AC/DC - Bonfire
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Free Music Notes for Bonfire
Free Music Review: An excellent gift!
Hit: 5 Stars
I bought the "Bonfire" collection for my fiance, a total AC/DC freak. He loves the Bon Scott era, so this gift was perfect for him.Free Music Review: A find for fans
Hit: 4 Stars
This large, handsomely packaged box set includes two live albums, a remastered digipack issue of AC/DC's 1980 LP "Back In Black", and a disc of outtakes and previously unissued songs in addition to the well-illustrated and (moderately) well-written booklet.
Casual listeners won't need to spend sixty bucks on this set...they will be happy with just "Highway To Hell" and "Back In Black". But more serious fans should delight in the rarities and the live material in particular. Those fans probably own "Back In Black" already, but I suppose it's alright to include it in a box set which is essentially a tribute to AC/DC's original lead singer Ronald "Bon" Scott. That's what "Back In Black" was, after all.
The outtakes (on the disc titled "Volts") are generally very good. All of them are from the Bon Scott-era, and the highlights include an unusually tough eight-minute "She's Got Balls", a live "Sin City", a terrific studio rendition of "If You Want Blood You Got It", and very different versions of the "Highway To Hell"-tracks "Touch Too Much" and "Get It Hot".
The last few minutes of the rarities disc are devoted to an unlisted collection of interview snippets, and AC/DC also perform Chuck Berry's "School Days", although not with quite as much power as you might have expected.
"Live From The Atlantic Studios" is an eight-song radio broadcast from 1978, and it includes spirited performances of "Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be", the rarely heard "Dog Eat Dog", and the classic "Whole Lotta Rosie". The sound is good without being magnificent, and Angus Young plays some sizzling lead guitar.
But the biggest highlight of this set is the double-disc soundtrack to the movie "Let There Be Rock", a 1979 Paris, France concert from the "Highway To Hell" tour. "Let There Be Rock - Live In Paris" includes numerous songs which weren't on AC/DC's only official live release of the Bon Scott-era, 1978's "If You Want Blood"...like the menacing "Walk All Over You", "Girls Got Rhythm", and of course "Highway To Hell". It is some of the finest live AC/DC available.
And then there's "Back In Black", of course, the group's finest album and one of the greatest hard rock records of all time (as well as the best-selling hard rock-slash-heavy metal record ever). But I suppose you know that one already since you're considering whether or not to invest in a four-disc AC/DC box set.
Again, this is a too much for casual listeners, but diehard fans of AC/DC (and Bon Scott in particular) will want to pick up "Bonfire" right away. And for those of us who fall somewhere in between...well, I like it a lot, but I don't take it out that often. It's great fun, though.
Free Music Review: Killer Bon Scott era material
Hit: 4 Stars
For Bon Scott fans, I'd give this 5 stars. But anyone who loves live rock and roll has got to love this set. Not only do you get the full soundtrack to the 1979 concert film "Let There Be Rock" but an additional single disc of one of the band's earliest U.S. appearances, a promo gig at Atlantic Studios. I especially like the slightly extended version (extra guitar break) of "Dog Eat Dog" from the Atlantic show!
Bon's voice kicks a$$ throughout and reminds us of what a loss it was when he passed. Angus ... well, I could listen to him wail on that SG all day. you know his sound - you want some more? buy this box set.
the rarities disc is neat, but mostly these rough versions of familiar tunes have value as curios. On the other hand, you get a sweet live radio version of "sin City" and the early cover of Chuck Berry's "School Days" that was only available on their first Australian-only release. It kicks [...]. Makes you wonder why they didn't include it on the Jailbreak EP. For absolutely no reason, the regular studio versions of "Long Way To The Top" and "Ride On" are included.
What really makes no sense here is the inclusion of the "Back In Black" album. First of all, I have to think that 90% of the fans who buy this already HAVE B.I.B., and of course the more obvious fact is that this is a tribute to Bon Scott; what the heck is a Brian Johnson album doing here? I wonder if this was a scam to boost total sales figures of Back in Black.
Nice liner notes ... and the AC/DC bottle-opener is not only a hilarious touch, but a useful addition to my key chain.
If they had left out Back In Black and charged less, or better yet added another live disc with songs not included here (Long Way To The Top, Jailbreak, Dirty Deeds, for ex.), then i'd give it 5 stars. but it is still fantastic collection of some of the best straight-ahead rock and roll ever recorded.
Free Music Review: A Must Have for the Bon Scott Fan
Hit: 4 Stars
This is a great set. If you're an AC/DC fan, particularly of Bon Scott, this is a must have. You get all the rare recordings, the "Live at the Atlantic Studios" was a much coveted bootleg and the yet to be released (in DVD anyway)soundtrack of the "Let There Be Rock" movie is a prime slice of live AC/DC with what many argue may be one of Rock's greatest frontmen. Yes, you also get "Back in Black," (but then again, what AC/DC fan doesn't have that album?). While "Back in Black" was a tribute to Bon, it can be argued that perhaps other things could have been included. To me, it can go either way. Better to have "Back in Black," than not I guess.
To me, the set's real problem is the book included. Yes, there's great photos and all, but my quibble is with the essay by Murray Engleheart (who is co-author of the definitive AC/DC biography, "AC/DC: Maximum Rock and Roll"). Mr. Engleheart knows the Bon Scott years incredibly well, but he doesn't discuss the tracks included in the set. Rather, he discusses the Bon Scott years in a general way. To me, that's an egregious oversight. If you're going to include all this rare and unheard music that AC/DC made with Bon, then you're obligated to discuss it in some detail. For instance, where did they unearth the tapes? What's the story with the "Let There Be Rock" movie? Those stories would have made for great reading as well as inform your basic AC/DC fan.
That quibble aside, it's a great set and a must have.
Free Music Review: Not Perfect, But Well Worth It
Hit: 4 Stars
STRENGTHS:LIVE FROM ATLANTIC STUDIOS (Disc 1): Long available as a bootleg, this is THE definitive live AC/DC recording. Bon and the boys in their prime.
LIVE IN PARIS (Disc 2): Nothing new here for the hardcore fan, but still essential. Even better than "If You Want Blood...".
VOLTS (Disc 3): Okay, they could have dug a little deeper for rarities, but the demo material is awesome! Louder, tougher and better than the versions on "Highway to Hell". Young and Vanda really knew how to capture the band's raw magic in the studio. Mutt Lange, on the other hand, neutered AC/DC with his overly slick production techniques.
Plus, let's not forget the bitchin' poster, sticker, guitar pick, tatoo, and (my favorite) bottle opener. Cheers!
WEAKNESSES:
BACK IN BLACK: Totally pointless to include this. BONFIRE would have worked better as a lower-priced 4-CD set. AC/DC may have been obligated to deliver a 5-CD collection, which might explain its inclusion. Still a lazy decision, in my opinion.
They could have included more Atlantic Studios material and other Australian-only rarities.
The booklet is well done, but perhaps a bit skimpy for a box set of this price. Then again, I can't think of another box set that comes with a bottle opener!
BOTTOM LINE:
A fine tribute to one of Rock 'n Roll's greatest frontmen. While not perfect, BONFIRE belongs in any self-respecting AC/DC fan's collection. Let There Be Rock!