ac/dc - powerage

this is another record from the daytrips with my son visiting some record stores. i mean, with a little over a year in age of course my son doesn't care for vinyl, but it was still cool to spend time with him and show him around. this time we headed for hamburg and took a look at rekord music store. it is quite a small shop and only used records on offer. there is no hardcore section and a pretty weak metal section but among some radio plays for my son and a birthday gift for a good friend, i still managed to grab something.

they had a few records on display boards up on the walls and there i spotted this copy of "powerage". i asked the seller if they also sell those records and a few seconds later he handed me the desired vinyl album. "powerage" was released in 1978 and wasn't as a big commercial success as the up-coming "highway to hell" was going to be. still, i read somewhere that the album is sort of a band favourite. i enjoy every minute of the record. very good all around. my copy is a re-press from the eighties, i guess. very nice copy. atlantic records. 1978.

ac/dc - back in black

ac/dc's "back on black" is one of the records that do not really need an introduction. after michael jackson's "thriller" record, this one here is the second highest selling album in the history of music. yeah, take a deep breath and let this fact work its magic. "back in black" was the first ac/dc full length to feature brian johnson on vocal duties. the album title and the dark and simple cover aesthetics were a sign of mourning for bon scott. the former singer faced an untimely death in course of an alcohol excess. maybe this drama added to the fascination the record still creates.

as i am trying to bring together all the ac/dc full length recordings, i was specifically searching the a-section at blitz record store in kiel. they had a few records but i only did take one of them. my decision was made towards the "back in black" copy because it still came in the shrink wrap and the vinyl was in perfect condition. it doesn't seem like the pre-owner listened an awful lot to the record. i found my version on discogs but the database does not know from which year this pressing is. looks cool with its red labels anyway. atlantic records. 1980.

ac/dc - blow up your video

it is rare that i visit physical stores these days. in ninety nine percent of the cases there is no contemporaray stuff in the variations i am out for. vinyl shopping takes place online nowadays. when i am out in some physical stores usually seventies prog rock and eighties heavy metal and hard rock crosses my path. this is just what happened when a good friend and me were visiting a little record store in elmshorn - von gestern records. they have a small metal selection and the a section held an ac/dc record for me.

"blow up your video" is from their mid-career phase. released in the late eighties, 1988 to be precise, it is one of the weaker ac/dc records to me. the a-side fails to really grab me, at least the b-side makes up for that. "nick of time" or "two's up" are really strong efforts. the edition i scored is from the european first press produced in germany. my copy is in a flawless condition, the pre-owner knew how to handle his vinyl. love the artwork with the tube telly. it looks so dated and yet so familiar. going to play some video cassettes right now... atlantic records. 1988.

ac/dc - fly on the wall (tape)

i have a new love in life. cassette tapes never really did matter to me. besides my big youth audio play cassette collection i never had any use for music tapes. why should i? vinyl is the superior format in terms of aesthetics and overall audio experience and still i am of this opinion but there was a key moment. i regularly visit flea markets in my area to search for 70's prog/art rock and audio play vinyl, stuff i don't post here. when i was out with my wife and child recently i came across a tape copy of ac/dc's album "fly on the wall".

i was excited to pick it up even though i had no cassette deck at that point. there was something about it that got my heart beating faster. not for the album in particular but for the format in general. somehow i liked the overall look of that tape. the coming days i was occupied with getting a used tape deck and checking the mailorders for contemporary tape releases. with tapes i found a convenient way to get albums that i wasn't sure paying the twenty plus euros for the vinyl editions. so expect some more tapes on this blog in the future. "fly on the wall" is an entertaining listen by the way. i won't become the biggest ac/dc fan but will pick up more tapes when given the chance to. atlantic records. 1985.

post scriptum: i bought a handsome pioneer ct-w208r cassette deck used via ebay kleinanzeigen (a craigslist equivalent) off a family in the area for a good price. finally playing and enjoying those tapes.