AC/DC weren’t breaking through the way Atlantic Records wanted them to — they were releasing singles, but none were hits — so in traditional ’70s fashion, a live album was planned, in the hope that capturing the band’s astonishing onstage energy would win them the audience they deserved.

Recorded on April 30, 1978 at the Apollo Theatre in Glasgow, Scotland, If You Want Blood blasts you in the face with 10 tracks spanning their second through fifth studio albums (T.N.T., Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, Let There Be Rock and Powerage, itself released only six months earlier). With the exception of the slow-burning blues “The Jack,” it’s one fast and furious barrage after another: “Riff Raff,” “Hell Ain’t A Bad Place To Be,” “Bad Boy Boogie,” “Problem Child,” “Whole Lotta Rosie,” “Rock ‘N’ Roll Damnation,” “High Voltage,” “Let There Be Rock,” and finally, “Rocker.” This is the kind of setlist and performance that leaves audiences sweaty, exhausted, and wondering exactly what make and model of tank just ran over them. And in contrast with some other classic ’70s live albums, the band sounds genuinely alive, particularly Scott, whose voice is shredded by the end of the show. On “Rocker,” he’s gasping and jabbering out the lyrics, half out of breath, just keeping the show going until Angus’s next guitar eruption. I have no idea how Phil Rudd manages to sustain his energy and precision, but he’s an absolute machine.

Live albums are rarely truly necessary unless they offer something unique. If You Want Blood You’ve Got It fails that test — the live versions of AC/DC songs are basically identical to their studio counterparts, just maybe a little more jacked-up and furious — but it’s such a relentless experience, it’s actually an essential part of the band’s catalog. As live albums go, it’s on a par with the Ramones’ It’s Alive, Black Flag’s Live ’84, or James Brown’s Love Power Peace: Live At The Olympia, Paris, 1971: it’s a document of a truly killer band at the peak of their powers, giving everything they’ve got to an audience, without mercy.

(Note: “Whole Lotta Rosie” is not actually live; it’s the version from Let There Be Rock, sped up slightly and with new vocals and a new guitar solo pasted in. This bit of cheating does absolutely nothing to sap the album’s incredible energy.)