My expensive Christmas just keeps getting more expensive as one more mega box set has been announced just in time for the season of giving.
AC/DC — that most Christmas of bands — has announced details for a new box set called Backtracks, and like just about every other major artist they're releasing it in multiple formats. The standard edition box will feature 2 CDs and 1 DVD, filled with live and studio rarities as well as videos dating back to 1977 through the present. The DVD is being billed as a third disc to the 2-DVD Family Jewels DVD package, previously released and still available separately.For the hardcore, there's a deluxe edition which adds a second DVD, an LP, a third CD, and comes packaged in — wait for it — a working guitar amplifier package. The deluxe also comes with a load of memorabilia of varying degrees of interest: 164-page coffee table book and an Original Memorabilia Reproductions Envelope, a Bon Scott parrot tattoo replica, an AC/DC logo guitar pick, an Australian Money Talks dollar, three b&w fine art lithographs of never-before-seen photos of the band in the Alberts Studio in 1977 and more.
The set favors the Brian Johnson era over the Bon Scott years, which probably makes sense as the Bonfire box set was more heavily weighted towards Scott. AC/DC's Backtracks joins R.E.M.'s Live at the Olympia, U2's Unforgettable Fire re-issue, and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers' Live Archive among this year's big ticket Christmas box sets. BACKTRACKS STANDARD BOX SETCD 1 [STUDIO RARITIES]1. Stick Around2. Love Song3. Fling Thing4. R.I.P. (Rock In Peace)5. Carry Me Home6. Crabsody In Blue7. Cold Hearted Man8. Snake Eye9. Borrowed Time10. Down On The Borderline11. Big Gun12. CyberspaceCD 2 [LIVE RARITIES]1. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (Sydney Festival 1/30/77)2. Dog Eat Dog (Apollo 4/30/78)3. Live Wire (Hammersmith Odeon 11/2/79)4. Shot Down In Flames (Hammersmith Odeon 11/2/79)5. Back In Black (Landover, MD 12/21/81)6. T.N.T. (Landover, MD 12/21/81)7. Let There Be Rock (Landover, MD 12/21/81)8. Guns For Hire (Detroit, MI 11/18/83)9. Sin City (Detroit, MI 11/18/83)10. Rock And Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution (Detroit, MI 11/18/83)11. This House Is On Fire (Detroit, MI 11/18/83)12. You Shook Me All Night Long (Detroit, MI 11/18/83)13. Jailbreak (Dallas, TX 10/12/85)14. Highway To Hell (Moscow 9/28/91)15. For Those About To Rock (We Salute You) (Moscow 9/28/91)16. Safe In New York City (Phoenix, AZ 9/13/2000)DVD “Family Jewels Disc Three”VIDEOSBig GunHard As A RockHail CaesarCover You In OilStiff Upper LipSatellite BluesSafe In New York CityRock N Roll TrainAnything GoesBONUS VIDEOSJailbreakIt’s A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘N’ Roll)Highway To Hell You Shook Me All Night Long Guns For HireDirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (LIVE Album Promo)Highway To Hell (LIVE Album Promo)BONUS FEATURESThe Making Of Hard As A RockThe Making Of Rock N Roll TrainCOLLECTOR’S EDITION DELUXE BOX SETCD1 [STUDIO RARITIES]1. High Voltage (Original Australian Full Edit)2. Stick Around3. Love Song4. It’s A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘N’ Roll) (Original Australian Full Edit)5. Rocker (Original Australian Full Edit)6. Fling Thing7. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (Original Australian Full Edit)8. Ain’t No Fun (Waiting Around To Be A Millionaire) (Original Australian Full Edit)9. R.I.P. (Rock In Peace)10. Carry Me Home11. Crabsody In Blue12. Cold Hearted Man13. Who Made Who – 12” extended mix14. Snake Eye15. Borrowed Time16. Down On The Borderline17. Big Gun18. CyberspaceCDs 2-3 [LIVE B-SIDES]CD 21. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (Sydney Festival 1/30/77)2. Dog Eat Dog (Apollo 4/30/78)3. Live Wire (Hammersmith Odeon 11/2/79)4. Shot Down In Flames (Hammersmith Odeon 11/2/79)5. Back In Black (Landover, MD 12/21/81)6. T.N.T. (Landover, MD 12/21/81)7. Let There Be Rock (Landover, MD 12/21/81)8. Guns For Hire (Detroit, MI 11/18/83)9. Sin City (Detroit, MI 11/18/83)10. Rock And Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution (Detroit, MI 11/18/83)11. This House Is On Fire (Detroit, MI 11/18/83)12. You Shook Me All Night Long (Detroit, MI 11/18/83)13. Jailbreak (Dallas, TX 10/12/85)14. Shoot To Thrill (Donington Park, 8/17/91)15. Hell Ain’t A Bad Place To Be (Donington Park 8/17/91)CD 31. High Voltage (Donington Park 8/17/91)2. Hells Bells (Donington Park 8/17/91)3. Whole Lotta Rosie (Donington Park 8/17/91)4. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (Donington Park 8/17/91)5. Highway To Hell (Moscow 9/28/91)6. Back In Black (Moscow 9/28/91)7. For Those About To Rock (We Salute You) (Moscow 9/28/91)8. Ballbreaker (Madrid 7/10/96)9. Hard As A Rock (Madrid 7/10/96)10. Dog Eat Dog (Madrid 7/10/96)11. Hail Caesar (Madrid 7/10/96)12. Whole Lotta Rosie (Madrid 7/10/96)13. You Shook Me All Night Long (Madrid 7/10/96)14. Safe In New York City (Phoenix, AZ 9/13/2000)LPSIDE AStick AroundLove SongFling ThingR.I.P. (Rock In Peace)Carry Me HomeCrabsody In BlueSIDE BCold Hearted ManSnake EyeBorrowed TimeDown On The BorderlineBig GunCyberspace DVD 1 “Family Jewels Disc Three”VIDEOSBig GunHard As A RockHail CaesarCover You In OilStiff Upper LipSatellite BluesSafe In New York CityRock N Roll TrainAnything GoesBONUS VIDEOSJailbreakIt’s A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘N’ Roll)Highway To Hell You Shook Me All Night Long Guns For HireDirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (LIVE Album Promo)Highway To Hell (LIVE Album Promo)BONUS FEATURESThe Making Of Hard As A RockThe Making Of Rock N Roll TrainDVD 2 “Live At The Circus Krone”Hell Ain't A Bad Place To BeBack In BlackStiff Upper LipShoot to ThrillThunderstruckRock N Roll DamnationWhat's Next To The MoonHard As A RockBad Boy BoogieThe JackIf You Want Blood (You’ve Got It)Hells BellsDirty Deeds Done Dirt CheapRock N Roll Ain’t Noise PollutionT.N.T. Let There Be RockHighway To HellFor Those About to Rock (We Salute You)Whole Lotta Rosie
Article comments
1 - Mark Saleski
mmm....my ears are ringing in anticipation!
2 - Daverockh
As an avid AC/DC fan since 1979, I have come to collect AC/DC recordings. I’m not the kind of fan that has to have everything AC/DC. But I do want every version of every song that I can get. At least to some degree (I mean, how many live versions of “Whole Lotta Rosie” does one need). Generally speaking. I am a collector of AC/DC tunes. Not much for memorabilia, just mainly the songs and concert footage. So when I saw that the “deluxe” version of this box set contained a DVD "LIVE AT THE CIRCUS KRONE" 2003. I knew my collection wouldn’t be complete without it. As for the CD’s I will be happy to have them. I actually already have all of these tracks in various forms, but I’m happy they are being release all remastered and such. So I have pre-ordered the deluxe version.
But, try as I might, I am finding it hard to see how its worth $200. Of course I realize that its this expensive because fans like myself who are collectors will buy it. But It seems to me that fans like me are being taken advantage of by a money-grubbing record company. I mean come on…just put together a box set with the CDs, DVDs and a nice book. That would make me happy and also make this thing more reasonably affordable. The trinkets and so-called swag is cheesy and why do we need a 1 watt amp? I have broken down how much each item would cost under ordinary circumstances such as what a typical CD would cost, the price of DVDs and book, etc. and it doesn’t add up to $199.
I wish SONY records would stop raping us and just sell us what we want at a fair price.
But, On the other hand, I am looking forward to that Circus Krone DVD.