Bonfire (album)

Bonfire
Box set by
AC/DC
Released18 November 1997 (1997-11-18)
RecordedMarch 1975 – May 1980
VenueLivesaver, Bondi
Pavillon de Paris, Paris
Studio
GenreHard rock
Length3:50:46
Label
Producer
AC/DC chronology
Ballbreaker
(1995) 		Bonfire
(1997) 		Stiff Upper Lip
(2000)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[2]
Uncut[3]
Vox[4]

Bonfire is a five-disc box set by Australian rock band AC/DC, released in 1997, and remastered with a release in Digipak format in 2003. It was originally conceived to mark what would have been the 50th birthday of Bon Scott, the band's previous lead vocalist who died of alcohol-related misadventure in 1980. The release includes the two disc soundtrack for the film Let There Be Rock, a live recording from the Atlantic Records studio in New York, some previously unreleased early material and a remastered version of the 1980 Back in Black album.

Overview

The album was originally released in 1997 with the CDs all packaged individually in jewel cases, complete with full artwork. The original issue also features a poster, a backstage pass, keyring and a few other extras depending on the region. When the album was reissued in 2003, it was packaged in a large digipak, similar to a longbox, which featured either four- or five-disc trays. The four-tray versions contained the remastered Back in Black in its own case with booklet. All versions of the box feature a large book full of liner notes and rare pictures of the band, mostly from before Scott's death.

The boxset was the subject of a bit of derision from AC/DC fans for its limited content and select few rarities. AC/DC defended the release, stating that there was very little recorded by Scott that was not already released.

The Australian version is slightly different; Let There Be Rock: Live in Paris became a single disc album by removing two tracks, Walk All Over You and TNT, which were added to the Volts album instead, creating a four disc boxset.

Track listing

Live from the Atlantic Studios

Recorded live on 7 December 1977 at the Atlantic Recording Studios, New York, New York.

All tracks are written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young and Bon Scott.

No.TitleLength
1."Live Wire" (T.N.T.)6:16
2."Problem Child" (Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap)4:40
3."High Voltage" (T.N.T.)5:57
4."Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be" (Let There Be Rock)4:14
5."Dog Eat Dog" (Let There Be Rock)4:42
6."The Jack" (T.N.T.)8:37
7."Whole Lotta Rosie" (Let There Be Rock)5:11
8."Rocker" (T.N.T.)5:33
Total length:45:38

Let There Be Rock: The Movie - Live in Paris

Recorded live on 9 December 1979 at the Pavillon de Paris, Paris, France.

All tracks are written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young and Bon Scott.

Disc one
No.TitleLength
1."Live Wire" (T.N.T.)8:04
2."Shot Down in Flames" (Highway to Hell)3:39
3."Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be" (Let There Be Rock)4:31
4."Sin City" (Powerage)5:25
5."Walk All Over You" (Highway to Hell)5:07
6."Bad Boy Boogie" (Let There Be Rock)13:21
Disc two
No.TitleLength
1."The Jack" (T.N.T.)6:05
2."Highway to Hell" (Highway to Hell)3:31
3."Girls Got Rhythm" (Highway to Hell)3:20
4."High Voltage" (T.N.T.)6:32
5."Whole Lotta Rosie" (Let There Be Rock)4:55
6."Rocker" (T.N.T.)10:45
7."T.N.T." (T.N.T.)4:14
8."Let There Be Rock" (Let There Be Rock)7:34
Total length:79:02

Volts

All tracks are written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young and Bon Scott, except where noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Dirty Eyes" (first title and lyrics to the riffs of "Whole Lotta Rosie") 3:21
2."Touch Too Much" (same title as the track on Highway to Hell with other lyrics and music) 6:34
3."If You Want Blood (You've Got It)" (first recording of the track) 4:28
4."Back Seat Confidential" (Bon's first title and lyrics to the riffs that ended up as "Beatin' Around the Bush") 5:24
5."Get It Hot" (same title as the track on Highway to Hell with other lyrics and music) 4:17
6."Sin City" (live 1978 from The Midnight Special) 4:58
7."She's Got Balls" (live 1977 from The Bondi Lifesaver, Sydney) 7:57
8."School Days" (from T.N.T. (Australian Release))Chuck Berry5:24
9."It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)" (from T.N.T. (Australian Release) (slightly longer version than the one in High Voltage) 5:15
10."Ride On" (from Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, followed by brief interviews) 5:47 (10:03)
Total length:57:12

Back in Black

All tracks are written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young and Brian Johnson.

No.TitleLength
1."Hells Bells"5:13
2."Shoot to Thrill"5:18
3."What Do You Do for Money Honey"3:36
4."Given the Dog a Bone"3:32
5."Let Me Put My Love into You"4:15
6."Back in Black"4:16
7."You Shook Me All Night Long"3:30
8."Have a Drink on Me"3:59
9."Shake a Leg"4:06
10."Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution"4:16
Total length:42:11

Charts

Chart performance for Bonfire
Chart (1997) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[5] 21
French Albums (SNEP)[6] 56
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[7] 71
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[8] 60
US Billboard 200[9] 90

Certifications

Certifications for Bonfire
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[10] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ Bonfire at AllMusic
  2. ^ Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th Concise ed.). United Kingdom: Omnibus Press. p. 34. ISBN 978-1-84609-856-7.
  3. ^ Knighton, Steve (February 1998). "The ghost of electricity". Uncut. No. 9. p. 91.
  4. ^ Ewing, Jerry. VOX, February 1998. Albums. Re-issues. AC/DC - Bonfire (EMI). p. 78
  5. ^ "Australiancharts.com – AC/DC – Bonfire". Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 August 2024.
  6. ^ "Lescharts.com – AC/DC – Bonfire". Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 August 2024.
  7. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – AC/DC – Bonfire" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 24 August 2024.
  8. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – AC/DC – Bonfire". Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 August 2024.
  9. ^ "AC DC Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 August 2024.
  10. ^ "American album certifications – AC/DC – Bonfire". Recording Industry Association of America.