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. ~ Dave Thompson

Over the course of their three-decade career, Rock & Roll Hall Of Famers AC/DC have amassed a bevy of memorable performances that have been captured on film, despite the fact that they’ve never catered to MTV or network television. Now, the Aussie rockers are issuing a 2 DVD set, Family Jewels, which will feature live performances and promo videos spanning the band’s career. Many of the clips have never been commercially available, and many have never been seen in the U.S. The DVD will also include special liner notes written by noted rock journalist David Fricke. For the band’s younger fans, this may well be their first time seeing the legendary Bon Scott in action. The DVD starts with a rare cover of the R&B chestnut, “Baby Please Don’t Go,” recorded in April 1975 on the Australian TV show, Countdown. Bon Scott stunned the studio audience (and no doubt everyone watching from home) with his schoolgirl attire – pigtails and girls’ panties included. The footage of the band performing “High Voltage,” recorded live in concert at Melbourne’s Festival Hall two months later led to the band signing their first U.K. record deal. Another highlight is the promo video for “It’s A Long Way To The Top,” which was shot in February of 1976 on the back of a moving flatbed truck in Melbourne’s business district. Longtime AC/DC fans may fondly remember the performance of “Sin City” for the U.S. show Midnight Special, also included here (the show was co-hosted that evening by AC/DC fans Steven Tyler and Ted Nugent). Disc one ends with a February 1980 performance of “Girls Got Rhythm” and “Highway To Hell,” from the Spanish show Aplauso. Disc two begins with a number of videos from the band’s most successful album – and their first with Brian Johnson – 1980’s Back In Black. The album, one of the best selling records of all time, is represented with seldom seen clips for “Hells Bells,” “Back In Black” and “Rock And Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution.” A music video for that album’s “You Shook Me All Night Long,” shot in 1986 for AC/DC’s Who Made Who (the band’s soundtrack for Stephen King’s film Maximum Overdrive) is also included. The DVD also features all five clips shot for the 1985 album Fly On The Wall, which saw the band making a rare foray into special effects: an animated fly (from the album’s artwork) was superimposed into the videos.

Label:

Epc

Product code:

2028659

Imported Product:

Import

Recording Type:

Studio recording

Keywords:

Pop-rock

40 Classic And Rare Videos, TV Appearances and Live Clips, Includes 24 page Full Color DVD Booklet