Yes, that right. AC/DCs new album is £150, not including postage.

Announced yesterday, “Back Tracks” is the successor to 1997’s Bonfire Box set of rarities ; it compiles together a large number of studio recordings, alternate versions, and live tracks released on vinyl and CD singles from the seventies up to the present day 

The “Deluxe Version” costs £153, excluding postage. It includes a CD of stuido rarities, two CDs of live B-Sides and rarities, and two DVDs; one a collection of promotional videos since 1990, and the other recorded Live in Munich in 2003.It also contains a vast amount of ephemeral memrobilia. Want a replica badge? Want a hardback book? Want a 12” vinyl LP of 12 studio tracks – even though you’ve got the tracks already on the CD? A poster? And a working 1 Watt guitar amp, all packaged in a 12” by 12” box? Want it? Well, pony up the big bucks. Money Talks....

 Its obvious to say though, that at that price, the 1watt guitar amp is tinny to say the least, and utterly pointless. However, its price tag is bound to price it out of the reach of the vast majority of fans.

£153??? Seriously? Are they kidding? I mean, that’s utterly, utterly ludicrous. Like the recent Bob Dylan release, where the three disc set cost £130, its pricing the music out of the reach of the fans and the very people who put the food on the table of these rock stars. I mean, I could feed myself for three months for the price of that. Given the choice between paying the rent, and buying a 1watt AC/DC guitar Amp with a live DVD inside it, I consider my own survival a lot more important. But that’s just me. And then bands wonder why people download music?

I tell you, if its because the bands have priced themselves out of the market, out of the purchasing power of the fans, then what can you expect it? If the band makes the product so prohibitively expensive, then people do not buy the product. They will wait for it to appear on file sharing sites, and obtain it that way. And no one wins. And no revenue goes to the band. Simple.

There will also be a ‘Standard’ release, which contains the CD of studio rarities, a disc of live material [mostly culled from Disc 1 of the Deluxe edition], and the “Family Jewels 3” DVD, which contains the promo videos.Now, the second disc of live material is mostly superflous, with most of the tracks already released on DVDs already ; the Moscow 1991 tracks on “Plug Me In”, the Donington 1991 tracks on “Live At Donington” and CD singles of the times, and the Madrid 1996 tracks on “No Bull”. Tracklisting can be found at the above location link here

Incidentally, Despite its comprehensiveness, it omits at least 12 tracks previously released but not on albums, as well as omitting a lot of material heard on the movie soudntrack for “Maximum Overdrive” in 1985. You’d think they would have put another CD in there rather than a replica guitar amp. Which one of the two do you think represents value for money? Which do you think the fans want to hear?

Anyway, the omitted tracks are:
Can I Sit Next To You / Rockin’ In The Parlour – from debut 7” single, vocals by Dave Evans

Problem Child [Live Sydney 76] – From Wal Mart Exclusive CD with Plug Me In DVD

Let There Be Rock [7in Version] – From Scandanavian 7” of Let There Be Rock, faded out version [3m10s]

Whats Next to The moon /Down payment Blues – Alternate mixes from 1990 Vinyl Reissues

Johnny B Goode – Jam with Cheap Trick, recorded 7th July 1979 ; Released on Cheap Trick Fan Club CD

Shake Your Foundations [Alternate mix] – from single & Who Made Who CD

Back in Black [Live In Madrid] – from Satellite Blues CD single

Let There Be Rock [Live In Madrid] – from Satellite Blues CD Single

Rock N Roll Damnation [Glasgow 78] - From Best Buy Exclusive CD with Plug Me In DVD

Dirty Deeds Done Dirty Cheap [Detroit 83] - From best Buy Exclusive CD with Plug Me In DVD

Thunderstruck [Live Munich 2003] - From best Buy Exclusive CD with Plug Me In DVD

Stiff Upper Lip [Live In Munich 2003] - From Wal Mart Exclusive CD with Plug Me In DVD

It’s also notable that trakcs have been bundled together with little thought for coherency as a listening experience, or to represent setlists of when they were recorded. For Example, the opening two tracks of the 1979 tour [Live Wire, Shot Down in Flames] are placed as track 3 and 4 on the live disc.

In another example, on the second live disc in the deluxe box set, there is no attempt to make the 10 tracks from the “Razors Edge” tour into a coherent listening whole, or to reflect the setlist of the gigs actually played, which given that they virtually make up a 60 minute live album in itself, is nonsensical. We now find that the third track of the gig is placed last but one.

And similarly, with the tracks released from Madrid 1996 – none of which make the Standard release but all of which are on the No Bull DVD – the opening track of the gig [though released] is omitted entirely, as is the last track of the main set – and also, the 9th track of the setlist is placed first, then the 3rd song of the night and so forth.

Ultimately, it would have made much more sense to dispense with such ephemeral content such as the AC/DC button – no one is going to wear that, given that it will cost £160 to replace! – and put in a set of discs sequenced as such to reflect the gigs they were actually recorded at. Like putting all the 10 tracks from the “Razors Edge” tour on a separate disc. And the tracks from the Madrid gig – which come to about an hour also – on a separate disc.

Anyway, what would I know? I'll only have to listen to the Cds. Placing tracks in all the wrong order to make it a incoherent listening experience seems like a great idea for sucha  luxury product.

As an avid AC/DC fan , and potential purchaser, obviously the wishes of the potential consumer aren’t worth paying attention to.Not to mention insulting when greed means the fans can't even listen to the music. And its simple economic logic that if you price the product out of the reach of the consumer, they will pirate it, not buy it. Find it for free.

Personally, I will buy the standard edition. It’s not worth the £130 extra for a live DVD, and I’ve got all the other tracks on CD singles and DVD releases. The Deluxe edition represents an product that is priced out of fans reach, and  no one will win. The fans will not have the music they love, the band will not get paid for the music they put out, and thats that.

Anyway, here’s the tracklist. For the Deluxe Edition: -

Disc 1

"High Voltage" (Australian Release)

"Stick Around"

"Love Song"

"It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)" (Original Australian Release)

"Rocker" (Original Australian Release)

"Fling Thing"

"Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" (Original Australian Release)

"Ain't No Fun (Waiting Round to be a Millionaire)" (Original Australian Release)

"R.I.P (Rock in Peace)"

"Carry Me Home"

"Crabsody in Blues"

"Cold Hearted Man"            

"Who Made Who" (12" Extended Mix) [Aside, Who Made Who 12”]

"Snake Eye"                          [Bside, Heatseeker 12”]

"Borrowed Time"                  [Bside, That’s The Way I Wanna  12”]

"Down on the Borderline"     [Bside, Money Talks Austrailian CD]

"Big Gun"                               [“Last Action Hero” Soundtrack]

"Cyberspace"                        [Bside, Satellite Blues CD]

Disc 2

"Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" (live) (Sydney Festival, 30 Jan. 1977)

"Dog Eat Dog" (live) (Apollo Theatre, Glasgow, 30 Apr. 1978)

"Live Wire" (live) (Hammersmith Odeon, London, 2 Nov. 1979)

"Shot Down in Flames" (live) (Hammersmith Odeon, London, 2 Nov. 1979)

"Back in Black (live) (Capital Centre, Landover MD, 21 Dec. 1981)

"T.N.T." (live) (Capital Centre, Landover MD, 21 Dec. 1981)

"Let There Be Rock" (live) (Capital Centre, Landover MD, 21 Dec. 1981)

"Guns For Hire"

"Sin City" (live) (Joe Louis Arena, Detroit MI, 18 Nov. 1983)

"Rock 'n' Roll Ain't Noise Pollution" (live) (Joe Louis Arena, Detroit MI, 18 Nov. 1983)

"This House is on Fire" (live) (Joe Louis Arena, Detroit MI, 18 Nov. 1983)

"You Shook Me All Night Long" (live) (Joe Louis Arena, Detroit MI, 18 Nov. 1983)

"Jailbreak" (live) (Dallas TX, 12 Oct. 1985)

"Shoot to Thrill" (live) (Donington Park, 17 Aug. 1991)

"Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be" (live) (Donington Park, 17 Aug. 1991)

Disc 3

"High Voltage" (live) (Donington Park, 17 Aug. 1991)

"Hells Bells" (live) (Donington Park, 17 Aug. 1991)

"Whole Lotta Rosie" (live) (Donington Park, 17 Aug. 1991)

"Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" (live) (Donington Park, 17 Aug. 1991)

"Highway to Hell" (live) (Tushino Airfield, Moscow, 28 Sept. 1991)

"Back in Black" (live) (Tushino Airfield, Moscow, 28 Sept. 1991)

"For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)" (live) (Tushino Airfield, Moscow, 28 Sept. 1991)

"Ballbreaker" (live) (Plaza De Toros De Las Ventas, Madrid, 10 July 1996)

"Hard as a Rock" (live) (Plaza De Toros De Las Ventas, Madrid, 10 July 1996)

"Dog Eat Dog" (live) (Plaza De Toros De Las Ventas, Madrid, 10 July 1996)

"Hail Caesar" (live) (Plaza De Toros De Las Ventas, Madrid, 10 July 1996)

"Whole Lotta Rosie" (live) (Plaza De Toros De Las Ventas, Madrid, 10 July 1996)

"You Shook Me All Night Long" (live) (Plaza De Toros De Las Ventas, Madrid, 10 July 1996)

"Safe in New York City" (live) (Phoenix AZ, 13 Sep. 2000)

DVD Disc 1:-

Videos

“Big Gun" / "Hard as a Rock" / "Hail Caesar"  /"Cover You in Oil"  / "Stiff Upper Lip" / "Satellite Blues" / "Safe in New York City" / "Rock 'n' Roll Train"

"Anything Goes"

Bonus Videos

"Jailbreak" / "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)"  / "Highway to Hell" / "You Shook Me All Night Long" / "Guns For Hire"

"Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" (live) / "Highway to Hell" (live)

Bonus Features

"The Making of "Hard as a Rock" / "The Making of "Rock 'n' Roll Train"

DVD Disc 2:-Live In Munich 2003

"Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be" / "Back in Black" / "Stiff Upper Lip" /"Shoot to Thrill /"Thunderstruck" / "Rock 'n' Roll Damnation" / "What's Next to the Moon" / "Hard as a Rock" / "Bad Boy Boogie" / "The Jack" / "If You Want Blood (You've Got It)" / "Hells Bells" / "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" / "Rock 'n' Roll Ain't Noise Pollution" / "T.N.T." / "Let There Be Rock" / "Highway to Hell" / "For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)" / "Whole Lotta Rosie

 The Standard edition wil comprise of disc 1[the studio rarities], disc 2 [Live CD1 – but with the last two tracks omitted, replaced with highway to Hell [Moscow 1991] and Safe in New York City [Phoenix 2001]] and DVD 1 [Family Jewels 3], and will retail at approximately a third of the price of the Deluxe edition.

At the end of the day, the choice is yours. I’ve made my choice. I’ve decided that £153 is a ludicrous price for what is, at the end of the day, an incomplete package at a price that the vast majority of people cannot justify.

Like I say, given the choice between going without electricity or food or an AC/DC box set, I have to pay my utilities, at the end of day. What seems to have been lost here is the simple fact that it’s the music that people want. So that’s wht the people buy. Not the other unnecessary gubbins. Not the badge, not the poster, not the book, not the novelty 1watt guitar amp. None of that at all.

Every AC/DC fan is a fan because of the music. Give the music to the people at a price we can afford,and everyone’s happy.

Love music. Hate Rips Offs.

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