The Michael
Schenker Group Michael
Schenker Group [album]
MSG [album]
One Night At Budokan [album]
The Best Of The Michael Schenker Group ’80-’84
[album]
“You
just can’t keep a good rock band
down and, in this instance, it’s
the
Michael Schenker Group heralding the
release of the band’s
first three
wonderful albums — Michael Schenker
Group, MSG and One Night At Budokan,
each track digitally remastered and
showing no signs of age...”
THE
AMAZING MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP seems to defy age and bearing testament to the
band's exceptional talent is the release of the first three albums originally
produced back in the rockin' 80s. This, somehow, just doesn't
conjure up images of big shoulders and big hair!
In 1978, legendary guitarist Michael Schenker returned to work with The Scorpions
for a brief second stint before deciding to form his own group — settling
on a name that left no doubts over who was the creative force within the group.
To date, The Michael Schenker Group has released twelve studio albums and these
have, not surprisingly, earned two UK Top 10s and six UK Top 40s along the way.
The first three of those fantastic albums have now been digitally remastered
and come crammed with previously unreleased bonus material, along with extensive
liner notes written by Dave Ling.
Produced by ex-Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover, the eponymous first album peaked
at number 8 in the September of 1980. Of the generous eight bonus tracks included
on the Michael Schenker Group remaster, five are previously unreleased.
The Michael Schenker Group is Armed And Ready for the kick-off of this
set of 'blast from the past' new releases that will set every fan's pulse racing.
Those with 'the knowledge' will know what to expect. Tracks to die for, like
Feels Like A Good Thing. Wow! And there's the beautiful Cry For The
Nations — an emotive and heart-stopping track that is fantastic and
assures you that rock certainly rocks.
Sweeping you along in its wake is the foot-tapping Victim Of Illusion
or how about honing in on the cheery Bijou Pleasurette with it's charming
name and fabulous, melodic — almost classical — music.
The Michael Schenker Group's talent knows no bounds and Tales Of Mystery
bowls you over with its folk-ish, melodic overtures. Lose yourself in Lost
Horizons: even if you know it well, it's full of surprises and tantalising
beats and an almost 'desert sands' style.
Michael Schenker Group Tracklisting
1 Armed And Ready (2009 Digital Remaster) | 2 Cry For The Nations
(2009 Digital Remaster) | 3 Victim Of Illusion (2009 Digital Remaster)
| 4 Bijou Pleasurette (2009 Digital Remaster) | 5 Feels Like A Good
Thing (2009 Digital Remaster) | 6 Into The Arena (2009 Digital Remaster)
| 7 Looking Out From Nowhere (2009 Digital Remaster) | 8 Tales Of
Mystery (2009 Digital Remaster) | 9 Lost Horizons (2009 Digital Remaster).
Bonus Tracks
10 Just A Lover*
(1979 Demo) | 11 Looking Out From Nowhere*
(1979 Demo) | 12 Get Up And Get Down*
(1979 Demo) | 13 After Midnight*
(1979 Demo) | 14 Breakout*
(1979 Demo) | 15 Cry For The Nations (Radio Edit) | 16 Armed And Ready
(Live B-side) |
17 Into The Arena (Live B-side).
*Previously unreleased
Catalogue Number: CHRX 1302.
MOVING ON TO MSG, for this album Michael brought in guitarist/keyboard
player Paul Raymond from UFO and drummed-up the super-talented Cozy Powell,
who had recently left Rainbow.
The benefits are clear. The more democratic song-writing produced an album that
reached number 14 in September 1981 as a reissue. Every one of the seven bonus
tracks on the album is previously unreleased, taken from the same concert at
the Manchester Apollo on 30 September 1980. Magic!
Cozy Powell was always known for what he could do with his drums — a terrific
artiste joining a very special rock band. MSG continues with even more
great tracks; including the compulsive Ready To Rock and the (scary!)
fantastic classic rock number Attack Of The Mad Axeman.
But I Want More — and so do we! — is great and the charming
rock ballad Never Trust A Stranger is followed by the simply fabulous,
full-on rock number Looking For Love.
Feels Like A Good Thing — it really does — has those lovely
drum rolls and an exciting delivery and we liked Doctor Doctor as a lovely
melodic rock track with beautiful strains. Again, a wonderful album to have
in your essential rock collection.
MSG Tracklisting
1 Ready To Rock (2009 Digital Remaster) | 2 Attack Of The Mad Axeman
(2009 Digital Remaster) | 3 On And On (2009 Digital Remaster) | 4 Let
Sleeping Dogs Lie (2009 Digital Remaster) | 5 But I Want More (2009
Digital Remaster) | 6 Never Trust A Stranger (2009 Digital Remaster)
| 7 Looking For Love (2009 Digital Remaster) | 8 Secondary Motion
(2009 Digital Remaster) | 9 Never Trust A Stranger* (Rough Monitor Mix)
| 10 Natural Thing* (Live at The Manchester Apollo, 30 September 1980)
| 11 Feels Like A Good Thing* (Live at The Manchester Apollo, 30 September
1980) | 12 Looking Out From Nowhere* (Live at The Manchester Apollo,
30 September 1980) | 13 Shoot Shoot* (Live at The Manchester Apollo,
30 September 1980) | 14 Doctor Doctor* (Live at The Manchester Apollo,
30 September 1980) | 15 Lights Out* (Live at The Manchester Apollo, 30
September 1980).
*Bonus tracks (all previously unreleased)
Catalogue Number: CHRX 1336.
KEEPING UP THE MOMENTUM IS ONE NIGHT AT BUDOKAN — MSG's
first live album and the final album of the set. Here we have the pick of the
crop and this album was the most commercially successful, reaching Number 5
in March, 1982.
The record has now been digitally remastered and for the first time showcases
the entire set from the band's concert at the (also legendary) Budokan arena
in Tokyo, Japan.
Many of the tracks are extended and the album now stretches across two discs
and two bonus tracks that were omitted from the original release have finally
made it onto this remaster. The Introduction builds up the tension and
excitement beautifully.
There is something very personal about this album beyond the banter between
tracks; and you can feel the heart and soul of MSG's extraordinary rock heritage.
Magnificent.
One Night At Budokan Tracklisting (2 Discs)
Disc 1
1 Introduction (Live at The Budokan, Tokyo, 12 August 1981 — 2009
Digital Remaster) |
2 Armed And Ready (Live at The Budokan, Tokyo, 12 August 1981 —
2009 Digital Remaster) | 3 Cry For The Nations (Live at The Budokan,
Tokyo, 12 August 1981 — 2009 Digital Remaster) | 4 Attack Of The Mad
Axeman (Live at The Budokan, Tokyo, 12 August 1981 — 2009 Digital Remaster)
| 5 But I Want More (Live at The Budokan, Tokyo, 12 August 1981 —
2009 Digital Remaster) | 6 Victim Of Illusion (Live at The Budokan, Tokyo,
12 August 1981 — 2009 Digital Remaster) | 7 Into The Arena (Live
at The Budokan, Tokyo, 12 August 1981 — 2009 Digital Remaster).
Disc 2
1 On And On (Live at The Budokan, Tokyo, 12 August 1981 — 2009 Digital
Remaster) |
2 Never Trust A Stranger (Live at The Budokan, Tokyo, 12 August 1981
— 2009 Digital Remaster) | 3 Let Sleeping Dogs Lie (Live at The
Budokan, Tokyo, 12 August 1981 — 2009 Digital Remaster) | 4 Tales of
Mystery* (Live at The Budokan, Tokyo, 12 August 1981 — 2009 Digital
Remaster) | 5 Cozy Powell Drum Solo* (Live at The Budokan, Tokyo, 12
August 1981 — 2009 Digital Remaster) | 6 Courvoisier Concerto (Live
at The Budokan, Tokyo, 12 August 1981 — 2009 Digital Remaster) | 7 Lost
Horizons (Live at The Budokan, Tokyo, 12 August 1981 — 2009 Digital
Remaster) | 8 Doctor Doctor (Live at The Budokan, Tokyo, 12 August 1981
— 2009 Digital Remaster) | 9 Ready To Rock (Live at The Budokan,
Tokyo, 12 August 1981 — 2009 Digital Remaster).
*Bonus tracks
Catalogue Number: CTYX 1375.
• The Michael Schenker Group's three-album
set is an EMI Records New Catalogue Release and is everything you would expect
and more. Out now, it contains The Michael Schenker Group's first three albums:
Michael Schenker Group; MSG; and One Night At Budokan.
(Release Date 19 January 2009).
"The amazing Michael Schenker Group seems to defy age and bearing testament
to the band's exceptional talent is the release of the first three albums produced
back in the rockin' 80s… [Michael Schenker Group, MSG, One Night At Budokan]"
— Maggie Woods, MotorBar
Check out michaelschenkerhimself.com.
“Michael
Schenker has been around
for over thirty years and he is still
turning out the first class hard rock
and heavy metal he originally became
known for — despite turning down a
collaboration with both Ozzy Osborne
and Aerosmith...”
THIS IS WHAT MAKES ROCK HAPPEN — The Best Of The Michael Schenker
Group '80-'84 is littered with
magic guitar work and frenetic drumming backdropping lyrics that are full of
sound and fury!
Originally part of the heavy rock band The Scorpions, Michael Schenker was persuaded
across to UFO; with whom he stayed and worked for some years until around 1978
— when he declined the invitations of both Ozzy Osborne and Aerosmith to
join their bands. Incidentally, younger brother Rudolf stayed with The Scorpions.
Michael's awesome and legendary guitar skills were in demand, but he had other
fish to fry in the form of MSG — The Michael Schenker Group, a hard rock
band that he formed in 1979. And perhaps this decision was the right one made
by this influential and respected German guitarist because MSG has happily recorded
numerous praiseworthy albums over the past 28 years and today the band is still
recording and touring — and still playing his famous black and white Gibson
Flying V guitar.
The Best of The Michael Schenker Group '80-'84 is a superb collection
of highlights from this four-year period, full of such delights as Armed
And Ready, the heady mix of delicious beats and vocals that open the album
with a dynamic spin.
Armed And Ready — or should this be dangerous! — along with
the brilliant rock-ballad Cry For The Nations and the indulgent Lost
Horizons are all from The Michael Schenker Group (1980) and are the
first three tracks, with the promise of more pleasure to come.
Watch out for the compulsive Are You Ready To Rock because Yes-We-Are!
This is a rousing track that is taken from the B-Side of Cry For The Nations
(1980) and is a great stand-alone creation.
Attack Of The Mad Axeman has the most fantastic crazy musical tweaks
and so it goes on and on to On And On! It's difficult not to like this
magnetic track with a great deal of beautiful chords — a fine example of
melodic rock. For the record, the aforementioned last three numbers were taken
from MSG (1981).
Listening to the complete album, track by track, is a sumptuous journey of discovery
— The Best Of The Michael Schenker Group is full of surprises, even
if you think you know where you're going.
Assault Attack; the remarkable Desert Song; the superb Rock
My Nights Away; Captain Nemo; the gorgeous Rock Will Never Die;
and the final track Doctor Doctor are all too good to miss. Wicked!
Warning: This heavy metal rock album may seriously damage your perception of
rock!
• The Michael Schenker Group's The Best
Of The Michael Schenker Group '80-'84 was released on 22 September (2008)
as an EMI Records New Catalogue Release, Catalogue Number CHR 20082.
Tracklisting
1 Armed And Ready | 2 Cry For The Nations (Radio Edit)* | 3 Lost
Horizons | 4 Into The Arena (Live B-side)* | 5 Are You Ready To
Rock | 6 Attack Of The Mad Axeman | 7 On And On | 8 Victim
Of Illusion (Live) | 9 Assault Attack | 10 Dancer | 11
Girl From Uptown (B-side)* | 12 Desert Song | 13 Rock My Nights
Away | 14 Captain Nemo (Original Mix)* | 15 Rock Will Never Die
| 16 Doctor Doctor (Live)
Track Sources
Tracks 1-3 taken from The Michael Schenker Group (1980) | 4 taken from
B-Side of Cry For The Nations | 5-7 taken from MSG (1981) | 8
taken from One Night At Budokan (1981) | 9, 10 and 12 taken from Assault
Attack (1982) | 11 taken from B-Side of Dancer (1982) | 13-15 taken
from Built To Destroy (1983) | 16 taken from Rock Will Never Die
(1984).
*Note that tracks 2, 4, 11 and 14 were all previously unavailable on CD in
the UK.
Check out michaelschenkerhimself.com.
"Listening to the complete album, track by track, is a sumptuous journey of
discovery — The Best Of The Michael Schenker Group is full of surprises,
even if you think you know where you're going" — Maggie Woods, MotorBar
