To all of you who keep sending me reviews of the DP BBC BOX-set, for my DP blog, please stop writing. Here's the buzz: EMI was indeed wrong with handing out the wrong text-file concerning the Early BBC Years Box. The text file presented was completely out of this world and they told me that there will come another review very soon (how about that??!! It's like eating turkey with easter, instead of X-mas dear EMI friends!!). THX
I had a chance to listen to the new Michael Schenker album. Let me tell you, I had a good feeling for this album, but it exploded right in my face after listening to the first few tracks, let alone
the whole latter..
The problem with mr. Schenker, are his staff.. What I have here in my hands, is an album played by over more than a
dozen musicians, including Rudolf Schenker, William Shatner, Leslie West, Michael Amott, Robin McAuley, Don Airey, Paul Raymond, Simon Phillips, Carmine Appice, Chris Slade, Chris Glenn, Neil Murray, Brian Tichy, Elliot Robinson (owner of Dean Guitars) and Doogie White, recently to find on every rock album, with every artist in the business (he also needs to make some descend money, so why not ..) The song he sings on, called 'Before The Devil Knows You're Dead'.. Is a song like there are a million, and Doogie seems not to take any advantage by the fact he once was the vocalist of a band called 'Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow'. It's again one of those songs he sang on any other album.. Like it or not (which I don't)!
Schenker's line-up besides the "all-stars" are: Michael Voss/Vocals, Herman Rarebell/Drums, Pete Way/Bass and Wayne Findlay/Keyboards. Speaking of.. The vocalist for almost the whole length of the album - as mentiond above - is Michael Voss, the all-arounder in music business.. But fails directly to prove it on this album as a singer.. Schenker had ones like, Gary Barden, Graham Bonnet in the past.. He knows so many good vocalists but fails to find the right one each time.. This time around, it's simplicity triumph on whatever scale! The thing about Voss, is he has this squeeking raw voice, which in this case was a bad choice.. Nowhere through the whole lenght of the album, there was a light in the black.
When I read the introduction to this album, I had high expectations and was really convinced this album was the return of Schenker.. It failed my expectations after listening to the latter twice.. A pitty, 'cause this could have been his return after a long dark period, of health and personal problems.
The first track on the album is a instrumental, simply called Intro; with spoken words provided by William Shatner aka Mr Kirk from Star Trek (didn't quite understand that kind of intro's anyway).. Next up How Long, in my eyes one of the many fillers on this album. Starting off nicely, but revamps in a messy track, with strange vocals contributed by Voss.. Fallen Angel, the next one, again nothing more than a filler. Sounds a little dull in my ears too.. Again Voss handles the vocal duty's. Hanging On, is the first attempt to take back some power, but lacks creativity.. Listening becomes harsh and I even caught myself putting the volume down!! At least with End Of An Era, there's a small positive note.. Doogie (again!!) makes his entree (according to the text-file) and sings a duet with Voss.. However, the first one of you my dear readers, who can tell me where he is in the mix, can email me! The quality of this track comes out good. The sound of a brilliant Schenker is gone, but there's still some good arrangements for this track. The first attempt to a hitsingle is Miss Claustrophobia. A descent song, but why he (Schenker) has again chosen for vocals by Voss is a big question mark for me!!! His voice just doesn't nail it enough. However Voss tries to sing it a bit lower, but his voice doesn't let him do it properly. Schenker is playing a good solo, but still not at his best. Overall, the solo's on this album are played on automatic pilot. A little bit further on the album, you'll find a second version of this song, but reduced to radio format (why would one do this?! no pun here). There is not much to say for the next track, With You. Same thing as mentioned before. Before The Devil Knows Your're Dead, leaves a fresh wind blow through the record, as Doogie steps forward. This songs reminds me of his days with a band called Empire. Powerful song, with a great drum groove and bassline however it's the same vocals of Doogie which he uses for years. He tries his best, but it doesn't pay off.
Storming in,.. Indeed it does, with a wrong tuned guitare (you can hear it quite well...), just tuned so for fun or not, I don't care, it's something you just don't do, I mean, come on give me a break!! This song builds up fast and goes down as fast as it builded up! No great solo, no nothing. By the time you've tought you heard it all, Saturday night kicks in, with a bunch of really cheap lyrics and a real poppy backbeat. Where did this one come from?! Cheap as hell, and I wouldn't be surprised the audience is going to chose this a hitsingle.. At least there's a couple of other songs on this album, such as Lover's Sinfony, sung by Robin McAuley. This guy can nail it, however same as the previous songs, a terrible composition. And then we have a redention of the song How Long (3 Generations Guitars). It's the same song, but the guitare solo has been swipped and replaced by 3 different solo's. An all-in-one you may call it. However, there's no direction in this song, and the solo's are all played in another key, which makes it messy and incoherent to my ears. Guitar duel provided by: Michael Schenker, Leslie West and Michael Amott. These 3 gents will play later this year as an ensemble called '3 Generations Guitars".
If you are a Michael Schenker fan and you want to support your hero, well just buy the album. If you don't and you are getting hyped about it, DON'T. Buy an older album, like Strangers In The Night. I don't get the whole idea actually.. I've listened to it twice and got a little bored. It didn't blow me away, as I first thought it would. But it seems some idols don't have -nor take - the time to do an effort and create something descent. Why rushing it? I mean, it's his comeback and nobody asked for him to make a comeback, so he could have spend more time. This is what you get if you don't.
I'd rate this one a 5,5/10. Not worth a dollar more.
Schenker and his band, will play a UK tour commencing May and will make a stop in Belgium @ the Biebob, Vosselaar, 8th of May. I'm glad Mr. Voss is not handling vocals, Doogie White is! The setlist for this tour will be a couple of songs from this album and a lot more from his back catalogue aswell some UFO tracks. Maybe this will sound a little better......
Alcatrazz - Live @ The Rock Tempel, Netherlands 3/12/2011
Ok, here's a review of the Alcatrazz concert 3th December 2011, at the Rock Tempel (NL).
As I arrived (rather late, thx to roadworks and no signals at all), I noticed that Graham Bonnet and band, where not around the venue.. They where still at the hotel (Guess Graham had to take a little nap before the show ).. So they had to have a support act.. Unfortunately, I know, a band like Alcatrazz doesn't give a shit when it comes to support acts, and I can't blame them.. Me neither!!
So, the support act was a Dutch (note: not DEUTSCH) band given the rather strange name: DERAILED.. Ok, when I hear a name like that, I start to hold my breath a little.. Why, one would ask? simple, because it's bollocks most of the time.. no exception today..
It was pretty much Derailed, commencing with a beat alla Iron Maiden's "Run To The Hill's".. speeding up like hell and a vocalist who was pretty of the tune for most of the time.. He seemed like he came straight out of his bed. Drunk a bunch of "Heineken" and smoked like hell. So, you as a reader can imagine, this wasn't my cup of tea AT ALL! Onwards the show, I started to ask myself, why for fuck's sake, there are 2 guitarists.. If you have a band with 2 players, it's rather normal, one takes the soloing and the other one takes the backpatterns.. This guy (banjoplayer nr1) did it all, and at the same time, resulting in a bunch of rubbish, and not coherent at all! The other one (banjoplayer nr 2) just stood still. Looking effortless to do his bit and never did.. Good job guy's! Anyway, a whole bunch o' songs later (read: drinks at the other end of the bar near the exit where I took off to after 3 songs) it was finally over! For those of you interested: they have a couple of cd's which you probably can buy somewhere, someplace..
Alcatrazz for me, was the only live act I actually never saw live.. Offcourse I got all their albums (and yes.. some bootleg's aswell). I saw the Graham Bonnet Band a long time ago and Bonnet preforming with The Legends of Rock. This gig however I needed to see, due the fact Bonnet is aging also and his voice in general.. When the stage crew started to take care of the set-up, I caught a glimpse of the PA and noticed something was wrong.. Seemed there was a little hustle going on, because they didn't quite knew how many gents there where going to sing.. However they promptly placed 3 mic stands and started testing them.. A little bit later Simon Howie jumped on stage to check his gear and wandered off again.. Same thing for Tim Luce, the bassplayer.. No sign from Bonnet however..
Light went off.. NOT.. Something was wrong again.. The introtape allready started playing but no-one took notice wether the band was allready there to take the stage!! 10 minutes delay (off to the bar again)..
Lights went off again, and there was the intro tape buzzing! They started with Assault Attack, followed by Too young to die, Too drunk to live. Those first two tracks where really powerfull (at least to speak), and graham's voice in top form!! left me puzzled and waiting for more..
Next up was God Blessed Video, which in my humble opinion was the magnus opius from the whole set! Very hard and smashing, again top preformance from the band. Night Games followed, played a little bit different to keep ahead of Graham's voice. Graham then begins to mumble that "in a previous life' he was the singer in a band, under control of a man dressed in black.... yep, Love's No Friend is next.. offcourse with the usual sing alongs attached.. During the break it was time for Howie's guitare solo.. Very cool and a little dramatic aswell (cue, the stage crew who where fitting the cymbal stands back in place again). Big foot and Jet To Jet where next in line and both those tracks, for one reason or another, I really find it hard to like 'em.. though they stood out just fine in this yet to be called 'powerful setlist'. Skyfire kicks in like a bomb and blowed the first row of audience at the front of the stage away (thank you for almost smashing my camera to the ground, dear spectator!!). Kree Nakoorie and Hiroshima Mon Amour where played next and the drumsolo was next. It was the first tour of the sticksman with the band and what a performance it was! This guy has the arms of a lumberjack (all positive) and the height of a T-Rex dinosaur! After his solo, it was time for the stage crew to march out again, for those cymbal stands, which by now, where more than a meter away from the drums.. Aaah yes,.. powerfull indeed! Will You Be Home was the next tune, and the only one sounding mellow throughout the whole set.. The song itself had a slightly different arrangement than the one on CD, albeit it sounded great. Next comes Dessert Song. Brilliant power vocals and he just nailed it. It's clear that any other incarnation of MSG can't handle this song, just the way Graham does it. By this time Graham had removed his shirt and started to talk a little with the audience.. It also seems there's a great salesman in this man, because he started to sell some glasses of him, which he - by coincidence - destroyed the day before (don't know if anybody buyed it or not..). Ok, the last 3 songs where all Rainbow related (how could he not?): All Night Long, Since You've Been Gone and Lost in Hollywood. He'd might had chosen some other Rainbow tunes, because it bored me actually a little bit. First of all, he didn't sounded as good as he did with the first load of songs, and he was more shouting them, then singing.. and second, he wanted to go to the dressing room and go to the hotel (what did you expect?? The tour is over!!).
Anyway, I went back to my car and drove home immediately. Because I had enough and needed to work the next day.. I didn't know until after the last song, it was the last gig of the tour.. So after all, this gig was worthy to watch.. Considering going to a Deep Purple concert and notice the vocalist isn't in great shape,.. a perfect waste of money/time I'd say! This one wasn't..
..) The song he sings on, called 'Before The Devil Knows You're Dead'.. Is a song like there are a million, and Doogie seems not to take any advantage by the fact he once was the vocalist of a band called 'Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow'. It's again one of those songs he sang on any other album.. Like it or not (which I don't)!
