AC/DC — Backtracks (review)

AC/DC — Backtracks album cover Boxset / Compilation · 2009 · Hard Rock Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
UMUR
"Backtracks" is a box set by Australian hard/heavy rock act AC/DC. The box set was released through Columbia Records in November 2009. "Backtracks" was released in a standard edition featuring two CDs and one DVD. The deluxe edition of the box set features three CDs, two DVDs, one LP, a 164 page hard-back coffee table book and collectible merchandise reproductions all housed in an operating 1 watt guitar amplifier. The latter is of course quite the luxurious fan item. I´m unfortunately not the owner of the latter mentioned.

The first CD contains studio rarities. The tracks originally appeared on Australian only releases, movie soundtracks, 7" and 12" single releases, and CD "tour editions". Basically I´d call most of the tracks on the disc B-side material. There is nothing here I miss on the studio albums. With that said there are still some pretty kickass AC/DC songs on the disc and it´s definitely worth a listen. The most interesting thing I learned from listening to the disc is that AC/DC had actually made a ballad type track in "Love Song". Quite a surprise. The deluxe edition features five additional tracks.

The second CD contains live rarities with recordings featuring both Bon Scott and Brian Johnson. The sound quality is for the most part decent, but it´s at places pretty raw and unpolished. I guess this is a good representation of how AC/DC sound live. I´m pretty sure there are no overdubs or other studio tricks applied to the recordings. The live disc features "classic" AC/DC tracks like "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap", "Shot Down in Flames", "Back in Black", "Let There Be Rock" and "Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution". The deluxe edition features a full extra CD with additional live rarities.

The DVD featured in the standard edition of "Backtracks" features all promo videos the band have released in the years 1993 - 2008. Among them the video for "Big Gun" from the motion picture "Last Action Hero (1993)". The DVD also features seven "older" videos and the documentaries "The Making of "Hard as a Rock" and "The Making of "Rock 'n' Roll Train". The DVD is definitely a nice collection of videos if you´re interested in that media. The deluxe edition features an extra DVD, which contains a full concert from 2003 called "Live at the Circus Krone". It was filmed at the Circus Krone in Munich, Germany.

In addition to all of the above the deluxe edition also features a rarities 180 Gram LP, which features twelve tracks from disc 1.

"Backtracks" is even in it´s standard edition quite an expansive release, which embraces rarities from both the Bon Scott and the Brian Johnson eras in a decent fashion. I´d mostly call this a fan release though as the more casual listener won´t miss anything by never listening to this release. With that said "Backtracks" is still a pretty strong release deserving a 3.5 star (70%) rating.
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