Schenker’s technique is flawless
[unless he’s drunk, of course]. He’s
precise, he’s intricate, he’s fast when he wants to be, and he can bend notes
like Albert King. His playing is astonishing, his solos
soaring. His riffs are as solid as any
of those written by Tony Iommi. He gets
his unique tone by setting his wah-wah pedal at a certain spot and leaving it
there. He could write and play titanic
riffs. But here’s the rub – producer Ron
Nevison once said "Schenker would give me these amazing, epic riffs, but
he didn't write with any sense of a vocalist involved. The guitar parts were these wandering,
beautiful things, but they weren't for a band with a singer." It’s no wonder that some of the best songs he’s
done on albums he’s made away from UFO are instrumentals [Captain Nemo, Ulcer, Coast To Coast, Essenz]. He’s also done two electric instrumental
albums [Adventures of the
Imagination, MS 2000: Dreams and
Expressions] that are dazzling. But
what Nevison said about Schenker not being able to write for a singer is true –
he’s has many albums with anonymous bands and even lesser-known singers who are
as faceless as they are weak, where you can count the really good “songs” on
one hand, sometimes even one finger [hence my “Cleveland sports fan” metaphor]. His music with UFO was his best, followed by
that of his own Michael Schenker Group between the years 1980-84 [see below].
I had the opportunity to
see Michael Schenker live twice. The
first time was in a small club in Colorado Springs with MSG in 1984. They played most of his songs that I knew and
some that I didn’t. The second time was
in 1995 with UFO at an even smaller club in Tucson. I was right up front for the MSG show, and I’m
sure I lost some hearing. Having learned
that lesson the hard way, I sat/stood in the back of the club when I saw UFO in
’95. There was no hearing damage that night. It was like being a part of the Strangers in the Night album – they played
it all, plus one new song [Venus]. Strangers in the Night [1978] was one of those live albums where
everything clicked. If you are going to own one UFO album, Strangers in the Night is the one to have. The scary thing about Strangers is that Schenker claims the best takes from different shows weren’t used.
The list:
Phenomenon
[UFO] – Rock Bottom
Force It [UFO]
– Let It Roll, Out in the Street, Mother Mary, This Kid’s
No Heavy Petting
[UFO] – Natural Thing
Lights Out [UFO]
– Too Hot To Handle, Lights Out, Love To Love
Obsession
[UFO] – Only You Can Rock Me
Strangers in the
Night (Live) [UFO] – the whole thing (11-minute Rock Bottom!)
Lovedrive [Scorpions]
– Lovedrive, Coast To Coast
Michael Schenker
Group – Cry For the Nations, Into The Arena, Armed And Ready
MSG [Michael
Schenker Group] – Attack of the Mad Axeman, On And On, But I Want More
Assault Attack
[Michael Schenker Group] – Assault Attack, Samurai, Desert Song
Built To Destroy
[Michael Schenker Group] – Rock Will Never Die, Captain Nemo
Walk On Water
[UFO] – A Self Made Man, Venus, Stopped By a Bullet, Darker Days
Written in the
Sand [Michael Schenker Group] – Essensz
The Unforgiven
[Michael Schenker Group] – Rude Awakening
Covenant [UFO]
– Love Is Forever, Unraveled, Miss the Lights, The Smell of Money
Adventures of the
Imagination [Michael Schenker] – Achtung Fertis, Los, Aardvark in a VW
Smoking a Cigar, At the End of the Day
MS 2000: Dreams
and Expressions [Michael Schenker] – all of it
Be Aware of
Scorpions [Michael Schenker Group] – No Turning Back, On Your Way
Sharks
[UFO] – Quicksilver Rider, Deadman Walking, Fighting Man, Crossing Over
Today, Michael Schenker records and tours with a band he calls his Temple of Rock. Doogie White [who used to sing for Ritchie Blackmore] is the vocalist, while the rhythm section is Franz Buchholz and Herman Rarebell from the Scorpions, with Wayne Findlay from previous editions of MSG on second guitar and keyboards. The songs are solid and consistent, just not spectacular. But the two albums he has done with them are the best things he’s done in years, so there is hope that this Teutonic stringmaster is finally getting his act together.
