1169. Michael Schenker Group / Universal. 2022. 4/5

It has been two months now since the release of Michael Schenker’s new album. Schenker of course is a legend, and whether you know him as the guitarist for UFO in the 1970’s, or for his own band through the 80’s and beyond, or his all-too-short stints in Scorpions with his brother Rudolph, you will know of his prowess on the guitar and how influential he has been as a result. It’s hard to believe that many, probably myself included, felt that he had reached his peak thirty years ago, and that his album output could possibly exceed what he had produced to that point of his career, or that his success could exceed what he had achieve to that point. Indeed after some surprisingly good outings in recent years with the Michael Schenker Fest albums "Resurrection" (2018) and "Revelation" (2019), and then his 50th anniversary album “Immortal” just last year, there was nothing to suggest that the new album from the Michael Schenker Group “Universal” wouldn’t be more of the same.
Ronnie Romero again features on vocals on this album, and is also still the lead singer on tour, which recently included the summer festival season throughout Europe and will continue through the US after this. Now while Ronnie has a great set of pipes on him, it is interesting to note two things in this regard; firstly he is still sharing vocal duties with other guest singers on this album, all of whom (in my opinion) out do his own contributions to songs on this album. And secondly, for other reasons, during last year’s tour to promote the “Immortal” album, former lead vocalist Robin McAuley filled in, and from all reports was a hit.
Working again with producer Michael Voss seems to be something that Schenker is also comfortable with. In describing their working relationship recently, Schenker was quoted as saying “Michael Voss is happy to wait until I have worked out an idea and takes the time to really get to know the song, simultaneously developing ideas for the vocals. Then we work out the drums, bass and some keyboard parts together. He always has plenty of great ideas up his sleeve.”

While both Ronnie and Michael are real talents, they are only part of a wonderful line up that includes vocalists Michael Kiske (Helloween) and Ralf Scheepers (Primal Fear), drummers Simon Phillips (Toto, The Who), Brian Tichy (Whitesnake, Foreigner), Bobby Rondinelli (Rainbow) and Bodo Schopf (Eloy), as well as legendary bassists Bob Daisley (Black Sabbath), Barry Sparks (Malmsteen, Dokken) and Barend Courbois (Blind Guardian, Zakk Wylde), along with Tony Carey on keyboards.
If you’ve enjoyed Schenker’s recent albums then you will find that this follows a similar pattern. Opening with the brooding ‘Emergency’ and the more melodic build of ‘Under Attack’ there is a definite trend towards the sound that slightly resembles that from the MSG albums on the 1980’s. They aren’t quite as anthemic or bright and energetic, but there are some concurrent similarities.
Following on from this comes the pointed and poignant tribute of “Calling Baal” into “A King Has Gone”, a tribute to Ronnie James Dio and particularly to the classic Rainbow album “Rising”. “Calling Baal” is an instrumental intro into the main track, and features Tony Carey on keyboards in a callback to his intro to that album that he played on, the opening keyboard solo of the song “Tarot Woman”. It’s a nice touch by Schenker to invite him to play on these two tracks given he played on the album it is paying tribute to. This is then extended to the appearance of Bobby Rondinelli on drums, who did not play on the “Rising” album but played for Rainbow in their latter 1980’s years, as well as the legend that is Bob Daisley, who again didn’t play on this particular album but did so on its follow up “Long Live Rock n Roll”. Thes three former Rainbow members give this song a nice touch of nostalgia, ably sung by Helloween’s Michael Kiske. Great stuff.
This is followed by “The Universe”, a soft ballad that sees Gary Barden and Ronnie Romero share the duet. ‘Long Long Road’ picks things up again, before the vocals of Ralph Scheepers return on ‘Wrecking Ball’, one again providing probably the real highlight of the album.
The final four songs all provide good moments. ‘Yesterday is Dead’ has a great riff and solo combination that Schenker does so well, before ‘London Calling (No not the Clash song – imagine that!) pays homage to the 80’s UK rock bands that put hard rock in the mainstream. It’s a great song that is probably lifted by Schenker’s solo again, another real treat. ‘Sad is the Song’ that follows gives off a Rainbow vibe especially in the verses which are vaguely Eastern, and in Schenker’s guitar work again. The album is concluded by the red hot fretwork of ‘Au Revoir’, the paciest song offering here and another of the best, and again really draws from that 1980’s MSG legacy.
The album features two bonus tracks, something in this day and age that barely matters given all formats seem to include them, so they may as well be considered album tracks. ‘Turn Off the World’ which with that opening guitar is actually one of the best on the album, while ‘Fighter’ is a mid-tempo rocker that would be worth inclusion just for the solo. So... let’s just say they are the final two tracks of the album instead, shall we?

I still get sucked into anything that has the name of Michael Schenker attached to it. It’s an addiction. Those albums for the 1980’s by the Michael Schenker Group, and the albums from the 1970’s with UFO, still contain some of the best riffage I’ve ever heard, and it is all from this man. So I always want to check out what he’s up to in the current day. And in recent times that has been a slightly paying off gold mine, because there have been some terrific moments over the albums he has released with all of his friends over recent years. And that continues on this album. I felt last year’s “Immortal” album had some good moments, and some average moments. It was, perhaps, a bit uneven. “Universal” is a much better compilation of tracks and players. Ronnie Romero and Michael Voss combine much better here in their vocals and songs, and Michael definitely delivers on a more aggressive scale when it comes to his guitaring. In fact, Schenker’s guitaring here is still just as brilliant as it ever was, and I think it is because he has started to look back a bit to those glory days, and realised that not only is that still what people are coming for, but that he is still capable of creating riff and solos of that calibre. And despite the fact that he has some great guests here, who all deliver as you would expect, it can’t work if the Schenker guitar is not on centre stage and the number one part of the mix. “Universal” is that album, and it is great to hear.

1126. Michael Schenker Group / Immortal. 2021. 3/5

If any of you have followed the career of one of the finest axemen ever, the great Michael Schenker, then you’ll know he has rarely stood still over the past fifty years. Starting off with his brother Rudolph in the band Scorpions, through to British legends UFO, and then onto the several projects that bear his own name, Schenker has been releasing music and touring many places in the world – not Australia unfortunately – consistently since he first graced the stages of the world as a teenage guitar prodigy. And while the genre of the music he plays on has tended to gravitate between heavy metal to soft rock, the one saving grace is almost always Schenker’s guitar playing and the riffs and solos he produces that punctuate everything he puts his fingers on. Having spent thirty years in various forms of The Michael Schenker Group and the McAuley Schenker Group, in recent years he has done a supergroup type deal with the Michael Schenker Fest, and those album releases with a multitude of vocalists and other band members have been excellent. Then as Covid-19 gripped the world, as with so many other artists Schenker was forced to change his initial plans, and instead find another project to pass his time. And what came to fruition instead was this album that he brought out once again under the moniker of The Michael Schenker Group, celebrating his 50 years in the music business. Titled Immortal, it is an extension of what he has been doing over the last several years, but it is also a celebration and a chance to not only look back in a way but to mark the anniversary with a release that stands on its own.

Michael Schenker has again utilised several bodies to not only help record the music, but to contribute to the vocals on the songs, something he has made a habit of over the last decade or so. Perhaps it is his method so that he can have several styles of songs on the same album and not be tied to the way one vocalist may interpret it, or maybe he just enjoys having his different style of songs sung by singers who do the most justice to them. Whatever the reason behind it, there are different levels of songs here for fans of the band to listen to, and while there is something here for everyone, it is likely that as a whole package it won’t appeal to everyone’s tastes.

The faster and heavier songs utilise the brutal and electrifying vocal chords of Ralf Scheepers, lead singer of Primal Fear and renowned for his amazing singing style. Scheepers is electrifying alongside the double kick and guitar licks that dominate the songs that he is a part of, “Drilled to Kill” and “Devil’s Daughter”. These are for me the best two songs on the album, partly because of Ralf’s involvement but because they are the fastest songs on the album. Then you have the much more AOR feel that legendary vocalist Joe Lynn Turner brings to his contributions on “Don’t Die on Me Now” and “Sangria Morte”. “Sangria Morte” in particular is a song that is difficult to get your head around. While “Don’t Die on Me Now” is a song you can almost believe could be performed by Rainbow, “Sangria Morte” has a completely different sound and feel to it, and is one that takes some listening to in order to get the most out of it.
As for the remainder (but one) of the songs on the album, they are voiced by Ronnie Romero and Michael Voss. Having already mentioned the Rainbow influence with Joe Lynn Turner’s vocals here, it may come as no surprise to you that Romero has been singing in the reformed touring band of Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow, and you can hear how he got that gig on his tracks here. On the other hand, Voss has been handed the reigns of the slower tempo and melody songs, the ones that for no other reason than personal taste, I can quite happily skip over. They aren’t bad songs, but for me they are just a tad boring. Schenker finds a way to sneak a couple of these kinds of songs onto almost all of his albums, and for me those albums would be better off without them. But given they always appear you know that Schenker himself must be a fan of them.

The album concludes with a terrific rendition on “In Search of the Peace of Mind”, apparently the first song that Michael Schenker ever wrote – at the kitchen table of his family home when he was 15 years old - and which appeared on the very first Scorpions album “Lonesome Crow” back in 1972. It features vocal contributions from Gary Barden, Robin McAuley and Doogie White, all former lead vocalists for Michael Schenker groups, and also has a new solo written by Schenker for the occasion. It adds to the nostalgia of the occasion of celebrating his 50 years in the industry, and is a nice counterpoint to where it all began for him and where he finds himself now.

On listening to this a few dozen times, there is a lot to enjoy on this album, and Schenker’s ability to draw from so many rock and metal influences over the years has allowed him to remain relevant in an era where similarity can be a curse. What is important is that the songs contain a drive and emotion, that the vocalist, whoever it is, is helping that drive and emotion, and that Schenker himself has his moment on each song to shine, otherwise why are you turning up in the first place? For me it makes songs such as “After the Rain” such a disappointment because they offer none of this, and seem to be here just for the hope that a ballad will draw some fans back again and again. And this is the complete opposite reason why anyone will come to a Schenker-titled album. We are coming for his guitar, to hear his riffing and soloing and enjoying it for the legend that his is. And yet, so often in the past, in on some of the songs here, he is ignorant of that and continues to try and sell up some tripe that is no more than filler material.

The good news here is that on most tracks Michael Schenker dominates, and he is in fine form. He even occasionally duels with the keyboards in a nod to the old Blackmore/Lord days of Deep Purple which is also lots of fun. For those that like me want more guitar from Schenker, the best songs here include “Devil’s Daughter”, “Knight of the Dead”, “Sail the Darkness”, “Come on Over”, and the opening track “Drilled to Kill”.

1038. Michael Schenker Fest / Resurrection. 2018. 4/5

Michael Schenker has been shredding his guitar for half a century now, and for much of it he has been doing it superbly. He has been in different bands with different musicians and band mates, and at times his work has been astounding. But how do you keep producing material that your fans are interested in without having it sound like the same stuff over and over again? Or is that exactly what you try and do?

With the formation of Michael Schenker Fest, what is being presented to us is a collection of songs that under any other circumstances may be seen as a fair result, though without the kind of excitement or intensity that would make it stand out from the crowd. Perhaps that is what it is anyway. But what does inspire here is the band that centres on Schenker himself also has Ted McKenna (drums) and Chris Glen (bass) from the original incarnation of the Michael Schenker Group from the early 1980’s, and they all bring that old feeling back to this album. It’s feels like a comfortable pair of shoes, you can slip into this album and feel like you are in your comfort zone.
As if that isn’t enough, just to sweeten the pot even more, we have not one, not two, not three but FOUR former vocalists who have collaborated and recorded with Schenker through the years, all here to not only perform on individual songs but to even come together and do some of the songs together. And THAT is more than enough to give this album a listen.
OK, so you have to know coming in that you are just not going to get those most memorable and brilliant guitar riffs and fireworks that you got from Schenker in his days with UFO and Scorpions and those early days of MSG. Don’t even try and kid yourself that that is going to happen. But if you come in with an open mind and you just allow the music to wash over you, I think you’ll find this is actually better than you first imagine. Because I came in wanting this to be a shred-fest and it isn’t, and it coloured my initial judgement. Once I got away from that and just listened to the album for the fun of it, I found it was terrifically enjoyable, and that Schenker’s guitar work may be toned down from his glory days but it is still excellent nonetheless. As a counterpoint, take the instrumental “Salvation” which comes at the rear of the album. THIS will straight away take you back to those MSG days, of the magic of “Into the Arena” and “Captain Nemo”. This is a great song and showcases Schenker’s best. Once you have heard this and enjoyed it, you can then focus on the rest of the album. Because there are some good moments here, and at times it sounds similar to some of those best songs we know from the band back in the 1980’s.
It’s interesting that the songs which Graham Bonnet sings on have a somewhat slower and stilted feel to them, more in the style that some of his other solo material has headed than his best MSG material. I was most looking forward to the songs he participated in. “Night Moods” fits this perfectly. “Everest” segues in from the previous song and is immediately a better fit for Bonnet’s vocals. Gary Barden has at times had problems in a live environment, but in the studio he still has the pipes to do the job. In many ways he is still the quintessential MSG vocalist and he still sounds that way in his songs here, and they sound most like the old MSG songs. “Messin’ Around” and “Livin’ a Life Worth Livin’” are his contributions here and they do exactly that. Robin McAuley may not have the same singing style as he did thirty years ago, but he still has the energy and drive in his vocals that lend themselves to the songs in a great way. His two songs are probably my favourite on the album, probably because they are the fastest and only songs with a double kick throughout. He has the opening track “Heart and Soul” which also features Metallica’s Kirk Hammett on guitar which adds to the great guitar sound it exudes, and Robin’s other track is “Time Knows When It’s Time” which also sounds great and utilises his vocal range to its utmost. In amongst all of this, current Temple of Rock vocalist Doogie White does his work well. Having worked with Schenker on that project in recent years he is obviously comfortable in his setting, and his songs, “Take Me to the Church”, “The Girl with the Stars in Her Eyes” and “Anchors Away” still have that touch of his previous band’s work in them. Then you have the complete collaboration songs, where all four vocalists combine to add their vocal chords to the same progression. The second song “Warrior” and the closing track “The Last Supper” both feature the entire ensemble, and it’s great to hear everyone together and enjoying themselves so much.

As is usually the case with some who is as revered as Schenker is in the metal music community, and who continues to record music beyond what could be considered his ‘golden years’, opinion on this album will come down to how much you allow sentiment to alter your perception. If you love Schenker’s music and also enjoy the vocalists who are on show here, then you will really enjoy what this album has to offer. As long as you aren’t expecting to hear anything ground-breaking and are happy to accept that, you will find this collaboration is worthy of your time, and an enjoyable experience.

Rating:  “We are all the same, no one is to blame, and we live on to tomorrow”  4/5

869. The Michael Schenker Group / Rock Will Never Die. 1984. 5/5

Michael Schenker has made a career of working with fellow amazing musicians, but with the partnerships not really holding for very long due to volatility. That volatility was probably shared around over the years, but there is little doubt that Schenker has provided a great deal of it himself.
MSG’s “Assault Attack” album had been received well, but with lead singer Graham Bonnett sacked after just one gig of that tour, former lead singer Gary Barden was brought back into the fold, to complete the tour, and then also perform on the band’s follow up album, “Built to Destroy”, the episode of which you can find in Season 5 of this podcast. It was on the tour to promote this album that it was decided to record some shows once again for a second live album release, following the “One Night at Budokan” live album from 1982. The site chosen was the two night performance the band played at the Hammersmith Odeon in London on 22-23 October of 1983.
No one knew it at the time of course, but this was to become a significant album in the history of the Michael Schenker Group band. In a four year period, the group had released four studio albums, and the live album that would be released from this tour would be their second live album. From the outside it appeared to be a solid core grouping, which for the live shows had added Derek St Holmes as rhythm guitarist to back up Schenker’s lead, and tellingly also added great back up vocals to the show. And the quality of this album – which we’ll get to – should have set this line up in stone going forward, with plenty more albums to come. Instead, it was the final outing for the line up and for the band in its current form. And anyone who has listened this album and enjoyed the ones released before this, will know that that could surely have only come about because of the volatility that the band’s eponymous leader could have created.

In the modern age, there are two versions of this album, both excellent without putting down the other. The original 1984 version was released as a single LP, which contained nine tracks from that performance at the Hammersmith Odeon, which left six tracks out from the actual set list performed on that tour and those two nights. Then in 2009, a remastered and restored edition of the album was released on CD, which includes the entire setlist restored from those gigs. And it sounds great, and all of the songs they play are terrific. In this day and age, that is the version you would get if you were going out to buy the album. But my version has always been the original, and it is the version I know so well.
Those six songs initially left off of the single LP version are great, but to be honest there’s only a couple you would really miss if you didn't know about it. “Cry for the Nations” and “Rock You to the Ground” are both good songs, but taken out of the setlist from where they were, they promote “Attack of the Mad Axeman” up the order to come after “Are You Ready to Rock”, which actually improves the album output. "Courvoisier Concerto" is only a two minute interval at best, and its deletion is no great loss. And of the three songs that lead up to the encore, “Red Sky”, “Looking for Love” and “Armed and Ready”, once again you don’t miss them not being there on the first release of the album. It all depends on whether you are a traditionalist and want to indulge in the original album, and be a completist and have the whole concert to listen to. Both are great.
Because of the songs left off, the original is jammed packed with the brilliance of those first four albums the band released. Opening with the wonderful instrumental “Captain Nemo”, it is a great way to start the concert and the album, and the segue straight into “Rock My Nights Away” is also superb. It is a terrific up tempo track that is also upbeat and bright, and a mood lifter whenever it comes on. A great way to start off this live album. This is followed by the standard bearer of the album “Are You Ready to Rock” which has always been one of the band’s best tracks and sets down the platform for what is to follow. And what is to follow is still MSG’s signature and best track, “Attack of the Mad Axeman”, always better in the live environment musically, but perhaps not vocally. It is still one of those tracks that the vocals were written and performed in a way that made it very hard to reproduce live, at least with Barden on the mic. The second great MSG instrumental track “Into the Arena” follows, before the title track from this live album and one of the main songs off the album they were touring on, “Built to Destroy” follows, “Rock Will Never Die”. It sounds great here live.
I did say earlier that “Attack of the Mad Axeman” could be considered as the band’s best song. On reflection, it probably only ranks as second, as the next song here, “Desert Song”, is actually probably their best. I’d rather have heard Graham Bonnet singing it – as he did on the Alcatrazz live album that was reviewed on this podcast recently – but this is still a great version. Following up is a terrific version of “I’m Gonna Make You Mine” which ups the energy of the studio version nicely. The album, and therefore concert, concludes with Schenker’s signature song from his previous band UFO, the always classic “Doctor Doctor”, which also includes special guests Klaus Meine from Scorpions on co-lead vocals, as well as Michael’s brother Ralf on rhythm guitar. It’s a nice way to end the album, and as it turns out, endings of another type as well.

Back in my all-too-short university days, where I absolutely did not do enough work to come close to passing certain subjects, and during which I was not in the happiest mood of my life, the Michael Schenke Group was one of those artists that I grabbed onto hard, and who got me through a lot of dark days during that 18 month period. I first had three songs from this album taped onto the end of a cassette that my heavy metal music dealer had made for me of another album, the title of which has faded into the mists of time. But I remember those songs well, and how much I enjoyed them. I then happened upon this album at my favourite second hand store, Illawarra Books and Records, in that first year of uni, and it kept me company at home and in the car for a year afterwards. It is basically a best of album of the band, but performed live, and I loved every song on it. This, alongside “Built to Destroy” and “Assault Attack” were my constant companions during that era.
This has always been one of my favourite live albums of any band, and it remains it to this day. I have had this back in rotation for this episode for the last three weeks and it has still been a joy every time it comes on. And it truly hits the mark of what I’ve always considered the hallmark of the live album – that it should contain the best songs that the band does, it their best environment, so a live album should almost always be a 10/10 album. For me, “Rock Will Never Die” absolutely has that status.
As I have alluded to however, this was to be the swansong for the Michael Schenker Group, or at last, the halcyon days of the band. Following this tour, Schenker moved on from all of the members of the band, and joined up with vocalist Robin McAuley as his new partner, and then renamed the band the McAuley Schenker Group while retaining the same logo. It began a new era, a skewed direction, and many more years of music for the legendary guitarist. For his first iteration of the band though, the best was now in the past.

852. The Michael Schenker Group / One Night at Budokan. 1982. 3/5

I love a live album. A good live album. One that emits energy and shines like a beacon amongst the music being played elsewhere. The kind that brings out the best in those songs that have been written and recorded in a studio, where they have been polished to a sheen and not allowed any rough edges to show. Where perhaps the performance is not perfect, but the enthusiasm of the band outweighs any imperfections. That's a good live album. Unfortunately for One Night at Budokan, most of that doesn't apply here.

I don't want to sound unfair here, because the little things have been done right. The song list contains a great selection from both albums to this time, The Michael Schenker Group and MSG. The band plays well, the songs are given reasonable justice. There's even the requisite UFO number thrown in, Schenker's almost-signature tune in "Doctor Doctor". So what is it that hurts this album? Well, the production isn't terrific. Levels of instruments just don't seem to work, and at different times the bass and keyboards and even drums get lost in the mix. I mean, how on earth could Cozy Powell's drums ever get lost in a mix? But it happens here. This results in the songs sounding tinny, without that real solid loud rhythm section which would provide a base for the live sound. Schenker's guitar is always there, but because the rhythm at times seems non-existent it can't make that full sound that is needed in a live concert. His guitaring is still great, but because he either has to take on the rhythm himself or play lead with nothing underneath it really does destroy the impact of some of the songs. And the limitations of Gary Barden's vocals has been discussed for 35 years. While he doesn't crack under the pressure of a live performance here, and does for the most part hit all the right notes, his vocals still come across reedy and wispy at times, without the power needed to make the performance his own. Again, the mix didn't help this.
There are some great songs here, but the versions just don't do justice to them. "Armed and Ready", "Attack of the Mad Axeman", "Into the Arena", "On and On" and "Are You Ready To Rock" are great songs that should smoke live, but they just don't hold it together on this album.

More than anything else, these limitation end up making the album overdrawn to the point of boring, and it really shouldn't be that way at all. Live albums down the track with better production brought many of these songs to life, but here, One Night at Budokan simply becomes an album with a great concept that sits gathering dust on a shelf due to a lack of foresight.

Rating:  On and on and on and on and on.  3/5

851. The Michael Schenker Group / The Michael Schenker Group. 1980. 4/5

Michael Schenker had had a busy and somewhat tumultuous two years leading up to the release of this album, and even for someone who had been known for his volatility throughout his career, the events over that particular two-year period were even extreme for someone of his characteristics. After six years as a part of the band UFO, which had included five studio albums which were not only very successful but that he had contributed to writing the majority of, it came to pass on October 29, 1978, that he quit the band. Many people have come forward over the years to suggest what the reasons for this were, and all seem to differ in one way or another. Schenker had gotten into the habit of walking off stage during live gigs if he was unhappy about something, or anything, and this was obviously causing the band great distress. Lead singer Phil Mogg was quoted as saying that the final straw for Schenker was that he was unhappy with the version of “Rock Bottom” that was chosen to be put on the band’s live album “Strangers in the Night” - though Schenker commented later “don’t believe everything you read”. From here, Schenker actually reappeared with his original band, Scorpions. They had just parted ways with Schenker’s own replacement in the band, Uli Jon Roth and brought in Matthias Jabs as his replacement. However, Schenker kept appearing at the studio as they were writing and recording their new album “Lovedrive”, and he was asked if he would like to contribute. He was a co-composer and also played lead guitar on three tracks - "Another Piece of Meat", "Coast to Coast" and "Lovedrive – although in more recent times Schenker has claimed that he contributed to the entire album. On the back of the album release, Schenker actually rejoined Scorpions as their lead guitarist as Jabs’s expense and toured with the band... lasting just a few weeks before he quit once again, on this occasion blaming the fact that he didn’t enjoy playing someone else’s songs. The band crawled back to Jabs to rejoin the band, and they have not been separated in the 45 years since. After this, Schenker auditioned for Aerosmith to replace Joe Perry who had left the band, but eventually he decided that he was going to form his own band instead, which would allow him to have to answer to no one but himself.
He moved to London, and within a few weeks of his arrival he met Gary Barden, who was then lead singer of another local band. They hit it off and decided they would start their own band, one that would take on Schenker’s name. The two of them began writing together, and soon had enough songs to form a demo. Bringing in bass guitarist Billy Sheehan and drummer Denny Carmassi, they recorded the demo towards the end of 1979. This led to a deal with Chrysalis Records, and allowed the band to go in and record their full formed first album. Sheehan and Carmassi were replaced by session musicians for the album recording, who were again replaced once it came time to tour the album. That album, the debut for the band produced by Roger Glover, was released in August of 1980 and titled eponymously as The Michael Schenker Group.

Many people would have initially come into this album looking for more of the same that Schenker had produced in his UFO days, or perhaps even on that Scorpions album. There is always an inherent danger in looking for comparisons to artists previous work when they create or join a new band. In this case, you can argue that it seems to come off pretty well.
There is a lot to like about this first album from the new band. The ready-made classic "Armed and Ready" opens up the album, setting off on the right foot. With the right mix of sing-along lyrics, guitar, drums and keyboard, this has the perfect beat to draw you into the album, while still allowing Schenker to show off his skills through the middle of the songs. This is still as terrific today as it was on its release. "Cry for the Nations" utilises the same visions, allowing Schenker's guitar to explore its way through the song while Barden warbles on over the top. The tinkling keyboard synth to open the track actually throws you off as to what is to come, with Schenker’s hard riffing guitar bursting out and kicking the song into gear. Barden’s smooth vocal croons over the top while the guitar riff injects the drive into the song. "Victim of Illusion" starts off with Schenker’s guitar pushing the energy from the beginning once again There is a bit of this era Judas Priest about this song in the rhythm guitar riff, it has a similarity about it that is comforting without stealing into the screaming vocals or dual guitar solos that band feasts on. This is a very good song that does at time feel as though it has left some fuel in the tank. Perhaps that is just the Priest vibes about it.
There are two instrumental tracks on the album, and both are born of different creatures. The first is "Bijou Pleasurette", played as a more classical guitar suite, combining a middle ages keyboard and guitar sound much like a harpsichord and a sitar, in a refined and quiet atmosphere. There are touches here of what Yngwie Malmsteen would use on his albums in the future, and no doubt Schenker was someone who he modelled himself on. The first side of the album is wrapped up with "Feels Like a Good Thing", that comes in with more purpose. Barden is more forceful vocally here from the outset, showcasing the best side of his abilities, the excellent mid range vocal and the scream that doesn’t betray his range, then followed by Schenker’s excellent guitar solo through the middle of the track, backed underneath by the falling rhythm guitar and bass line that holds the track together so well. This powers its way all the way to the end and closes out the first half of the album excellently
The second instrumental track of the album opens up the second side." Into the Arena" is much more hard rock track, with Schenker taking control from the outset and letting his guitar do the talking. The bassline underneath is suitably rumbling and is the perfect accompaniment to what Schenker is performing over the top, while allowing the keyboards to duel along the way, and then the drums to have their own place to shine into the second half of the song. This is one of those brilliant instrumental tracks, one that is one of Schenker’s best known and most requested songs.
"Looking Out from Nowhere" is the quintessential rock track from the late 70’s to early 80’s. It isn’t a cookie cutter type of song from that era but it does contain all of the traits of those songs that look for a commercial bent in their tunes. This one is done particularly well, retaining the harder rock version of itself. Barden’s vocals sit in that range that tempt you in, along with the backing ‘aaaaahs’ that fill out the chorus, while Schenker’s solo to close out the track is suitably superb as always. By the end of the song it has transformed from the almost soft rock tendencies of the opening minute to a much more satisfying hard rock conclusion. “Tales of Mystery" returns to the other side of the tracks, the style that Malmsteen must have grown up on, with the almost classical guitar and quieter tones of both guitar and vocals throughout. The mix of electric and acoustic guitar shows a different side of the band and Schenker and Barden themselves. The album then concludes with the seven minute plus of "Lost Horizons", which for the most part channels the 1970's method of songs that lengthen themselves beyond the norm with a freeform guitar extravaganza while the rest of the band plays on until it comes to a natural conclusion. In a similar way as he had done on UFO’s classic track “Love to Love”, here it allows Schenker again to do what he does best, which is play the guitar and make fascinating and brilliant tunes from it. It may well be a pointer to the past, a recognition of what he had done in UFO, but it also promises to continue in a stronger direction in the future. Barden’s vocal is also powerful and almost anthemic as we wind through mystical and slightly eastern style of guitar. It is an epic conclusion to what has been a wonderful first outing of a new project.

For those that have been keeping track, my first introduction to Michael Schenker had been through my heavy metal music dealer. On the occasion that I had offered him a cassette to tape a different album for me, if there was ever any room on the end of the cassette he would record three or four songs from another album onto the end, either something that he had just discovered or was just enjoying listening to. On this particular occasion, the end of the cassette had several songs from a live album called “Rock Will Never Die” by the Michael Schenker Group, the most memorable for me being “Into the Arena” and “Desert Song”. Later (when I found a spare cassette to cannibalise within my parents collection) I got him to record that whole album for me. A year later, while at university, and on a trip to my favourite second hand record store at the time Illawarra Books and Records, I found a double LP called The Michael Schenker Anthology that covered his career with UFO, Scorpions and his own band – to that point in time. And I played that to death. I was hooked, on Schenker, and UFO, and Scorpions.
Over time I collected those first six albums – four studio and two live – and played them again, to death. What I’ve always liked about this album in particular is that it is not a band so much at this point in time – though perhaps that remains true for Schenker’s whole career, that it is him and a revolving cast of artists. But on this first album, it is basically himself and vocalist Gary Barden. The sessions musicians played on the album, and they do their job really well here. The drums and bass are a big part of making these songs what they are, so the performances of Simon Phillips and Mo Foster are important, along with Don Airey on keyboards. But this is Schenker and Barden, guitar and voice, and they work well together, and write well together, which is more than half the battle.
I have had this album out again this week, at home in the Metal Cavern it has been the original vinyl pressing of the album that sounds so marvellous every time I put it on. And it is still all fantastic to listen to. The songs themselves are great, but it is Schenker’s guitar that I adore listening to. The things he can do on that instrument, the things that aren’t always obvious WHY it sounds so good unless you really listen, are what makes his music so special. And his days in UFO are still some of my favourite songs and albums, but what he does here and then over the next 5-10 years on his own project is also just brilliant.
This album is a great starting point for a band that Schenker has moved around in different shapes and forms over the past 45 years. An argument could be made that these songs would sound even better with a stronger vocalist, and indeed in a live setting that has probably proven to be the case. There is also a case that can be made that this has dated somewhat since its release. Again you can only take that on face value. In the main this is a fantastic album, one that takes a step away from Schenker's work in UFO and allows him to begin to put his own stamp on the hard rock and heavy metal scene in his own capacity.

604. The Michael Schenker Group / MSG. 1981. 3.5/5

After leaving the band UFO following a successful five album stint, and briefly flirting once again with his first band the Scorpions, Michael Schenker had gone on to form his own band called The Michael Schenker Group and released their debut album to some acclaim. Hot on the heels of that, as was the way bands generally did in the days when selling albums was still a profitable way of making money, the band looked to immediately record their sophomore effort. That first album had been recorded with session musicians apart from lead vocalist Gary Barden, but when the band had gone on tour they had brought in bass guitarist Chris Glen, legendary drummer Cozy Powell who had just finished his run in the band Rainbow, and Paul Raymond, Schenker’s former bandmate in UFO who duelled on both keyboards and rhythm guitar. It was this line up that then went into the studio to write and record the follow up to that first album, which became the slightly unimaginative “MSG”.

Perhaps the important part about this era of the band is that the writing style of the songs was directly aimed at radio airplay and commerciality. That is not to say that they didn’t want that, but they didn’t directly write the songs in a manner that would lend itself to that kind of arrangement. Schenker’s prominence with UFO brought with it a following in itself, and with Raymond also now involved it brought that audience with them to see what they could produce, and Cozy’s followers from several bands he had been involved with did the same. And though Gary Barden was very much an integral piece of the band, both by being the lead vocalist as well as being heavily involved in the writing of the songs, it was still the strength of his voice that sometimes caused concerns – or at least, it did from a listeners point of view.

The album itself starts off on the right foot. Although it the modern age and the way heavy metal music has developed over the years it may appear to be a plodder and somewhat dated, "Are You Ready To Rock" was always a great opening to the album on its release. Its catchy chorus and dedicated guitar riff drive the song along while allowing all of the individuals in the band to make their presence felt early on. This segues straight into the song that perhaps more than any other song post-UFO has become Schenker’s signature, the one that defined him and who he was. Though the lyrics are based around the antics of psychotic serial killer, there’s no doubt that the title of the song could be literally explained as being about Michael Schenker himself, suggesting that when he lets loose on his guitar it is his attack, and given that many of his contemporaries felt he was extremely difficult to work with because he was mad (which can be easily backed up by the number of artists he has had working with him over the years, and the very short amount of time each of them ins able to stay in the band), then the title of “Attack of the Mad Axeman” always felt like an appropriate title for him. It has always been one of my five favourite Michael Schenker songs, dominated by the solo that is pure Schenker in output. This flows straight into "On and On", another top shelf Schenker song with a great vocal feel as well as riff line, and is followed by “Let Sleeping Dogs Lie” where Barden’s vocals are at their best and Schenker’s guitar work is again absolutely superb.

The second side of the album is unable to live up to the overall excellence of the first side. “But I Want More” feels more like that is what they are doing with the song, in essence it feels like a short song being extended into an inconsequential jam on stage that should have finished about five minutes before it actually does. Schenker’s guitaring through the back half of the song is great but it doesn’t feel like it is going anywhere. Then comes the rock ballad, “Never Trust a Stranger”, written solely by Paul Raymond, and it feels more like a solo song than a band song. His keyboard dominates the first half of the song which just sighs along like ballads do while Barden’s vocals find the element that he seems to prefer, which is a little disconcerting seeing as he should be a hard rock singer rather than a rock ballad singer in this band. The song is saved from being a total disaster by Schenker’s solo break in the middle, but it seems like a strange choice to throw in here. Order is restored with the harder, rockier faster pace of “Looking for Love”, which not only showcases all of the band in a much better fashion it has Schenker dominating the middle to end of the song with a scorching solo that much better defines the joy of MSG than any half cut ballad does. Somewhat sadly, the album concludes with “Secondary Motion”, a song that is unsettled throughout between what it should be and what it turns out to be, as though the band is unsure exactly what style the song should be. Again, at least Schenker’s guitar is able to play us out but it just could have been a much better end than the way it was written. Or – am I just being over critical? There is always that possibility... but I’m not.

I’ve had a special place in my music heart for many years for Michael Schenker, so much so that I can look past some pretty average music to see the gems that sparkle amongst it. And if I was to give an honest appraisal of his work since 1980 – and probably even before that – it would be that he has a great knack of writing some bloody brilliant tracks, and then just as many that don’t quite hit the mark. And most of that is just through my own musical taste, because he does an amazing job of having the same situation crop up with almost every album he is involved in. There are the brilliant tracks, heavy and loaded with guitar riffage goodness, there are the average songs that may not be special but generally also have some great guitar moments, and then there are the slower ballady tracks that get mixed in which for me tend to shut down the overall enjoyment of the money. I am of the opinion that you could pick me out any two MSG albums form any era, and by throwing out the slower stuff I could make any of them better by combining the best tracks into one.
In many way, MSG has dated since its release, steeped as it is in its mid-to-late 70’s styled guitar and keyboards moments along with Barden’s pleasant but not overtly strong vocals. The top shelf tracks still do the business, while the others feel as though they are in the wrong place entirely. The shining light continues as ever to be Schenker’s guitaring, which to be honest is the reason we all come into these albums. And at least there was not the aim for commercialisation on this album as was the case a little further down the track, when even Schenker’s guitar was basically shelved in the name of finding a radio hit.

For me, this is still one of my favourite Michael Schenker Group albums. Perhaps it has its couple of flaws, and perhaps it is dated with age around the edges, but fans of the band will still enjoy it today BECAUSE of what it is, and not because of what it is seen to be by others.

535. Michael Schenker Group / In The Midst of Beauty. 2008. 3/5.

With the return of Gary Barden to lead vocals and the good vibes of Michael Schenker’s recent releases, I was looking forward to hearing this album, and seeing what they could do together again. Would the result be a brilliant and revealing current sound? Or a trip down memory lane with a 70’s rock feel? As it turns out, it is the second option.

While I guess I was hoping for Michael Schenker album for the new(ish) century, these two have reverted to their comfort zones and put together an album that wouldn’t look out of place in the late 1970’s. While it is enjoyable enough to listen to, there is nothing new here. In fact, it does lack the blistering Schenker solos that highlighted the pair’s work together in the early 1980’s. Rather than extending themselves, they have put out a safe, almost AOR album, a far cry from the metal attack of earlier releases.
Despite this, it has its moments. While it may not be a peak, nor an album you would give someone for their first taste of MSG (no pun intended), if you are a fan you will get enough out of it to make the purchase worthwhile.

Rating: Nothing new here, but occasionally that's what you are looking for. 3 / 5.

479. Michael Schenker Group / Heavy Hitters. 2005. 3.5/5

The fact that this has been released under the MSG moniker is a bit misleading. It is in fact a collection of covers played with Michael Schenker on guitar, and a number of guest musicians lending their support to different songs. Like other ‘tribute’ albums he has been involved in, Bob Kulick again put together this compilation, and in reality it probably should have been promoted as such.

Anyhow, leaving that behind us, here are ten songs, selected from the word of hard rock and heavy metal, featuring the legendary guitarist on all tracks, with different vocalists lending their voices. For me this is a rather strange selection of songs, and most sound better in their original environment. I mean, why would you try and do “All Shook Up”? Sure, Joe Lynn Turner tries to do something different with the vocal, but why would you ever try and beat the original? Then, for some reason they do a ‘cover’ of “Doctor Doctor” which he’s played a billion times in his life. Why? “War Pigs” with Tim “Ripper” Owens is worth a listen, and though I like the song, the version of “Out In The Fields” is a bit blah really, certainly compared to the original.
Most of the other songs? Well, average fare again.

As a way of showcasing his talent, I don’t think this quite pulls it off. Most of us know how great a guitarist he is, and listening to him playing cover songs does nothing to diminish that, but nothing to enhance it either. From someone who has helped to write some of the best songs of all time, as well as some of the most well-known lead guitar breaks, what purpose does this album really serve?

Rating: It sounded better in promotion than it turned out to be. 3.5/5

253. Michael Schenker Group / Dreams And Expressions. 2001. 4/5.

Another completely instrumental album from one of the best guitarists going around.
Though on the album, each song has been designated a letter of the album title rather than a name, you wouldn't know when you are listening to the album. Each 'song' ranges from 30 seconds to 3 minutes, and as they all flow into the other, it just sounds like a 43 minute instrumental piece.

It is all very rocky and guitary, and extremely listenable. My description will not be able to express to you how enjoyable this album is. Think of Joe Satriani's Surfing With The Alien, but with Michael Schenker.

Rating : A surprisingly terrific instrumental album from one of the masters. 4/5.

158. Michael Schenker Group / Built To Destroy. 1983. 3.5/5

Michael Schenker’s road to rock domination, or at least trying to find the path to that road, never seemed to come easily, although a lot of that trouble has been lain at the guitar god’s feet himself. Three albums into his self-titled Michael Schenker Group career, the eponymous “The Michael Schenker Group”, the also eponymous “M.S.G”, and “Assault Attack”, over which time the band had created some terrific work and excellent songs, as well as building a solid live reputation, and Schenker was looking to duplicate his success in the UK and Japan in the United States. The only problem was that it seemed impossible to stop the revolving door of members from entering the band and then disappearing just as fast. Lead vocalist from the first two albums, Gary Barden, had been replaced by Graham Bonnett for the previous album, “Assault Attack”, an album well received by critics and fans alike. Unfortunately, during the band’s first gig to promote that album, Bonnett drunkenly exposed himself on stage, and was immediately fired, with Gary Barden drafted back in to complete the tour dates. This led to Barden once again being made the band’s lead vocalist for their follow up album. Also brought in on this album was keyboardist Andy Nye who was an accomplished song writer, and so this five piece, alongside long-term partners Chris Glen on bass guitar and Ted McKenna on drums moved forward to record the follow up album, “Built to Destroy”. Just how it would progress in a world where heavy metal was becoming more aggressive and progressive was a question that Schenker himself had to have been asking himself at the time.

One of the more interesting aspects of this album is that there are two songs on here that Michael Schenker himself does not receive a credit for, which is a first for the Michael Schenker Group. It was a sign that perhaps the band was progressing to a point where everyone could be involved in the writing of the material, and there be a real band rather than be seen as the solo project of the self-titled guitarist. Those two songs, composed by Andy Nye and Gary Barden, are actually two of the best tracks on the album as well, which may or may not have been a bone of contention at the time. The first is the opening track “Rock My Nights Away”, considered by most fans as one of the group most iconic songs. It is keyboard dominant as you might expect, but when Schenker’s guitar does come to the front of the mix it during his solo and the riffing at the end, that’s where it really kicks it up a notch. It is a terrific song, one of my favourite MSG tracks because of its tempo and intensity and fun feeling. A beauty. The other Nye/Barden track is the penultimate song of side two “Time Waits for No One” is again dominated by Nye’s keyboard, and actually sounds like a UK new wave song, with the jauntiness of the keyboard and Barden’s happily singing over the top. Even when Schenker’s guitar does appear, it is in a very unthreatening way. Whereas the opening track has that power of the guitar coming into the song to help it along, here on “Time Waits for No One” we are actually waiting for that burst of guitar strings wailing into the mix, but it never occurs. It suffers massively as a result.
Two songs here are credited to Barden and Schenker along with Ted McKenna. “I’m Gonna Make You Mine” also includes Nye again, which has his keyboard prominent but here doubled over with Schenker’s guitar. Barden sings tough, and it is a good follow up to the opening track. It is true that it is very much tied to this era by the heavy use of the synth alongside the guitar, but Barden’s great vocals alongside Schenker riffing it up make it a terrific song. The other is “Red Sky”, this time alongside Chris Glen, a much more guitar-oriented track as a result with Schenker’s guitar and Glen’s bass being the driving force of the song. And while the keys and synths on this album are important to its sound, it’s the stringed instruments that make it better.
Four of the five remaining songs are co-written by Schenker and Barden alone, and they are of a varied output. “The Dogs of War” and "Systems Failing” continue the great vibes of the first side of the album, the songs played at the right tempo, and with Schenker’s guitar providing a nice counterpoint to the tunes. “Still Love That Little Devil” opens up side two of the album in the same style. The fourth of these collaborations is the closing track, which had a different title for each edition of the album that was released. On the original album it is titled “Walk the Stage”, but it is generally better known as “Rock Will Never Die”, which it was more or less changed to for the US edition and most versions since then.
The final song here is Schenker’s instrumental awesomeness of “Captain Nemo”, which closes out side one of the album. It is another terrific song, highlighted by Schenker’s wonderful guitar work, and showcasing his immense skill with the instrument that on some songs doesn’t get that front-and-centre distinction that it deserves. All of this combines into yet another MSG album that has all the bibs and bobs, but perhaps on some level doesn’t quite get them all in the right order to make it a smashing result.

In my first year at uni I used to save all of my sheckles so I could go down to the local purveyor of second hand records, Illawarra Books and Records, and buy as many albums from new artists that I didn’t have as I could with the few dollars I had put away, and one of those artists was the Michael Schenker Group. By the time I found them, they had ceased to be for the time being, with the next eponymous band the McCauley Schenker Group having been formed. But these first four studio albus and two live albums were gold to me.
This album was on cassette in my car for a long time, with “Assault Attack” on the other side, and it was played over and over on trips to and from uni. I lived a lot of that first year not really knowing what I wanted to do with myself, often falling into a confused state, and this album was one of many that got me out of that funk. The song “Rock My Nights Away” became a sort of an anthem for me, singing out loud “Cos when I’m sad and lonely, from day to day, I’m just gonna rock my nights away!” - which I invariably did.
Listening to the album now, I do have mixed reactions. When I first put it back on for this project, I found that the immediately familiar songs still struck a chord, but others left me wondering what I used to hear in them. Over the course of several listens, that began to change, and I once again found that love for the album that I know I had all those years ago. It isn’t a perfect album, and suited the 80’s for its time, but it still has great moments throughout. I do wonder how those who had never heard the album might think of it if they first listened to it today. I’m sure they would be less enthralled with it than I am. Overall, it is like all of those early MSG albums – some great tracks, some better than average tracks.

Following the tour to promote this album, Schenker pulled the plug, ostensibly from the difficulty in gaining the success he wanted and the troubled relationship between the band members. He would go on to team up with Robin McAuley and return with the McAuley Schenker Group, that is a different proposition altogether, in order to find that commercial success that had thus far eluded him.

110. Michael Schenker Group / Be Aware Of Scorpions. 2001. 4/5.

When I first put this album on I was pretty impressed. Apart from a couple of hiccups, Schenker just keeps on putting out great material. Of course, it's not just the guitaring. He and his band keep on writing great songs, and his vocalists are also able to sing, which helps a lot.

Though I still believe the album name was meant to draw back those fans who had deserted him in the '90's, anyone who took the bait could not help but be glad they had. It is almost as though the same thing has happened to Schenker as has happened to Malmsteen and others – that they have dabbled in the mainstream looking for success, and now just make the music they want. If that is true – it works.

My favourite songs on the album include No Turning Back, Because I Can, How Will You Get Back and Blinded By Technology.

Rating : An indication that Schenker is getting back to what he does best, writing great songs. You can't revisit your heyday, but this is up there on a second tier. 4/5.

80. Michael Schenker Group / Assault Attack. 1982. 4/5.

Three years after leaving his successful gig in the British band UFO, Michael Schenker and his namesake band, the Michael Schenker Group, had released two studio albums and a live album to both critical and popular acclaim. Both albums had combined a number of popular heavy tracks alongside guitar-laden instrumentals and some songs that could be described as experimental and progressive.
It was at this point that Schenker, alongside drummer Cozy Powell and the band manager, felt that the band needed a different singer. Gary Barden had been the frontman, but it was his live performances that caused concern, with his voice not considered strong enough for the live setting. Cozy had put forward David Coverdale as the perfect man, though he was currently fronting his own band Whitesnake. Schenker himself however wanted to recruit Graham Bonnet, whose most recent gig had been on the brilliant Rainbow album “Down to Earth”. Schenker eventually won out, and Bonnet was brought in for the new album. Unfortunately, Cozy and former UFO member Paul Raymond then left the band at this point, with both being replaced by session musicians.
Also coming on board for the album was legendary producer Martin Birch, who came into this album straight off having finished producing the little known band Iron Maiden’s new album, an obscure album called “The Number of the Beast”. With a new powerful voice and co-writer out front, and one of the great producers in charge of the dials, the Michael Schenker Group went forth to produce an album that would stretch what they had produced before, and hope to make a deep impression on all who would listen to it.

There is no doubt that, from the very beginning this is a much heavier album than what the band had produced before. And several things contribute to that. The first immediate one is Bonnet’s vocals. The imposing and strong presence from the start of the opening track “Assault Attack” are the kickstart to the album, and at the time must have been a real eye opener for the fans. This is exacerbated by the heavier tone in the song from what had come from most of the preceding two albums. And then we have Schenker’s guitar, which becomes the focal piece as it should be in this band. Later down the track it seemed to fade into the background as the band chased a more commercial sound, but here on “Assault Attack”, where the band was looking to bring a much harder and heavier presence to their music, Schenker’s guitar becomes as prominent as it should be. With these three focuses combining on this album, it draws together exactly as it should.
The first side of the album brings together a varying array of this revamped style of the MSG music. “Assault Attack” is essentially as the title suggests, an assault and attack both vocally and with the shredding guitar. “Rock You to the Ground” dials back the tempo to a more blues-based riff that is still ramped up by Schenker throughout, and Bonnet gives a great performance on hard core vocals. “Dancer” is a lighter tune, in fact has more in common with Bonnet’s future band Alcatrazz, before we delve into “Samurai”.
The second side opens up with what for me is still one of the best songs ever written. The brilliant “Desert Song” tops this album and most others with the MSG insignia on it. It is one of the most amazingly moody tracks ever written, building from the sublime to that first brilliant Schenker guitar riff, into the verse and bridge, and Bonnet’s vocals just supreme throughout. It is probably the highlight of Bonnet’s career, along with “Eyes of the World” from his Rainbow days. This is the star attraction of the album, one of legendary status. “Broken Promises” is followed by the song that feels like it should have been the single released from the album, “Searching for a Reason”, as it has the right lyrical content without compromising the heart of the album, and again showcases the best parts of the band in the process. While you can understand why “Dancer” was the single released from the album, I’ve always felt this would have been a better option. The album then closes with the Schenker instrumental “Ulcer”, something he excels at throughout his career in producing.

My introduction to this album was in fact back in the cassette sharing days – surprise surprise. My metal music dealer had recorded Dio’s “Holy Diver” for me, but with space remaining on the C60 tape, he put down three tracks from the “Assault Attack” album – the title track, “Desert Song” and “Samurai”. And – as much as “Holy Diver” is still one of the greatest ten albums ever released – those three songs blew my mind. And, as you will have guessed by now, it was “Desert Song” that just stuck out like a sore thumb. The switch to getting a copy of the whole album followed, and it was another album that was played to death over the following couple of years. There is a certain day that sticks in my mind, sometime when I had started Uni back in 1988. And in those mid-year days I was less than enthused about the tasks at hand nor attending the campus at all. The result was, during a five hour break I had between lectures, driving my car to Wollongong Harbour up near the lighthouse, buying $2 worth of chips, and playing this album and the following album, “Built to Destroy”, over and over, at a very loud volume, for three hours or so, looking out at the water and eating my chips, and wondering just where I was going in life. And that afternoon often comes back to me, not only through what I was feeling at the time, but how much this album made me feel so much about where I was at during that time. And it still does to today, reminds me of how much this album in particular at that time was a constant in my life.
Sadly, it was the only album Bonnet produced with the band. At the first gig they played to promote “Assault Attack”, a drunken Bonnet decided to expose himself to the crowd on stage, and was pretty much immediately fired, with Gary Barden returning to the fold in his place. And that remains a real shame, because given how terrific this album is with his writing and vocals, just wat would a follow up have produced?

78. Michael Schenker Group / Armed And Ready : The Best Of The Michael Schenker Group. 1994. 4/5.

Releasing this in 1994, the title of the album conveniently allows the releasers to avoid anything from the latter day McAuley Schenker group – which is a shame, as there was a lot of good music that came from that partnership.

As such, this album concentrates on the early years of the group, which is not such a bad thing anyway. It was strange to sit down and listen to this again. Sometimes, if you are only looking at a track list, you can think “I can think of a dozen better songs that should be on this!” - which, of course, is what i did. And, then, you listen to the album, singing along to every song, and saying “Yeah – this rocks!”

Still, there are a couple of songs I would have exchanged with others. Overall though, a good collection of MSG favourites. Attack Of The Mad Axeman, Assault Attack, Desert Song. These are just great songs, and hold a lot of memories.

Rating : A collection of 80's memorabilia. 4/5.

75. Michael Schenker Group / Arachnophobiac. 2003. 4/5.

Yet another formation of the old MSG, with Schenker himself the only person to retain his position. On this occasion, it doesn't detract from the music.

On first listen, in fact, I swore it was Chris Cornell singing. Of course, I was mistaken (his name is Chris Logan), but the songs themselves are great. This is almost like it has been taken straight from the golden years of MSG, in the 1980's. The style of the album is straight from that era, which of course means it incorperates Schenker guitar style perfectly. Rather than trying to update and upbeat this album to the new millenium, the band has stuck to their strengths, and come up with an excellent album. So long as you like that style, of course!

I am impressed with it. The vocals are great, Schenker's guitaring is as good as ever, and the songs are good (for a change...). Overall – an impressive effort.

Rating : MSG back in force. 4/5.

39. Michael Schenker Group / Adventures Of The Imagination. 2000. 4/5

The career of guitarist Michael Schenker had been a combination of a roller coaster and a merry-go-round during the 1990’s decade. At a time when music was going through its very public growing pains, all to do with grunge and alternative into industrial and hard core, Schenker had been out there doing what he always had, sticking to his true musical ideals and producing albums that identified with his upbringing and roots of the 1970;s and 1980’s.
He had, however, done this in a slightly haphazard way. He started the decade off in the McAuley Schenker Group with singer Robin McAuley, before joining the short-lived supergroup Contraband which included Tracii Guns, Share Pedersen and Bobby Blotzer and released one self-titled album. He then rejoined UFO for their “Walk on Water” album before leaving again during the tour that followed. His response was to reform a new version of his Michael Schenker Group, who then recorded the album “Written in the Sand” album, and then during the tour for that album recorded “The Michael Schenker Story Live” for release in 1997. He then helped out his old band UFO by going out on tour with them again and then releasing another MSG album “The Unforgiven”, and then another live album on the tour that followed titled “The Unforgiven World Tour”.
So with so many feet in so many doors, what was the catalyst for him to then put out a solo album within this mix? I’m not sure of the actual answer to this, but the difference about this album from all of those others I’ve mentioned is that this is a completely instrumental album, no vocals, no vocalist. And perhaps it was just a way for him to get away from writing and composing songs as a part of a group and came back to him just writing stuff for himself. Whatever the reason may have been, the album came out early in the year 2000 to almighty... thud.

How do you review an instrumental album? I’m sure I have posed this question before – and no one came to the rescue to offer me any advice. It isn’t an easy job, and in the case of this album, it is also a very short session. For starters, the rhythm section is excellent, with John Ondor on bass guitar and the ever present Aynsley Dunbar on drums. Both do a sterling job of keeping the songs going so Schenker can shred when he wants over the top.
The opening twosome of “Achtung Fertig, Los!” (which translates as ‘ready, set, go’) and “Open Gate” do a great job of setting the album up. Both do remind me of Joe Satriani and his “Surfing with the Alien” album but without the incredible speed and jammed tight riffing that that album has in places. These are both very comfortable songs to listen to, with some great guitaring from Schenker but without overdoing anything. They are just welcoming and comforting instrumental pieces to listen to.
There are two extremely long songs on this album, which on first glance you would be thinking “why the hell are they so long?!” The first is “Three Fish Dancing”, which because of its length is like a Dream Theater song in that there are so many changes or ‘suites’ in the track that it never loses interest. Indeed, if you put this on and just listen to it without judging, at times you may well think you are listening to Dream Theater. But then, Michael Schenker is quite the genius on guitar, and his rhythm section is also well above competent. This is followed by the short burst of “Michael Schenker Junior”, no doubt composed for his son, but which doesn’t reach the heights of what has come before it.
The second of the long stretch songs comes next with “Aardvark in a VW Smoking a Cigar”. Now while this is still a good song and very listenable, it doesn’t work as well as the previous long haul track, there’s a bit more clear guitar on this one rather than riffage and is a different styled song all together. “I Want to be with You” actually feels like a romantic power ballad track musically that you would expect with the title that is has. You can even hear the places where you could slot in lyrics if you wanted to.
“Old Man with Sheep on Mars” kicks off with a more pleasing riffage from Schenker’s rhythm guitar and is blended pleasingly with his lead soloing over the top. Then comes the almost Gary Moore-like clear rhythm and electric lead guitars of “At the End of the Day”. This is a beautifully unique song, with no drums, just the guitars through the entirety of the track. And the album closes with the experimentally interesting “Hand in Hand”, with Schenker dovetailing different guitar movements into one song, again disposing of the drums, and creating a synth like spectacle with only his guitar.

I had been sporadically buying Schenker’s albums through the 90’s decade, often on a whim when I walked into Utopia Records in Sydney with cash burning a hole in my pocket, which occasionally occurred in those latter years of the 90’s. I had his live album from “The Unforgiven” tour and another less well known one, but tracking what he was doing from one year to the next was a difficult proposition once Hot Metal magazine had gone under.
Then the internet arrived (for me at least) and the multiple file sharing programs came online, and just using a search string allowed you to find your favourite artists and albums they had released. And that was where I first discovered this album in 2001 and decided to download it. There’s no doubt that I discovered a lot of music I would never have found in those early years of the 2000’s by this method.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this, especially when I finally realised that this was an instrumental album. That initially put me off, as I had been hoping for fully formed songs with a great vocalist and then those wonderful Schenker riffs and solos. Or, at the very least, some great instrumentals like he had done in the past such as the legendary “Into the Arena” and “Captain Nemo”. That wasn’t to be, but I soon discovered that the material he had written here was still amazingly good and of course focused mostly on his guitaring in a fashion that showcased its best qualities. I don’t think I am alone in thinking that both “Three Fish Dancing” at 14 minutes and “Aardvark in a VW Smoking a Cigar at almost the same are far too long. Cut them into three and come up with some other names similar to these, and you still have an album worth listening to, because there are basically 3 to 5 change up with in each of these songs that could indeed be regarded as songs within songs. Though 54 minutes might also be a bit long in that respect. 40-45 minutes might have been the ideal. But to be completely honest, when you are listening to it, it doesn’t matter on the length of the track, because they are all so interesting.
I dare say that I haven’t listened to this much at all since I first got it in that downloading session, and spent a couple of weeks having it on rotation at the time. I did a review for this on my “Music from a Lifetime” blog almost 20 years ago, so it is safe to say I haven’t been back to it since, before these past couple of weeks. I had one listen and enjoyed it, and then went on eBay to find a cheap CD copy to add to my collection and to listen to more, which I duly did. And listening to it through my stereo on CD is a much better option than on a computer through those tinny speakers. And as per my review 20 years ago, this has really grown on me again. It is pleasant and enjoyable tunes to listen to, and a surprise overall.
If someone was asking me for recommendations for albums to listen to in order to get into Michael Schenker’s work, this would not be one I would choose. There are far better and more exciting albums out there for that. But, if you are already a fan of Michael Schenker and his work, and you haven’t heard this, then I WOULD recommend hearing it, at least once. This is quite an amazing album, one that has that recognisable Schenker riffing throughout, and is still music to the ears. In many ways, this is one of my favourite albums by the grand master of the guitar. There is no trying to please bandmates or record companies. This is all for him, and it is all the better for it.