High Voltage (Australian)

High Voltage (Australian) is the memorable debut album AC/DC — who would later achieve worldwide success — released in Australia. Its track listing differs from the international album of the same name, sealing in a rawer, more strongly blues-tinged early drive. Recorded in a short span, it holds a rough but sure energy. The momentum of trial and error, before it hardened into the polished image of later years, fills the whole. The guitars of the Young brothers, Angus and Malcolm, are already sturdy at this point, and Bon Scott’s free, humorous voice gives the songs a powerful character. There is a roughness of the era in the production and construction, yet that unrefined quality is the record’s particular appeal. The line leading to the later signature works is clearly visible at this origin. Easily overlooked if measured by polish alone, it is also an extremely important document of what the band was trying to make its strength. Conveying early AC/DC in a form apart from the international album, it is a debut full of rough radiance.