Bonfire [Box] by AC/DC

Bonfire is a musical tribute to Bon Scott, original lead singer of AC/DC. As such, it has a lot to offer, and is well-suited for a wide variety of people. If you're like me, and you wanted to move up to CD from cassette (or 8-track! I had two of them) or vinyl, chances are you'll become a big-time Bon Scott fan after this.
This 4-CD box set contains the newly-remastered Back in Black (Disc 4 - AC/DC's comeback album following Scott's accidental death from drinking). It also has a wealth of live material from AC/DC at the height of their career. Live From the Atlantic Studios (Disc 1) is a restored concert that shows a remarkable cleanup of the source material (which was apparently partially gone at both ends before they got their hands on it and rebuilt the performance) The show was a radio broadcast and was performed in Atlantic Records' studio. "Disc 2" is really a 2-CD set: Let There Be Rock, The Movie and Live in Paris span two discs. This is my favorite part of the box, and really showcases AC/DC's raw energy and live talent. Numbers like Let There Be Rock and Whole Lotta Rosie seem to almost smash through the album versions like they were cheap knockoffs of the real AC/DC. Since AC/DC spent a lot of time getting by on playing small clubs, this is hardly a surprise. As if that isn't already enough, you get Volts (Disc 3), a collection of outtakes and alternate versions of AC/DC classics. For example, Back Street Confidential is Bon Scott's first version of Beatin' Around the Bush (from the album Highway to Hell) and Touch Too Much has different lyrics from the final version that appears on Highway to Hell.

Why such a big box for 5 CDs? To make room for the goodies, of course! You also get a very well-written book that follows the band's early years and career and gives you the inside scoop from the band themselves. Did you know, for instance, that Bon Scott wrote She's Got Balls about his wife? The book is packed with all kinds of quotes from the band in the margins and compares AC/DC's later career with the early days when they were truly wild and out-of-control.

In addition to all that, you get a few neat trinkets, just souvenirs that are like icing on the cake: An AC/DC black guitar pick, keychain/bottle opener (of course!), foldout poster of Bon Scott, and a sticker that would go just fine on any car window.

If you're an AC/DC collector and don't have this yet, shame on you! If you're wondering what the early years were like but don't feel like buying Highway to Hell, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, High Voltage, and Powerage, pick this up and see how well a band like AC/DC can stand up outside the studio. If, as I said earlier, you're moving up to CD, definitely consider Bonfire.

My only complaint is that the price is a bit steep; the best way to pick this up is when BMG's record club has a sale (I got mine for $25 after shipping).