Welcome back to the Week of EPs! Each day this week, I’ll be checking out a variety of EP releases, both famed and obscure.
MONDAY: Aerosmith – The Other Side (1990)
TUESDAY: Wolfsbane – All Hell’s Breaking Loose Down at Little Kathy Wilson’s Place! (1990)
AC/DC – ’74 Jailbreak (1984 Epic)
As most AC/DC fans are aware, their Australian and American discographies differed greatly in tracklists and cover art. Australia also got one more record (T.N.T.) than we did. This amounted to a number of Bon Scott tracks that were left off the original American releases. It made sense to eventually release them, so in 1984, five tracks were released on the tenth anniversary EP, ’74 Jailbreak. Of note, none of these songs are actually from 1974.
The track “Jailbreak” itself didn’t become a hit until this compilation was released. It was originally on 1976’s Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap in Australia. It definitely sounds from that era, and it’s long been one of my favourites. I found that little riff irresistible, then and now. I love Bon Scott’s storytelling lyrics, still cool today. “Big man lying on the ground, with a hole in his body where his life had been.” And c’mon, you have to love the music video, or you have no sense of fun in your rock!
The next four tracks were all from High Voltage, another favourite album of mine. “You Ain’t Got a Hold on Me” is one of those slinky Bon Scott rockers. I like the spare riff and Angus’ bluesy playing. Uptempo “Show Business” is a wry dig on the business side of rock and roll. “You’re smoking butts, they smoke cigars.” Angus’ playing here is especially tasty as he takes his Gibson SG for a ride. Then “Soul Stripper” takes it to a dirty place. AC/DC return to that slinky territory they used to do so well with Bon. “Soul Stripper” is a highlight among highlights, with those quieter bass-driven verses. “Pulled out a knife and flashed it before me, stuck it in and turned it around.”
A cover of “Baby, Please Don’t Go” closes the EP on a frenetic extended jam. Bon shrieks as if in agony. The band blast away as only one of the greatest pure rock and roll bands can. This is rock and roll 101, your teachers are in class, so pay attention to Mr. Young and Mr. Young!
None of the songs on ’74 Jailbreak are outtake quality. I never fully understood who decided what songs were to be left off American releases and why. Some of these songs were singles in Australia! As mentioned, these are only some of the songs unreleased on American albums. There were more and they too were pretty damn good. They are “Stick Around” and “Love Song” from High Voltage, “R.I.P. (Rock in Peace)” from Dirty Deeds, “Crabsody in Blue” from Let There Be Rock, and “Cold Hearted Man” from Powerage. All these songs can be had on the Backtracks box set today.
5/5 stars
mikeladano.com 
I never understood why, when they did the last run of reissues, they didn’t just add the Australian songs in to the relevant albums as bonus tracks or whatever? But at least they put them out in the box set eventually.
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That would’ve been a great idea! A chance to make a discography the same for everyone. Alas.
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Or, better yet, reissue both American and Aussie releases, just like they have with the Stones. Sell twice as many albums. Ca-ching.
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Or, even better, a 2CD Deluxe with both versions.
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3 CD. With bonus live disc
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3CD with bonus amp.
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4CD. The 4th CD is tracks of Angus farting and snoring and stage banters and rants down the pub.
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I’d have to buy that.
New album will not feature Mal. Hard to picture.
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Muchmusic power hour played the heck out of the jailbreak video! It was a clasic !
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Yup and that was m first exposure to the song. Seeing it on a 1984 release really confused me.
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This is cool reportage, a one-stop knowledge shop on the differences between tracks and release countries, and where to find what you’re missing. And it’s AC/DC so you know it rocks too. Right on.
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It does. It really rocks. These are not outtakes!
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[adds to Taranna shopping list]
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One of the best ep’s ever. If I ever go to Australia I will bring an extra suitcase along just for AC/DC content. Hopefully I get to meet the band, including Malcolm.
http://mobile.news.com.au/entertainment/acdc-to-release-new-album-rock-or-bust-as-guitarist-malcolm-young-retires-from-band/story-e6frfmq9-1227069572711
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Thanks Brian! Rock or Bust…I like that title. Hope Mal is doing ok.
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Nice one Mike. As a sad obsessive I have all the Aussie LPs up to LTBR, because not only are there the different tracks and covers the songs often have different running times, extra guitar, or vocal parts here and there. I had to buy a copy of their ‘Jailbreak’ 7″ for that and ‘Fling Thing’. This is a fine EP for plugging the gaps.
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Good news — all those B-sides like Fling Thing, and all the tracks with different lengths, are on the deluxe Backtracks.
Still, to have them on vinyl would be preferred!
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Now this is the kind of EP I can get behind.
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