
Rock Me Baby, The Rolling Stones w/ Angus & Malcolm, Festwiese, Leipzig, Jun 2003
My Rating: 8/10
Summary: Great quality example of Angus & Malcolm performing a song with their 'heroes', The Rolling Stones. They have often mentioned that The Rolling Stones had a large influence on their music, so it is nice to see them play together and even open for them during the open air tour of 2003 for a few shows. Also, much better quality than other clips I had previously seen.
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