Purchased the MSG One Night At Budokan double vinyl thirty years ago, just two studio albums into the former UFO/SCORPIONS guitarist’s solo career. Those thirteen tunes offered a glimpse of the past, with an eye to the future, This latest two-disc retrospective sees Herr Schenker comfortable with his legacy, reprising a half dozen of those same songs (including the classic ‘Doctor Doctor’ finale). But that’s not the only UFO material herein, as ‘Lights Out’, ‘Rock Bottom’, ‘Let It Roll’ and ‘Shoot Shoot’ are also showcased. When it comes to THE SCORPS, the outfit where his brother Rudolph has played guitar since ’72, there’s no less than six Teutonic compositions (mostly from Lovedrive), although, quixotically, Michael didn’t play on all of them: witness the 80s sensations, ‘Blackout’ and ‘Rock You Like A Hurricane’. Ex-SCORPS Francis Bucholz (bass) and drummer Herman Rarebell were part of his band at the May 2012 Tillburg (Netherlands) concert which forms the backbone of this DVD/double CD package, his brother showing at England’s High Voltage festival for ‘Rock You Like A Hurricane’, ‘Hanging On’ and ‘Doctor Doctor’, which also featured Jeff Scott Soto and UFO bassist Pete Way joining singer Doogie White (TANK/ex- RAINBOW). The instrumentals are still great, but sort of strange, hearing “new” versions of songs that have been ingrained in the subconscious over three decades (almost four, with some of the UFO stuff) and White possesses a thick accent, both delivering corny one-liner intros and in song, particularly noticeable on his rather weak attempt at ‘…Hurricane’, incapable of the nasal twang, nor highs of Klaus Meine. Perhaps that’s why he freely admits, prior to the rather naked ‘Holiday’, “Each night I attempt to sing this song.” Much more of a band record than solo (pun intended) Schenker show-off, perhaps due to the ex-SCORPS within the mix. Collection is available in several elaborate formats, with loads of visual extras.
