High Voltage - AC/DC > Reviews > Expensive but worth it

Author's product rating:   

Originality
Lyrics
Quality and consistency of tracks
How does it compare to the artist's other releases
Value for Money

Advantages:	Two rare tracks (unless you're Australian)
Disadvantages:	Pricey

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Thirteen quid for a twenty-two year old vinyl record with a £2.50 sticker on it, bought through an advert in "Record Collector". The reason? Two tracks not on the UK/US versions of this album, the band's debut.

"Stick Around" is the first unfamiliar song: it has a stop-start opening burst similar to "Whole Lotta Rosie", before transforming into an excellent "Problem Child"-type extended guitar dominated effort. I wonder which record company clever-dick made the decision not to include this on the album released in Europe and America? Dolt.

"Love Song" is a complete contrast: a trippy, tinkly, 60s er, love song (yes, an AC/DC love song), this is reminiscent of - I kid you not - the theme tune from "Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)"! A bit of tasty guitar work from Angus almost saves it, but - and here's something you never thought you'd read me say about an Acca Dacca song - I don't really like it. I wonder which record company clever-dick made the decision not to include this on the album released in Europe and America? Genius.

The album cover, incidentally is much better than the other one (a poorly drawn caricature of Bon and Angus), some sort of electric generator behind barbed wire, with a scruffy mongrel relieving itself on it. I suppose the back cover should really have been the aftermath of the inevitable explosion with bits of dog's innards everywhere.

One little anomaly thrown up is the author of opening track "Baby Please Don't Go", which is credited to someone called "Broonzy". This old blues standard, which the band played live in their early days (hence its inclusion here), was performed by Muddy Waters previously, but was credited to Joe Williams (in 1944!) on the Jailbreak '74 album where it also appears. Was Muddy Waters' real name Joe Williams? Was his nickname Broonzy? Can any old blues fans out there enlighten me? Whatever the answer, it's particularly ironic that the very first album track laid down by the guys should be one of only two covers they ever recorded. And you should know what the other one is if you have been reading my fascinating AC/DC articles closely so I'm not going to tell you!