Customer Reviews

NO BULL THE DIRECTORS CUT

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Good
No Bull was originally released in 1996 for the home video market. The director David Mallet always thought that the release was too rushed, and ultimately was not the best result possible for the release. In 2008 the film has been completely restored in HD and the audio remixed in both stereo and 5.1 surround sound.

No Bull showcases AC/DC on their Ballbreaker tour. The venue for the event is the Plaza De Toros De Las Ventas bullfighting arena in Madrid, Spain. Now that title makes sense, huh? One of the greater aspects of this performance is that AC/DC knows how to put on a show. A show is much more than music. Although it has been virtually abandoned by current artists, a lot of AC/DC's show is visual as well as auditory. That makes for one hell of a performance.

The group kicks things off surprisingly with "Back in Black." Before they hit the stage, there's a hugh wrecking ball that destroys an old building that consumes the stage. After the top level is demolished, the group enters from what's left of the building. From their the group fires off some of their biggest and fan favorite tracks.

Songs include, "Thunderstruck," "Girls Got Rhythm," "Hard As A Rock," "Shoot to Thrill," "Hells Bells," "The Jack," "Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution," "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap," "You Shook Me All Night Long," "Whole Lotta Rosie," "T.N.T," "Highway to Hell," "For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)," plus six more.

You might even find a few undiscovered tracks along the way, as "Hail Caesar" and "Boogie Man" have become two of my new favorites. The crowd is huge and into every track. The energy level starts high and never falters. Visual highlights include the ominous bell from "Hells Bells," a hugh inflatable "Rosie," and the wrecking ball summonsing Angus from the depths of hell on "Highway to Hell."

There are a handful of bonus features which are cool, but you could have really lived without them. The show eclipses anything offered as a bonus. Live performances of "Cover You in Oil" (another new favorite of mine) from Sweden and "Down Payment Blues from Florida are included as bonuses. As well as alternate camera footage from the Spain show, titled "Angus-Cam."

The Bad
Let's face it, "Ballbreaker" wasn't exactly one of AC/DC's best efforts.

The Verdict
Has there ever been a bad AC/DC performance? I think not! No Bull is a perfect representation of what the group has to offer.

No Bull has a good selection of songs. The sound quality is good. The visual quality sucks. The image is very noisy.
There is an option called "Angus Cam". It's available for 2 or 3 songs. The "Angus Cam", footage looks clean. Wish the whole disc had this quality.

AC/DC perfected the art of immaturity a long time ago, but now they provide a perfect example for carrying that immaturity into middle age and beyond. Granted, this show dates from 1996, so they aren't quite geezers yet (late 30's), but they sure ain't kids either. That doesn't stop these overgrown boys from reveling in sexual innuendos and schoolboy smartass behavior. As far as rock and roll is concerned, the posturing is sheer brilliance. So is the playing. For two hours, the band tears through hit after hit after hit, with a precision that is truly startling.
The title `No Bull" is a double entendre since the show is filmed in Madrid, but there really is no bull in the band's presentation. It's rebellious, snotty rock and roll the way it was meant to be - a great stage show, lots of pyrotechnics, and even an overweight blow-up doll that you're never gonna see in the Macy's parade (Imagine the talk show announcers sharing statistics like "Do you know that each breast weighs in at 198 pounds?" or Each of her chins requires two people to prop them up"). These guys rock like there's no tomorrow. Angus puts on a show that defies any semblance of normal behavior, posturing like a schoolboy on steroids while playing with a manic perfection that almost contradicts his attitude. Every single guitar riff played by Angus and his brother Malcolm is stone cold perfection. Malcolm may be the less recognizable of the two brothers, but his rhythm guitar skills rival anybody's, and the way he plays in tandem with Angus is simply unmatched. Since we're talking about unmatched skills, how on Earth does Brian Johnson manage to scream so much, not for a song or two, or even a night or two, but for his entire career? I try to sing like that and I have a coughing fit after five seconds. I tell you, these guys are inhuman.
Personally, I'm not even that big a fan of heavy metal rock and roll, but it is flat our impossible to not love AC/DC. The concert footage is excellent as well, with lots of fast cuts that keep you involved in all the action without feeling disruptive. Two solid hours of mad riffage will keep you entertained, and wanting more when it's over. Now THAT'S entertainment. A Tom Ryan