High voltage
| High Voltage (Australia) | ||||
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Studio album by 
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Publication |
17th February 1975 |
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| Label (s) | Albert Productions | |||
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Format (s) |
CD, LP |
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Title (number) |
8th |
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running time |
38:30 |
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| occupation |
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Harry Vanda, George Young |
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Studio (s) |
November 1974 at Albert Studios, Sydney (Australia) |
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High Voltage (English for " high voltage ") is the first album by the Australian hard rock band AC / DC , which was released in two different versions. The first was released exclusively in Australia on February 17, 1975, followed a year later by an LP with the same name, but with a different track list and different cover, which was also released in Europe and America and is therefore referred to as the international version.
Australian album background
In contrast to the later hard rock style of the formation, High Voltage is clearly influenced by the blues and typical rock 'n' roll of the 50s. With Baby Please Don't Go by Big Joe Williams, one of the few cover versions of the group is also represented here.
The European version only contained the songs She's Got Balls and Little Lover from the Australian record. The tracks Baby, Please Don't Go , Soul Stripper , You Ain't Got a Hold on Me and Show Business weren't released until 1984 on the EP '74 Jailbreak . The remaining songs Stick Around and Love Song were first released outside of Australia in 2009 on the Backtracks box set .
Since the drummers changed several times during the recording and an exact name has not yet been published, it is difficult today to determine which drummer played the respective song.
| High Voltage (International) | ||||
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| Studio album by
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Publication |
May 14, 1976 |
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| Label (s) | Atlantic Records | |||
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Format (s) |
CD, LP, MC |
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Title (number) |
9 |
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running time |
44:04 |
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| occupation | ||||
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Harry Vanda, George Young |
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Studio (s) |
1974 to 1975 at Albert Studios, Sydney (Australia) |
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Australian version playlist
- Baby Please Don't Go (Big Joe Williams) - 4:40
- She's Got Balls (Angus Young, Malcolm Young, Bon Scott) - 4:51
- Little Lover (Angus Young, Malcolm Young, Bon Scott) - 5:37
- Stick Around (Angus Young, Malcolm Young, Bon Scott) - 4:44
- Soul Stripper (Angus Young, Malcolm Young) - 6:23
- You Ain't Got a Hold on Me (Angus Young, Malcolm Young, Bon Scott) - 3:30
- Love Song (Angus Young, Malcolm Young, Bon Scott) - 4:02
- Show Business (Angus Young, Malcolm Young, Bon Scott) - 4:43
Background of the internationally released album
The second high-voltage album was also released on the international market in 1976 after AC / DC was already able to celebrate some successes in Australia. However, this album had a different cover . In addition to the two songs mentioned above, it also contained seven tracks from the second Australian long player TNT
It's a Long Way to the Top is the description of the hard life of unknown rock musicians in the early 70s. A section of the piece is accompanied by Bon Scott on the bagpipes . It is very well known and is played, among other things, at Metallica concerts as a "pre-intro" before the actual intro The Ecstasy of Gold by Ennio Morricone .
The song TNT is mostly seen by fans today as the likeness of Bon Scott 's character: explosive , dynamic and dangerous . It's also one of the most famous hard rock songs ever.
The title track is also one of the highlights of AC / DC's oeuvre, the piece has been played at almost every live concert of the band since it was released.
Title list of the international version
- It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll) (Angus Young, Malcolm Young, Bon Scott) - 5:01 (cut version, original length: 5:15)
- Rock 'n' Roll Singer (Angus Young, Malcolm Young, Bon Scott) - 5:04
- The Jack (Angus Young, Malcolm Young, Bon Scott) - 5:52
- Live Wire (Angus Young, Malcolm Young, Bon Scott) - 5:50
- TNT (Angus Young, Malcolm Young, Bon Scott) - 3:34
- Can I Sit Next to You Girl (Angus Young, Malcolm Young) - 4:12
- Little Lover (Angus Young, Malcolm Young, Bon Scott) - 5:37
- She's Got Balls (Angus Young, Malcolm Young, Bon Scott) - 4:51
- High Voltage (Angus Young, Malcolm Young, Bon Scott) - 4:03 (cut version, original length: 4:22)
reception
The album received mostly positive reviews in the rock press. For example in Rock Hard , where author Götz Kühnemund awarded the highest grade of 10. He wrote in the same magazine: “The album, released in Australia a year earlier under the title TNT and with a slightly different track listing, includes It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock'n'Roll) , The Jack , Live Wire , TNT and High Voltage at least five all-time classics that have been an integral part of the AC / DC live set for many years and some of them still are. Already on this European debut all trademarks of the band came to light: Malcolm's mighty guitar chords, Angus' improvised blues scales, the absolutely impermeable rhythm carpet and of course Bon Scott's distinctive grater vocals. Must have!"
The Australian version of the album reached number 7 in the country where it was released. The international version reached number 146 in the US, where it has been honored three times with platinum for 3 million units sold to date. In Great Britain the album was awarded a silver record.