AC/DC Live: 30 Years On

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by The Doga, Jun 30, 2022.

  1. The Doga

    The Doga SHMF’s Number 1 AC/DC Fan Thread Starter

    November 2022 will mark 30 years since the 2nd live album by the legendary AC/DC was released - simply titled AC/DC Live. The album was not only designed to follow on from the previous live album released 15 years earlier - If You Want Blood You’ve Got It, it was also intended to create a much needed stop gap and fill the desire of something official, as between 1979 & 1991 (and still to this day) numerous bootleg recordings of various radio shows & audience recordings flooded the market. However, the album itself is fallen out of favour due to the obvious number of studio overdubs present on much (if not all) songs, and desire for the raw nature of the “bootlegs” has risen since. But what are your opinions on this 1992 release, and do you think it’s superior to any other recordings uncovered before and since?
     
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  2. walrus

    walrus Staring into nothing

    Location:
    Nashville
    I wish it hadnt been a loudness war precursor (seriously it’s mastered way hot for 1992) but beyond that it’s enjoyable. Mix is perhaps a bit sterile but everything differs enough from the records to make it worthwhile. I’m sure I’m not the only one who bought it as a kid because it essentially functioned as their greatest hits record.

    I didn’t know it was overdubbed but said overdubs aren’t very obvious to these ears, so no harm done IMO.
     
  3. The Doga

    The Doga SHMF’s Number 1 AC/DC Fan Thread Starter

    Yeah I agree. The mixing made the recordings too sterile… Just doesn’t sound “perfect” in my opinion.
     
  4. walrus

    walrus Staring into nothing

    Location:
    Nashville
    it would bug me more for other bands…but we’re talking about a band whose best albums were produced by Mutt Lange.
     
  5. The Doga

    The Doga SHMF’s Number 1 AC/DC Fan Thread Starter

    This was Bruce Fairbairn’s final project with the band before his death in 1999. I wonder, had he been retained for Ballbreaker, would it had been as good as The Razors Edge?
     
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  6. BS101

    BS101 Iommic Life Complete

    Location:
    ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha
    You know that "a-ha" moment you had when you were say 12 or 13 and really starting to find your own musical taste? That moment when everything just clicked into place and you realized, "This. This is it. This is my ****."? For me, that was one day in the early '90s when I saw this video on TV:



    I was blown away. It was like nothing I'd ever heard. But that was it. That was when I knew.

    AC/DC was my ****.

    I rushed to the record store and scanned the back of every single AC/DC cassette for this "Highway to Hell" song. Finally found it on Live. Couldn't afford the double, so the single version had to do. Played that tape to death.

    But I never did like the fade ins and outs between songs. Years ago I ripped the the audio from the Donington DVD to FLAC and that became my go to for this. This is peak Brian-era AC/DC, no doubt.

    And now, because of those post, I've realized that my "a-ha" moment was 30 years ago. I'm just going to step out and have a little mid life crisis now. Take care.
     
  7. bbanderic

    bbanderic Forum Resident

    The Brian Johnson era live gigs sound sterile to me, I sincerely tried to get into them but they don’t do much for me. I think the Bon Scott live recordings blow them away, If You Want Blood, Agora Ballroom 1977 and Waldorf 1977, he was a better singer, had more attitude and charisma. I also thought the band was more bluesy with Bon.
     
  8. The Doga

    The Doga SHMF’s Number 1 AC/DC Fan Thread Starter

    Yes, for sure. It goes to show the pre-1980 gigs will always be preferred. But there are some recordings from the ‘80’s that to me sound pretty good, even if quality of said recordings isn’t perfect.
     
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  9. Mark Snowden

    Mark Snowden Forum Resident

    Location:
    Devonshire
    This was an auto buy for me after seeing them for the 1st time at Wembley on the Razors Edge tour. Got the 2cd which was effectively a live greatest hits, did think it was loud at the time but played it over & over for the next few years. It was nice to hear Are You Ready since they didn't play that at Wembley but Jailbreak with 10 mins of Angus mooning drags both live & on cd, otherwise its all good. Ideal era for me as I like Who Made Who, Blow Up Your Video and Razors Edge quite a lot.
    Later in the 90's I discovered tape, then cd, trading & got to hear ACDC live from all eras. Probably haven't played it in the 21st century, will remedy that today & look out for obvious overdubs.

    Is River Plate any good? I haven't got around to buying it.
     
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  10. The Doga

    The Doga SHMF’s Number 1 AC/DC Fan Thread Starter

    The show itself is good, but being a 2009 recording, it’s got the dreaded “D” word all over it, so sound quality won’t be the best… But to be honest, I have no clue if Live At River Plate was recorded on analog equipment? I highly doubt it though.
     
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  11. How overdubbed is Live?

    TBH I prefer it to IYWB. I don't know why but IYWB has never clicked 100% with me, even if the band were better live back then.

    My go to for AC/DC in a live context is Plug Me In, though.
     
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  12. Johnny Rock N' Roll

    Johnny Rock N' Roll Forum Resident

    Location:
    Virginia
    AC/DC Live is fun, but there is definitely no comparison for me with If You Want Blood. I bought IFYWB on cassette at a yardsale when I was still figuring this stuff all out. I was seeing the videos from Razor's Edge, and those kicked ass, so I jumped at the Blood tape.

    The album cover mesmerized me, and it has a crunch to it that most live albums (or any albums) are missing. So good.
     
  13. On the subject of overdubs, I do know that the Donington 91 DVD release has a lot of them. I don't think No Bull has many, though.
     
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  14. ScottishStuart

    ScottishStuart Stay Hard, Stay Hungry, Stay Alive

    Location:
    Stirling
    We must be about the same age. The exact same thing happned to me except I picked up the live single of Highway to Hell
     
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  15. Anthrax

    Anthrax Forum Resident

    Location:
    Europe
    I picked it up in 1996 and I was somewhat disappointed. I never quite got to terms with all those fades in between songs, they take me out of the experience a bit, and I remember not being crazy about the sound either (but I can't remember now what was it that bugged me). Probably my least played AC/DC album to this day.

    No Bull is my live AC/DC choice from the Brian Johnson years.
     
  16. walrus

    walrus Staring into nothing

    Location:
    Nashville
    Comparing a 1992 live album to a 1978 live album, even before you factor in a change in singer and drummer, is kind of unfair. On it's own merits, it's a perfectly fine listen, IMO. And I think you get most of the high points from 1981-1990 in one place, in somewhat beefier-sounding versions. ("Who Made Who" and "For Those About To Rock," especially, are so much better on the live record)
     
  17. Deibu

    Deibu I Dream of Tangerines

    Location:
    Arizona, USA
    I bought AC/DC Live as a substitute for a greatest hits album. I like it well enough, but the fade-outs between most of the songs bug me. There's only one other live album I have that does this. Don't like it there either.

    Regards,
    Dave
     
  18. twicks

    twicks Forum Resident

    Location:
    Detroit
    My college roommate did a great impression of Brian Johnson saying "Donington, how you doin'? You guys look GRAT!"

    Also: "You Shook Me All Night Long" is way too fast on this.
     
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  19. Mark J

    Mark J Senior Member

    Location:
    Boca Raton, FL USA
    I saw AC/DC on the Razor's Edge tour, so the flat 2 cd set was an automatic buy for me when it came out (and was the last non-Bon AC/DC album I ever bought). The selling point was the Angus dollar bill, which they dropped on the audience during the show, but only on the floor seats (I was in a nose bleed seat) and it was something I really wanted. I remember buying it at Tower Records in Boston while I was visiting a friend at Boston University and taking it back to NY with me, waiting to open it.
     
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  20. The Doga

    The Doga SHMF’s Number 1 AC/DC Fan Thread Starter

    I believe some comparisons between the album and audience recordings have been done, and some were posted to YouTube, but got blocked unfortunately.
     
  21. The Doga

    The Doga SHMF’s Number 1 AC/DC Fan Thread Starter

    Actually, Brian says “You got some grit”. Or at least I think so…
     
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  22. Atlas Shrugged

    Atlas Shrugged Chinese Democracy

    Location:
    Scotland
    I don’t like the fade in/outs on the record, even if it is pulled from different gigs, I’d rather it have played seamlessly despite not being “true” in the sense of a live recording, but if they’ve overdubbed, why not?! I find myself playing a few tracks now and again but I’ve not listened to it from start to finish in a very long time. Brian Johnson from ‘80 - ‘83 was unreal vocally and I don’t think many come close, but as a live performer, I’d arguably say he was at his best during the Razors Edge tour and these tracks showcase that.

    Hell Ain’t A Bad Place To Be from Donnington is unbelievable. Phenomenal performance, so I threw that into the album on my iPod!

    If You Want Blood is still my go to for Live AC/DC though.
     
  23. The Doga

    The Doga SHMF’s Number 1 AC/DC Fan Thread Starter

    Yes, I never understood why these fade-out/fade-in’s were applied. Just odd indeed.
     
  24. Jimmy B.

    Jimmy B. .

    Location:
    .
    I thought Live was a great set at the time.

    It was If You Want Blood, You've Got It that converted me into an AC/DC fan though. I usually if I want live AC/DC to listen to these days go to that or the Living In The Hell boot CD.

    Live does have great versions of Thunderstruck and Heatseeker......

    And yes the original VHS of Donington is much better than the DVD/Blu-ray release.
     
  25. The Doga

    The Doga SHMF’s Number 1 AC/DC Fan Thread Starter

    For sure! Many a bootleg is superior to this, especially Living In The Hell. And it puzzles me as to why the audio was remixed for the Donnington DVD. Did the band ask for this?
     
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