Despite longtime
AC/DC fans' immediate acceptance of replacement singer Brian Johnson (resulting in one of rock's all-time best sellers, 1980's
Back in Black), there was still demand for
Bon Scott-era unreleased tracks. Several of their early albums in Australia and Europe (such as T.N.T.) were later combined together for their first U.S. release,
High Voltage, while several tracks were cut from the original versions and never issued stateside. 1984's five-song EP, '74 Jailbreak, features these forgotten tracks from the band's early days. "Jailbreak" automatically became a concert standard when the EP came out, and it remains a mystery why it wasn't released earlier. Also included is the largely instrumental "Soul Stripper," a cover of "Baby Please Don't Go," plus a pair of Angus Young-Malcolm Young-
Scott originals: "You Ain't Got a Hold on Me" and the autobiographical "Show Business." Although '74 Jailbreak is by no means a definitive collection of early rarities (such compositions as "Fling Thing," "Love Song," "Stick Around," "R.I.P.- Rock in Peace," and "School Days" remain unreleased in the States), it is a worthwhile, brief snapshot of early
AC/DC. ~ Greg Prato