Why do hard rock bands have all the best DVDs? Following hard on the heels of Iron Maiden's vault-scouring examination of their earliest years, AC/DC give their entire career a similar jolt by diving into the archives of (predominantly) Australian television appearances to illustrate their early years in positively eyeball-shattering style.
The first of the two discs that makes up 'Family Jewels', documenting the Bon Scott years, is probably the most interesting, just as disc two, with Brian Johnson, is probably the most familiar.
Opening with an April 1975 appearance on their homeland's Countdown TV show, you get an eye-opening glimpse into just how heavily glam rock affected the nascent band -- forget Angus' schoolboy drag, here you see Scott is a schoolgirl. The sheer, shocking energy with which the band conquered first their homeland, then Europe and beyond, screams out of the screen -- playing the records and reading the bios captures some of their impact, but it's only when you witness the full audio-visual extravaganza that you truly appreciate precisely what it was about AC/DC that appealed -- that was able to tear up the rule book as the 1970s progressed and, even in an age that was whipped by punk rock, lay the foundations for a whole new resurgence of Metallic mayhem.
Disc two is mostly devoured by promo videos -- this was the '80s, after all, and it's fair to say that the band's early impact had worn off somewhat; there's nothing to compare with the "Midnight Special" and "Rock Goes to College" clips that blister through the latter half of disc one, nor the pre-MTV films shot for "Highway to Hell."
But even if you do regard the second disc as simply a less-than-essential bonus, still this beautifully packaged and well-annotated collection is an exquisite addition to the library.
~ Review by Dave Thompson, Rovi
TRACK LISTING:
DVD 1 (1975 - 1980):
1. Baby Please Don’t Go (live, April 1975)
2. Show Business (live, June 1975)
3. High Voltage (promo clip, June 1975)
4. It’s A Long Way To The Top (promo clip, February 1976)
5. T.N.T. (live, 1976)
6. Jailbreak (promo clip 1976)
7. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (live, December 1976)
8. Dog Eat Dog (promo clip, 1977)
9. Let There Be Rock (promo clip, 1977)
10. Rock N Roll Damnation (promo clip, 1978)
11. Sin City (from The Midnight Special, September 1978)
12. Riff Raff (live from Glascow, April 1978)
13. Fling Thing/Rocker (live from Glascow, April 1978)
14. Whole Lotta Rosie (Iive from BBC show “Rock Goes To
College,” October 1978)
15. Shot Down In Flames (promo clip, July 1979)
16. Walk All Over You (promo clip, July 1979)
17. Touch Too Much (promo clip July 1979)
18. If You Want Blood (promo clip, July 1979)
19. Girls Got Rhythm (live from Aplauso TV Show, February 1980)
20. Highway To Hell (live from Aplauso TV Show, February 1980)
DVD 2 (1980 -1993):
1. Hells Bells (promo clip, 1980
2. Back In Black (promo clip, 1980)
3. What Do You Do For Money Honey (promo clip, 1980)
4. Rock And Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution (promo clip, 1980)
5. Let’s Get it Up (live promo clip, 1981)
6. For Those About To Rock (live promo clip, 1983)
7. Flick Of The Switch (promo clip, 1984)
8. Nervous Shakedown (promo clip, 1984)
9. Fly On The Wall (promo clip, 1985)
10. Danger (promo clip, 1985)
11. Sink The Pink (promo clip, 1985)
12. Stand Up (promo clip, 1985)
13. Shake Your Foundations (promo clip, 1985)
14. Who Made Who (promo clip, 1986)
15. You Shook Me All Night Long (promo clip, 1985)
16. Heatseeker (promo clip, 1988)
17. That’s The Way I Wanna Rock & Roll (promo clip, 1988)
18. Thunderstruck (promo clip, 1990)
19. Moneytalks (promo clip, 1990)
20. Are You Ready (promo clip, 1991)
