AC/DC ?– Back In Black

Original 1980 Australian issue, in fantastic condition.
The cover is VG+  (see pics)
The fold out inner sleeve / insert is Near Mint  (like new - see pics) The vinyl is Excellent  + (side 1 is Excellent / Side 2 is Near Mint)
The audio is Excellent + (as above - see description below) The labels are Near Mint / EX  ( Side 1 is Near Mint / Side 2 is Excellent)
The audio is superb, with only the briefest of microscopic interference on side 1.
Side 1 has just the slightest and briefest couple of seconds of faint crackle in the bell at the start of Side One, and a couple of faint deadwax pops.
Side 2 plays Mint. Quiet background, with magnificent powerful, crisp and dynamic audio...
The sleeve is the earlier "glossy version", which would change to the Matt version pretty quickly, as these are not common. or easy to find.
I will let the pics do most of the talking, but I grade the cover as VG+
The inner sleeve / fold over insert is in Near Mint condition.
Australian Maxicut 2
This issue (1980) will be Maxicut 2 with some further refinements to the cutting system, from the original 1978 Powerage Maxicut pressing.
Australian 1st issue, in superb condition throughout.

Maxicut explained by Don Bartley - EMI Australia, mastering engineer
"As most mastering engineers at the time knew the Neumann cutting system was designed around stereo classical music and it's natural phase / level relationship, in other words as the stereo orchestra played louder, there was an equal increase in the ambient out of phase information.

The Neumann lathe would see this increase in level and phase (particularly the bottom end) and adjust the depth and pitch of the groove to accommodate the modulation of the signal, avoiding "light" grooves and "groove jumping" on playback. However the Neumann system was not user friendly to loud rock / pop music etc. whose bottom end signal was practically mono, resulting in the lathe maintaining a constant depth groove no matter the level of the signal. This resulted in what was classified by the pressing plants as a "dangerous" cut that would "groove jump" on cheaper playback systems. So most engineers did something to overcome this problem.

Prior to my days at EMI I was mastering records for RCA Sydney and developed a system where by a phase shift was introduced to the bottom end of the lathe control signal resulting in a level to depth relationship resulting in a "safer cut".
The clever people at EMI decided to re-design the control circuitry of the Neumann lathe and replace one the PC boards with their own "Maxicut" board. This created a sensation and engineers around the world were peering into their microscopes to see what was going on.

By the time I joined EMI in 1980, "Maxicut 2" had been introduced, a more refined version and the one we used throughout the eighties and into the nineties. "Maxicut" was definitely the best and most transparent solution to what was an annoying problem with the Neumann cutting system and I believe there was a patent on the design however I'm not sure if "Maxicut" was adopted by any other users."
Label: Albert Productions ?– APLP.046, Albert Productions ?– APLP-046 Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo
Country: Australia Released: 11 Aug 1980 Genre: Rock Style: Hard Rock

Tracklist

A1 Hell's Bells 5:10 A2 Shoot To Thrill 5:17 A3 What Do You Do For Money Honey 3:36 A4 Given The Dog A Bone 3:31 A5 Let Me Put My Love Into You 4:12 B1 Back In Black 4:17 B2 You Shook Me All Night Long 3:29 B3 Have A Drink On Me 4:01 B4 Shake A Leg 4:04 B5 Rock And Roll Ain't Noise Pollution 4:12

Companies, etc.

• Recorded At – Compass Point Studios
• Made By – EMI (Australia) Limited
• Phonographic Copyright (p) – Albert Productions
• Copyright (c) – J. Albert & Son Pty. Ltd.
• Lacquer Cut At – EMI Studios 301

Credits

• Art Direction – Bob Defrin
• Bass – Cliff Williams
• Drums – Phil Rudd
• Engineer – Tony Platt
• Engineer [Assistant] – Benji Armbrister*, Jack Newber*
• Engineer [Mixing] – Brad Samuelsohn
• Lead Guitar – Angus Young
• Management – Peter Mensch
• Mastered By [Vinyl] – Paul Bryant (2)
• Photography By – Robert Ellis (4)
• Producer – Robert John "Mutt" Lange*
• Rhythm Guitar – Malcolm Young
• Vocals – Brian Johnson
• Written-By – Young*, Johnson*, Young*

Notes

First Press.
Red label with Yellow strobe marks.
Comes with fold-out inside sheet, printed with pictures and credits.

Recorded at Compass Point Studios April-May 1980.
Made by E.M.I. (Australia) Limited, Sydney, N.S.W.

© 1980 J. Albert & Son Pty. Ltd.
? 1980 Albert Productions

Cat. number on cover: APLP.046
Cat. number on label: APLP-046

Barcode and Other Identifiers

• Matrix / Runout (Runout side A, stamped): APLP 046 A MAXICUT
• Matrix / Runout (Runout side B, stamped): APLP 046 B MAXICUT
• Matrix / Runout (Label side A, printed): APLP046-A
• Matrix / Runout (Label side B, printed): APLP046-B