I'd love to have a box set with the *proper, as AC/DC intended* albums: High Voltage 1974 (AU version) * Not to be confused with the 1976 international version T.N.T. 1975 (AU only) Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap 1976 (AU version...add the single Love At First Feel) *Not the 1981 international version Let There Be Rock 1977 (AU version w/Crabsody In Blue, plus the b-side Carry Me Home) *Not to the 1977 international version w/the edited Problem Child Powerage 1978 (both versions...the later AU/International mix w/9 tracks and the early European mix w/10 tracks) If You Want Blood, You've Got It (a fresh remix to include the full show, and the 1978 album/mix) Highway To Hell One disc rounding up all of the rarities and stuff from Bonfire box, etc: Shazbot, na-nu na-nu
I hate that too. It cuts out my favorite part of the song. I remember when the 2003 remasters came out (of the US confirgurations) and I heard the edit and posted an angry rant to the AC/DC newsgroup (remember usenet?) and someone there forwarded it to Sony who sent it to AC/DC's engineer Mike Fraser who e-mailed me about it. He said the edited version (including the shorter Ain't No Fun) was what Malcom wanted. I don't know. Whatever. That's now how they originally did the songs. The 1994 Ted Jensen remasters used the longer versions and I just can't listen to the shortened Dirty Deeds. The US configuration of the Dirty Deeds album is pretty good and I like how it flows better than the Aussie original, actually. It always seems weird to me that the original Aussie album doesn't have "Love At First Feel".
edited part at 3:38: I first heard the edited version and was kind of shocked when I finally heard the original. I wasn't used to that. Yep it's my favorite part of the song too. Have no idea why they thought to remove it.
I first started buying vinyl at 17, in 2003 when I moved to Florida from North Alabama with my family. My best friend growing up is obsessed with AC/DC. I love AC/DC too, but for him, you could basically say he listens to 4 bands: AC/DC, Zeppelin, Sabbath, and the Beatles, with AC/DC as his religion. Anyways, I probably had bought 30 or so albums at a couple bucks each (This was back when you could still buy mint 60's/70's first pressings for $2 or $3 each), when I stumbled upon ALL of the original Australian AC/DC records for $15 each or so. I know I spent less than $100 for sure. Over the last 15 or so years I have bought probably over 3,000 more albums and now have a collection I am very proud of. Yep, you guessed it - I packed them up and mailed them to him. They are in frames on his walls, and he treasures them. I know it was a very nice thing to do, and we've since taken divergent paths (I did the college, career route, he played gigs for awhile and works retail) so that makes me feel good and all that he got these because he couldn't afford them. But MAN do I wish I had original AU AC/DC pressings in my collection!!!
I'm about the same age as you. I remember buying vinyl at that time (2003) and nothing good was $2 or $3 (in NJ/NY). Certainly never came across the Australian AC/DC albums either.
Prices went up by 2006 or so, but in Tampa we had Vinyl Fever, Sound Exchange (one of which was vinyl only), Bananas, Daddy Kool, and I think a couple others. All were FULL of vinyl at cheap prices. I passed up on a bunch of stuff just from not having enough money, I used to spend my whole paycheck from my crappy high school job on gas and vinyl!
They are already as AC/DC intended. Why do you think they aren’t? AC/DC have demonstrated unusual and successful resistance to the supposed dictates of industry. They’ve not even released a Best Of, for gawd’s sake. The albums - the international albums, remastered and edited and resequenced and not for download - are exactly as the band wants them to be.
I think you missed my point, which is a set with the AU titles/covers/track-listings as intended in the 1970's, not the revisionism by a record company executive or a specific band memeber (years later).
Yeah, the original Australian records are the "Go To" from the first up to Highway to Hell... Love 'em. Opinions vary, but I like the original Alberts for all the early ones the best. For Back in Black, it's the RL original....
It was a single only release in Australia. It was recorded at about the same time "Dirty Deeds" came out. I've lived in the US all of my life but I have to say I prefer the Australian albums. Got them all in a Box [CD's] in the mid 90's. Then sold most of my US copies. The only US versions I have are the live album, Dirty Deeds and then Bon Fire and Back Tracks. I'm happy.
I have the 89 version. Luckily have the Aussie CD with the unedited version. I lucked out about 10 years ago. I went to my local used CD store and they had 80's Aussie CD's of : -High Voltage -Dirty Deeds -TNT -Let There Be Rock Each priced at $8.99! I also acquired an Aussie CD of "Powerage" here in the SHTV classified section. By far the best mastering of that album on CD, IMO.
Dude, if you own 3,000 records, sell a few to get these again. They're not gonna be priced like an original Sabbath Vertigo UK!
Not an argument, a mere statement of fact. The band release exactly what they want and when they want, and don’t give two figs for what some record company executive might prefer. They’ve earned that right by being enormously successful. The albums as they are today are exactly as the band want them to be, and clearly the changes that were made for the international versions they are perfectly happy with.
What is the best source for the non-album AC/DC tracks? I mean the best mastering, closer to the 80's CDs.
I don't like it and judging by this thread most others don't either. Not sure if it's purely about how the band wants it released. Most artists simply just don't take control of their catalog hence the horrible loudness war crap.
I don’t know if some of them have ever appeared on CD - “Fling Thing” was the B-Side to “Jailbreak” and “Carry Me Home” was the B-Side to “Dog Eat Dog” (I love that song). I think that “Cold Hearted Man” is on the “BONFIRE” box but I’m not sure how that sounds.
Here would be my dream Australian AC/DC vinyl box set: AC/DC The Australian albums High Voltage T.N.T. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap Let There Be Rock With replica Blue "Roo" Albert Productions labels Original artwork Mastered from the 2-track master tapes Bonus 7" disc: Can I Sit Next To You Girl (Dave Evans vocals) Rockin' In The Parlour (Dave Evans vocals) Bonus RSD release/box set bonus disc A1 It's A Long Way To The Top A2 High Voltage A3 Problem Child A4 TNT A5 Whole Lotta Rosie A6 Let There Be Rock B1 Jailbreak B2 Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap B3 The Jack B4 Dog Eat Dog B5 She's Got Balls B6 Baby, Please Don't Go
From what Jae said, the mastering on the Japan CDs and the CBS discs are different. Same track listings, but some have the international edits and some don't. What we need here is a definitive list comparing the edits of the four Aussie albums on CD. That means the Made In Japan 1986, CBS 1989, CBS 1993 and the Sony/Alberts remastered 1995.
