Cherry Red [Release date 30.01.26]

Axeman Michael Schenker’s considerable CV has been well documented over the years and it’s clearly delineated in these liner notes.

Brief version: between 1972 and 1984 he cycled through The Scorpions, UFO and MSG Version 1.0.
Then in 1987 came MSG version 2.0, now with Robin McAuley on vocals.

That’s where this Bad Boys boxset comes in.

CD1 : Perfect Timing (1987)
CD2 : Save Yourself (1989)
CD3 : MSG (1991)
CD4 : Unplugged Live (1991)

As the title suggests, 1987’s Perfect Timing was perfectly tailored for the MTV/Arena Rock era.

Formulaic perhaps, the declamatory ‘Gimme Your Love’ and ‘Get Out’ are both flawless examples of the amphetamine rock formula. Schenker’s axework sparkles rather than shreds, and is all the better for it (although it disappointed Schenker aficionados).

The balladic ‘Follow The Night’ really puts the hook in. It’s impossible to put this one down. It’s as fine a piece of melodic rock writing and production as you could get, at a time when the genre was on the edge.

Radio edits of the latter two songs come as bonus tracks.

Despite the fact there is no mention by the label of remastering any of these albums, the sound is pin sharp here.

The world of rock spun off its axis in the following few years, ushering in the rawer, unpolished sound of grunge.
Some legacy bands didn’t take note and washed up on the beach.

Bands like MSG had a stronger musical foundation than many, and a loyal fanbase.
Save Yourself displayed some major ramping up of the band’s sound, adding depth and width, thanks to producer, Frank (Survivor / Foreigner) Filipetti, and some wise words from McAuley to Schenker: “On Save Yourself,” McAuley said, “I remember encouraging him to write a piece that would basically segue into the beginning of the song, which is why you have that amazing solo that sets up the whole track.”

Schenker’s ferocious, fret melting, 60 second axe solo is one for the ages. It ignites the album, creating an unstoppable rolling momentum.

The ballads, ‘Anytime’ and ‘This Is My Heart’ channel the same energy and offer similar thrills as did ‘Follow The Night’ on Perfect Timing.

6 bonus tracks here, most notably an elongated edit of Schenker’s delicate, instrumental showpiece, ‘There Has To Be Another Way’.

“We don’t hear a single” must be one of the most dispiriting verdicts an artist ever hears from the label’s A&R man.
And so it was with the rough audio draft of the band’s third album, MSG.

Consequently the label put McAuley together with known songwriting talent, Jesse Harms, Sammy Hagar’s keyboard player. To the label’s considerable satisfaction, they came up with ‘When I’m Gone’.

MSG was a darker affair, constructed from grain and grit as much as melody and rock’n’roll music.
‘Nightmare’ and ‘When I’m Gone’ were two strong songs, both also presented here in among the five bonus tracks, in the form of acoustic versions and as single edits.

But… the Seattle sound had dug in deep, and melodic rock, both hard and soft, had fallen off everybody’s radar. Except…

MTV’s Acoustic Specials. In an effort to squeeze the maximum out of a now unfashionable style of rock, it caught a wave.
MSG moved quickly. Remarkably lean and confident, Unplugged Live, is the fourth CD in this boxset.
It proved to be extremely popular and led to a never ending (9 month) tour of USA, Japan and Europe.

And so the band finished on a high.

In recent years Schenker has been working and releasing albums with several well known hard rock names, Michael Voss, Ronnie Romero and Gary Barden.

Meantime, McAuley is enjoying a new lease of hard rock life in Black Swan, alongside Jeff Pilson, Reb Beach and Matt Starr.

We’ve said it before, and will no doubt say it again, old rock stars never die. ****

Review by Brian McGowan

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

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Josh Taerk - Sunday Session - 11 January 2026

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Power Plays w/c 12 January 2026

THE DEADMANS Nice Kid (indie)
THE 69 EYES I Survive (BLKIIBLK)
MAGIC WANDS Sacred Mirrors (Metropolis Records)
KATHARINE PRIDDY Hurricane (indie)
AVALON STONE Mirage (indie)
CODE:WORDS Limerence (The Artery Foundation)
ROBBEN FORD Make My Own Weather (Mascot)

Featured Albums w/c 12 January 2026

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Singer Songwriter)

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