After having finally found a CD version of one of my favourite vinyls on Amazon, I thought is was worth a quick review. Released in the year Michael Schenker in some sense reinvented himself with the McAuley Schenker Group’s “Perfect Timing” album (showcasing the talents of new vocalist Robin McAuley, who would remain with Michael until well into the 90s) this album to me was an interesting, but effective, choice of tracks to sum up his career so far. The new commercial sound and support slot with Whitesnake’s UK tour might have been seen as a cynical attempt to try and cash in, but was in fact a natural progression for the misunderstood guitar hero whose music had already spanned over 15 years through two stints in the Scorpions bookending the 70s, an acclaimed period with UFO in between, solo albums with his own Michael Schenker Group, and rumours of turning down requests from both the Rolling Stones and Deep Purple.
The unusual thing about this compilation is that usually such albums will be almost exclusively UFO, or concentrate on MSG tracks with a spattering of obvious UFO songs, this does neither. It does include the obligatory tracks such as Doctor Doctor and Lights Out, but also included are other less played offerings such as Arbory Hill and Ulcer to help showcase his wide range of technique. The common thread throughout are the emotion filled riffs and solos, no fast runs up and down the fretboard to show off practiced technique, but always measured offerings full of feeling and innate talent and always in sympathy with the vocals, never shown more than in UFO with the distinctive outpourings from Phil Mogg and with the more rock style of Gary Barden in MSG, throughout his career two artists who have proved perfect songwirting partners.
Track Listing:
Side 1 | I’m A Loser | UFO | No Heavy Petting | 1976 |
Reasons Love | UFO | No Heavy Petting | 1976 | |
Doctor Doctor | UFO | Phenomenon | 1974 | |
Rock Bottom | UFO | Phenomenon | 1974 | |
Side 2 | Too Hot To Handle | UFO | Lights Out | 1977 |
Ready To Rock | MSG | MSG | 1981 | |
Only You Can Rock Me | UFO | Obsession | 1978 | |
Lights Out | UFO | Obsession | 1978 | |
Arbory Hill | UFO | Obsession | 1978 | |
Side 3 | Armed And Ready | MSG | The Michael Schenker Group | 1980 |
Love Drive | Scorpions | Love Drive | 1979 | |
Attack Of The Mad Axeman | MSG | MSG | 1981 | |
Assault Attack | MSG | Assault Attack | 1982 | |
Side 4 | Ulcer | MSG | Assault Attack | 1982 |
Searching For A Reason | MSG | Assault Attack | 1982 | |
Rock My Nights Away | MSG | Built To Destroy | 1983 | |
Captain Nemo | MSG | Built To Destroy | 1983 | |
Rock Will Never Die (Live) | MSG | Rock Will Never Die | 1984 |
Further listening:
Other than getting hold of the albums above that the songs are originally from, for early UFO material you can’t go wrong with the live “Strangers In The Night” from (1979). In more recent history Michael brefly rejoined UFO in a classic line-up reunion, the first fruit of that being the amazing Walk On Water (1995). Since then he has been active in several reincarnations of MSG as well as some solo instrumental albums and collaborations withother musicians (for example, Heavy Hitters (2005). A new album is due out this September (Temple of Rock) again with a stella line-up and an introduction by William Shatner!
More information on albums from 70’s to late 90s can be found at my UFO and Michael Schenker website.