After the success of the first nine reissues which conquered the ranking of best-selling physical albums in Italy, another six Ac/Dc albums will be released on limited edition gold-coloured vinyl (Columbia Records/Legacy Recordings) on 21 June, on the occasion of the 50 years of career of the historic hard rock band. In the reissues the LPs are accompanied by a different 12×12 poster for each album, with the new Ac/Dc 50 graphics. These are the next 6 albums to be released: “If You Want Blood You've Got It”, “Let There Be Rock” , “Ballbreaker”, “Stiff Upper Lip”, “Rock Or Bust” and “74 Jailbreak”.
“If You Want Blood You've Got It” is AC/DC's first live album (it was released in the fall of 1978) and is considered one of rock and roll's greatest live recordings.
“Let There Be Rock”, released in Australia in March 1977, arrived in the rest of the world that same summer with the iconic Ac/Dc logo. It is said that during the recording of the solo on the main track, Angus' amplifier overheated and caught fire.
In “Ballbreaker”, released in 1995, the band collaborated for the second time with producer Rick Rubin (after the single “Big Gun” from the soundtrack of the film “Last Action Hero”).
“Stiff Upper Lip”, released in 2000, features George Young (Angus and Malcolm's older brother) as producer, for the first time in over a decade. The album cover features a bronze statue of Angus Young, which was also used in the tour's set design.
“Rock Or Bust”, released in 2014, is the first album in which Stevie Young, nephew of Angus and Malcolm, plays rhythm guitar. The album reached number one in the charts in 12 countries and in the top five in 12 others.
“74 Jailbreak”, finally released in 1984, contains songs that were recorded in 1974 and 1976.
The first 9 albums that were made available on gold vinyl are: “Back In Black”, “Highway To Hell”, “The Razors Edge”, “Powerage”, “For Those About To Rock (We Salute you)”, “High Voltage,” “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap,” “Who Made Who,” and “Live.” In Italy the reissues of “Back In Black” and “Highway To Hell” entered the top 5 of the Fimi/GfK chart of the best-selling physical albums of the week and the top 20 of the general album chart of the week. “High Voltage” and “Live”, however, entered the top 20 of the best-selling physical albums of the week.
A series of Ac/Dc dates in Europe are planned for the summer for the “Power Up Tour”, linked to the 2020 album of the same name. The only stop in Italy will be May 25th at the Rcf Arena in Reggio Emilia: 100 thousand tickets available were sold within a few hours of the opening of presales.
Ac/Dc remains one of the most influential rock bands of all time, with over 200 million records sold worldwide. “Back In Black” is the best-selling album by a band in history and the third best-selling album ever by an artist, with over 50 million copies worldwide. The group entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003, as well as the Music Victoria Awards Hall of Fame in its home country of Australia. The lineup – Angus Young on lead guitar, Brian Johnson on vocals, Stevie Young on rhythm guitar, Matt Laug on drums and a new bassist to continue Cliff Williams' work – continues to rake in sold-out stadiums on all continents and sell millions of records every year.
Their latest work is “Power Up” (2020), the seventeenth studio album in a 50-year history.
Antonio Santini for SANREMO.FM