Heavy Rock
earMusic
Release Date – September 20th 2024
Studio Band
Michael Schenker – Guitar
Barry Sparkes – Bass
Brian Tichy – Drums
Derek Sherinian – Keyboards
Track List:
1 – Natural Thing
2 – Only You Can Rock Me
3 – Doctor Doctor
4 – Mother Mary
5 – This Kids
6 – Love To Love
7 – Lights Out
8 – Rock Bottom
9 – Too Hot To Handle
10 – Let It Roll
11 – Shoot Shoot
Michael Schenker – a heavy rock legend, guitar genius, and a major influence on thousands of guitarists playing today. Here we have the first of three albums commissioned by earMusic, featuring re-recordings of classic UFO tracks with some very special guests. The constants on most of the tracks are Barry Sparks on bass, Brian Tichy on drums, and Derek Sherinian on keyboards. All the tracks originally appeared on Strangers in the Night, so they’re all pretty familiar.
The album kicks off with “Natural Thing” featuring Dee Snider and Joel Hoekstra, setting the tone for the entire record. Snider delivers with gusto, while Hoekstra showcases his dexterity—having recently witnessed his work with Accept, it’s clear this guy can play anything. “Only You Can Rock Me” features the incredible vocals of Joey Tempest and the grooving bass of Deep Purple’s Roger Glover, bringing the party to life. Joe Lynn Turner steps in for the first of two tracks, delivering on “Doctor Doctor” with Carmine Appice behind the kit. “Mother Mary” is a tour de force with Erik Gronwall and Slash lending their talents. For me, the standout track of the album is “This Kid’s”, featuring Biff Byford from Saxon. They make it sound vibrant and fresh, with Biff’s performance reaching another level.
The epic “Love to Love” is handled by Axl Rose, who delivers a solid rendition, before Jeff Scott Soto and John Norum share the spotlight on “Lights Out”. Kai Hansen delivers some amazing work on “Rock Bottom”, and then Joe Lynn Turner and Carmine Appice return, this time with Adrian Vandenberg on “Too Hot to Handle”. Schenker’s long-time producer, Michael Voss, wanted to join in with a cracking rendition of “Let It Roll”, before Ratt’s Stephen Pearcy closes the album with “Shoot Shoot”. While Pearcy isn’t my favorite singer, he does a commendable job on this track.
These classic UFO songs have been dusted off and given a modern treatment by the original guitarist and a bunch of exceptionally talented musician friends. They aren’t necessarily better versions—just different. One thing I will say is that with the new production, these songs come alive. Schenker has mentioned that he re-recorded these songs so that a new generation can discover and appreciate them—well, the older generation can appreciate them too.
Written by: Smudge
Ratings: 8/10
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