Quite likely one of the most famous Flying V guitar players in rock, Michael Schenker divides opinion like few others. It’d be true to say his career path hasn’t exactly been a smooth sail across still waters. But, although described either as a petulant diva or an egomaniac whose presence in any band sows the seeds of the band’s demise, it’s a fact few would be prepared to argue he can’t play, because play he most assuredly can.
MSG came together soon after Schenker left UFO in 1979, who were then riding high after the success of their live album, Strangers In The Night, considered one of the finest in rock music, and they toured the world, establishing a name for themselves as a force onstage. This six disc set, five CDs and one DVD, covers the peak years of MSG, 1980 to 1984, when they were pumped up with power and attitude, alongside some fine tunes, includes numbers recorded from across four different venues: Manchester, the Budokan Tokyo, Hammersmith Odeon and Seibu Stadium Tokyo, a total of 58 tracks though with some overlaps, as several numbers appear on more than one disc.
The four different sets are all largely similar in content and style. The playing is good and Schenker demonstrates exactly why he was feted as a top notch guitarist. Manchester ’80 sees MSG in rip-roaring form, being still a new band with something to prove, and with Schenker now having a rep to live up to, and they perform several tracks from their debut album, including ‘Armed And Ready’, ‘Cry For The Nations’, ‘Into The Arena’ and a powerful ‘Victim Of Illusion’. But, as good as these were, it was the UFO numbers which got the crowd’s pulses racing, as they hear ‘Doctor Doctor’, ‘Rock Bottom’ and a pulsating ‘Lights Out’.
The Tokyo ’81 set isn’t too dissimilar to Manchester, though with the inclusion of ‘Attack Of The Mad Axeman’ and the prog sounding ‘Courvoisier Concerto’, plus Cozy Powell’s epic eleven minute drum solo, with ‘On And On’ demonstrating Schenker is indeed capable of playing quite melodic guitar solos without going into full-on guitar shredding mode, before they conclude with ‘Are You Ready To Rock’… no, not the Thin Lizzy song.
Hammersmith ’83, with MSG joined onstage by Rudolf Schenker and Klaus Meine, sees major lineup changes; Cozy Powell has left, replaced by Ted McKenna who, good drummer though he is, isn’t a powerhouse like Cozy, and Derek St Holmes, ex-Ted Nugent, are now on board. And by Seibu ’84, Gary Barden, Chris Glenn and St Holmes have all left, replaced by Ray Kennedy, Andy Nye and Dennis Feldman. Both sets see MSG performing pieces from the band’s third and fourth albums like ‘Little Devil’ and ‘Red Sky’, as well as tracks from earlier albums but, by now, the initial burst of energy of Manchester ’80 had dissipated somewhat; MSG were still good but not on fire.
Live And Ready, 1980-84 is a set targeting those Michael Schenker fans who’re too young to have seen him with MSG when, for a couple of years, they were amongst rock’s brightest stars. Who knows what they might have gone on to achieve had the band not had a revolving door of musicians, but nonetheless this is a fine live set which’ll have an appeal to the rock fan who enjoys good guitar driven, well performed rock music.
For more about Michael Schenker at RAMzine, check out our feature Michael Schenker & Me, our review of Don’t Sell Your Soul, and his My Years With UFO tour.
