Published on Sep 24, 2001
’74 Jailbreak was a stop-gap release that was supposed to do
two things for Australian super-group AC/DC. First, it was supposed
to give them a well-deserved break after their string of good
fortune with
Back In Black and
For Those About To Rock We Salute You, as well as the
commercial disappointment of
Flick Of The Switch. Second, it was supposed to give the
die-hard Bon Scott fans in the audience another chance to enjoy
music from the days Scott spent with the band.
’74 Jailbreak was never meant to be seen as an album; with
only five songs, it could hardly be considered a full-lengther. And
while the music on this disc is enjoyable (though it may be a shock
to those who expect AC/DC to follow the straight blooze-rock
paths), this disc could have easily been a full LP.
Four of the five songs were culled from AC/DC’s original
Australian debut
High Voltage, with “Jailbreak” coming from the Aussie
version of
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. Remember, box sets weren’t
really thought of in 1984 as a major commercial tool; Bob Dylan’s
Biograph would change that forever. So it wasn’t that
Atlantic was purposely holding back other previously-unreleased
songs in America for commercial gain. The question that comes up
is, why didn’t they release them at this time?
Where, for example, is “Stick Around” – a track which would
easily have fit in with the mood if
’74 Jailbreak? Where is “Love Song,” a track which
admittedly isn’t one of AC/DC’s best, though it is notable as
possibly the group’s only true attempt at a ballad? Where is
“Crabsody In Blue,” only available on the import of
Let There Be Rock? Where is “R.I.P. (Rock In Peace),”
another left-over from
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap? Man, what this disc
could have been… I must pause so I can let out a
blood-curdling scream.
There… I feel better.
As it stands, though,
’74 Jailbreak serves as a nice amount of Scott-era AC/DC
that will both challenge and excite the listener. “Jailbreak”
remains one of the band’s best tracks, capturing the true rock
spirit this band has embodied all these years. Likewise, “Soul
Stripper” is a fun number that gives both Angus and Malcolm Young
the chance to inject a little r&b or soul into their playing.
(Is it me, or does it sound like Malcolm Young is playing a
12-string electric at times?)
If one isn’t familiar with the early days of AC/DC, though,
songs like “You Ain’t Got A Hold On Me” and “Show Business” might
seem like a glass of ice water thrown in their face. “You Ain’t Got
A Hold On Me” is surprisingly bereft of the hard rock bombast that
AC/DC has become known for, making the listener concentrate on the
band – egads! – as musicians. Even more shocking to the critics is
that the boys from Down Under actually are competent musicians.
“Show Business” is an exercise in 12-bar blues that shows some of
the real roots of AC/DC – further emphasized by the cover of “Baby
Please Don’t Go”.
I admit that when I first bought this in 1985, I was taken aback
by the almost lighter approach that AC/DC had. But when one
considers that
’74 Jailbreak is a portrait of the band in its infancy, then
things start to come together, and one understands the musical
choices. Frankly, they’d have been easier to understand had someone
at the label thought to include the remainder of tracks that AC/DC
had never released in the States.