While the rear cover is bland, it serves a purpose and does not include anything that doesn’t need to be there. That said, Stiff Upper Lip is my all-time favourite. What has remained the same, however, is the Ballbreaker cover one of AC/DC’s best and most striking. I do, however, enjoy the newer liner notes and the series of live photographs and graphic illustrations from the original release but it would have been great if the liner notes in these reissues had been further expanded to include the lyrics. One could argue that the write-up and reflection are better suited in retrospect, but I know many who would lament the absence of lyrics. Speaking of LP-sized artwork, the 2014 vinyl re-issue of Ballbreaker is spectacular to hold, although the lyrics that were present with the original Vinyl, CD, and Cassette release are missing from both the LP liner notes and the 2004 CD reissue. Regardless, at least you can still purchase the AC/DC releases in iTunes LP but be wary as one must question just how long these releases will continue to be supported on the Mac and PC. In my opinion, it is a missed opportunity and would have set iTunes and Apple Music apart from the competition. I honestly have never understood how Apple could not have implemented iTunes LP in devices such as the iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV thereby creating a seamless experience as they do with films. A shame considering the concept bridges the gap between the tactile physical release and the digital equivalent thereby allowing everyone to have a similar experience. While I am aware that the Apple Digital Master edition of Ballbreaker contains an iTunes LP, the iTunes LP feature is still restricted to playback on a Mac or PC and is no longer being supported, for new releases, by Apple. Now, if we can only get liner notes on all streaming services and digital stores I would be happy. This is one aspect that I truly miss in the modern era and while the vinyl revival has brought album artwork back to the forefront of the music listening experience, the unique presentation of the compact cassette, when done properly, is sorely missed. Thankfully, the Ballbreaker cassette was not a disappointment as the comic-based graphic design, was reimagined throughout the foldout liner notes and was simply gorgeous. At the time, my Sony Cassette Walkman (WM-FX507) was a constant companion and while I could have created a mixtape, I preferred to collect the retail releases of cassette albums as the liner notes were often redesigned and unique when compared to the LP or CD counterpart. Subjectively, I have found that I am often drawn to the less successful albums in their catalogue.Īlongside the Hail Caesar CD single, I picked up this masterpiece on cassette. While nothing could topple the success of Back In Black and The Razors Edge, Ballbreaker had modest sales success and is often viewed in the same category as Flick Of The Switch and Fly On The Wall valued and essential interim albums, but not their most adored. However, it is fair to say that the AC/DC fan base didn’t lose their collective minds when Ballbreaker was released. Despite my discussed tiring of Whole Lotta Rosie, the spectacle of the song being performed live is a sight to see as Rosie becomes the world’s largest inflatable love doll and the crowd loses their collective mind. Thus, collectors would be advised to grab a copy of the single to secure this recording. The version of Whole Lotta Rosie was labelled as a previously unreleased recording, hence not part of the 1992 Live album. Both songs were excellent additions to the single. The Hail Caesar CD single also featured Ballbreaker’s B-side Whiskey On The Rocks and a live performance of Whole Lotta Rosie from their European tour in 1991. While it would be close to a decade before I owned a copy of The Razors Edge, I did pick up the second single, Hail Caesar, from their 1995 release Ballbreaker. At the time, a friend of mine was a walking encyclopedia on everything AC/DC and he quickly convinced me that they were the band! It is a proud parenting moment to acknowledge that this admiration and influence has now been bestowed on my son and he tells all who will listen about the greatest rock and roll band in the world: Acca Dacca. AC/DC first appeared on my radar when the band released The Razors Edge in 1990.
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