AC/DC - Let There Be Rock (DVD)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5VefGXS3Mc
“Let There Be Rock” (DVD version)
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Few iconic bands survive without their original lead singer. Van Halen floundered with Sammy Hagar and embarrassed with Gary Cherone. The Dead Kennedys play shows without Jello Biafra but will never replicate the magic of the ’80s. Could you see Aerosmith without Steven Tyler or The Rolling Stones without Mick Jagger?
Based on Bon Scott’s performance on the classic film Let There Be Rock, remastered and released this summer for its 30th anniversary, you’d think AC/DC would be the biggest name on this list. Scott was irreplaceable, a lovable rake playing with musicians almost a decade younger. There have been few frontmen with his combination of voice, charisma, and impish wit. Of course, AC/DC not only rebounded but thrived with replacement Brian Johnson. However, Let There Be Rock captures the magical time when Scott was at the peak of his powers and AC/DC was becoming a global phenomenon.
Let There Be Rock was filmed in 1979 in Paris, two months before Scott died. He looks so vibrant and vital that it’s hard to think he was gone so quickly. Everything about this disc honors Scott and his legacy. The video is pristine, the sound crisp, and the set list classic.
The show opens with a thunderous version of “Live Wire”. Angus Young jumps around like a possessed leprechaun, and Scott projects unflappable cool. Malcolm Young and Phil Rudd are stoic but essential. “Sin City” is dedicated to the Parisians, and Angus performs an impromptu striptease and his customary mooning of the crowd. The stage glows red for a textbook rendering of “Highway to Hell”. This performance should be shown in Rock 101 next to Chuck Berry and Elvis.
The disc features six extras that aren’t throwaways, including a dissection of AC/DC and the art of the riff, and a short documentary on Scott. There are also informative liner notes from journalist Anthony Bozza, who wrote Why AC/DC Matters (review).
AC/DC is the greatest rock band in the world, whether you are talking about the Scott-helmed bluesy band or the slightly less sardonic band of Back in Black. Let There Be Rock helps memorialize a legend and give a glimpse of what could have been.
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BUY LET THERE BE ROCK
Amazon (DVD)
Amazon (DVD, collector’s edition)
Amazon (Blu-ray, collector’s edition)
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DVD GIVEAWAY
Ed. note: We are giving away two copies of this DVD. To enter, just list your favorite AC/DC song in the comments below. (Mine is “It’s a Long Way to the Top”.) You may only list one. (Listing more disqualifies your entry). International entrants are welcome. Entries close midnight PST a week from today, July 20. I’ll randomly pick two winners.
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