Band : AC/DC
Album title : No Bull – The Director's Cut
Label : Sony-BMG
Distributor : Sony-BMG
Release date : 08/09/2008
Release : DVD

In January 2006 (the 12th to be precise) AC/DC started off on a tour in support of their 1995 album Ballbreaker album. It would last 'til Nov. 30, and see 'em do a grand total of 153 shows on 4 continents [North America (the US and Canada), South America (Brazil, Chile, Argentine), Europe (the UK, Germany, Scandinavia, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Holland, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Austria) and Oceania (Australia and New Zealand)].

To capture the over-the-top spectacle that was the Ballbreaker Tour, the band had decided to again use the renowned director David Mallet (who'd already done their 1991 concert film extravaganza Live At Donington video). Place of the proceedings would be the Plaza De Toros De Las Ventas bullfighting arena in Madrid, Spain, where the guys were to play three nights in a row (9,10, and 11 July 2006) to a fully packed and over-the-top enthousiast house. And when I say "fully packed", I mean the place was sold out, filled to the gills! Eventually the footage was rushed for VHS release, very much to the dismay of the director, who'd always been unhappy with the final product. Until now, that is: the film was completely re-edited in High Definition, the audio remixed in both Stereo and 5.1 Surround Sound, hence the sub-title, you see?. Well, since 12 years have passed since, the quality of that video tape may well have suffered from time (and earth's magnetic fields), so perhaps it's about time to exchange the original tape with this DVD...which has some bonusses, you know!

In addition to the original footage [including 4 songs off the Ballbreaker album, there's also 5 songs off 1980's Back In Black (the first album featuring Brian Johnson as singer), "Thunderstruck" off their The Razor's Edge album (and their last hit at that date), the title track of 1981's For Those About To Rock, and a total of 9 Bon Scott-era songs for a grand total of just under two hours – real fun moments are Angus' "strip-tease" during "Boogie Man", the appearance of the bell during the opening of "Hell's Bells", Brian's short in-air stint on the Ballbreaker Ball, and of course the truly lengthy instrumental part of"Let there Be Rock" duringwhichAngus makes an excusion underneath the audience seats of the arena, to come out opposite of the stage, take a piggy-back ride on one of the roadies to a special one-man elevated stage in the middle of the audience to do a solo, go back to the front stage, to do some more antics there, and finally finish the song] you get extras in the form of Ballbreaker's "Cover You In Oil" (recorded live at Gotenburg, Sweden, but with additional footage from the video clip of the track mixed in) and "Down Payment Blues" (off 1978's Powerage), as recorded in Daytona, Florida. On top of which you get a total of 4 songs ("Shoot To Thrill", "Hail Caesar", "Rock And Roll Ain't Noise Pollution", and "You Shook Me All Night Long")from the Plaza De Toros De Las Ventas show with camera angles focussing on Angus only. That gives you exactly 31 minutes of bonus footage!

On top of the that, there's a complete discography, telling me it's been since 2000 that the guys have released their last studio album. I've always been somewhat comprehensive and sensitive when Johnson starts to sing songs originally brought by Bon Scott (he simply can't quite catch it...but I'll to admit not caring too much anymore after listening to him a whole show, you know), but I've always been utterly pleased with each new album these Rock Gods gave us! So...for when finally the new album, guys?

Tony.