Album review: MICHAEL SCHENKER – A Decade Of The Mad Axeman

[Release date 28.01.18]

A completely mad axeman indeed, Michael Schenker is one of the world’s shining lights when it comes to rock and metal guitar. Whether with Scorpions, UFO, the Michael/McAuley Schenker Group, UFO again, solo or his own Temple Of Rock, the German guitarist has produced some of the finest hard rock and metal around.

After forming Scorpions and then jumping ship to UFO, Schenker first went solo when he formed MSG, band that featured such luminaries as vocalists Gary Barden, Robin McAuley and Graham Bonnet, drummers Ted McKenna, Simon Phillips and Cozy Powell, and bassist Chris Glen. All those bar Cozy Michael has worked with more recently, along with the likes of Don Airey, Neil Murray, brother and Scorp Rudolf Schenker, Jeff Scott Soto, Leslie West, Pete Way and Doogie White. Now that’s one hell of a line-up over the last 10 years.

Michael’s career has had its ups and downs, tempered by his battle with addictions along the way, but in the last few years there’s been a serious return to form, as documented here. It does exactly what it says on the tin. In my view it’ll never match 1982’s ‘One Night At Budokan’ but it does get pretty damn close.

The set is split between studio and live; disc one opens with 2007’s ‘I Want You’, and whatever your views of Gary Barden’s voice on stage now, it sounds great here. There’s some great sounds coming from Neil Murray and Don Airey too. Some of that era’s tracks meander slightly, but when Michael tightens the screw the guitar is nothing short of blistering. 2013’s ‘Lord Of The Lost And Lonely’ has a great riff too. ‘Bulletproof’ turns things up further, an all-out track that seriously rocks.

CD2 the live recordings features some great material. I was lucky enough to interview Michael Schenker at the 2011 High Voltage festival in London and there’s three tracks from there. The Scorp track ‘Rock You Like A Hurricane’ is one I can personally do without, nothing to do with the performance, it’s just an unnecessary track I’ve always found overrated. But the UFO classic ‘Doctor Doctor’ goes down a storm (and you can hear my whistle from the crowd too!).

More recent work has seen Michael reunite with the SAHB rhythm section of McKenna and Glen, and on stage having McAuley and Graham Bonnet share the stage with Barden to recreate some of that classic MSG material and this is worth buying the set for alone. Seriously.

Not only a best of, but a great intro or sampler to an underrated era of the Mad Axeman’s continuing journey. Well worth anyone’s money. ****

Review by Joe Geesin

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.

Next session: Sunday 1 December

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio

David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 3 November 2024.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 29 October 2024.

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com

Power Plays w/c 11 November 2024

ARCANE MOON Hello Sun (indie)
S8NT ELEKTRIC XTC (Long Branch Records)
ARCANA KINGS Here We Go (Curtain Call Records)
KLOGR face The Unknown (Zeta Factory)
BEYOND UNBROKEN Dance With The Dead (FiXT)
REVENGIN Decadent Feeling (Wormholedeath)

Featured Albums w/c 11 November 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)