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Michael Schenker

Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2007 8:47 am
by Tone Slinger
Man, I swear, everytime I go a while without listening to this guy, I am quickly reminded of how great he is. I threw on the "Force It" album last night, man in '75 at 20 years old, he was kicking some major ass ! I think the energy and vibrato with which he had ,total command ,was phenominal. I know lots of people rave about EVH, but damn, Schenker to me, pretty much is the better soloist. He used different speeds and tones more (great 'singing' neck pu), as well as more prominant melodic lines. I would put UFO's "Force IT" above Van Halen's debut, for all around great guitar soloing, tapping and 'brown sound' aside.

Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2007 9:52 am
by Eargasm
I was lucky in that I was already into Schenker before VH came out. I loved what Ed did - the "hot-rodded California approach to electric guitar - but I remember thinking, "if VH never came out, the rock guitar playing world would be just fine with Michael Schenker". What was really amazing, is that hardly any of my friends knew who he was! They'd listen to RUSH, Nugent, Aerosmith, etc., and then go "Where are you getting all these killer licks from?"...I'd go "UFO...Michael Schenker".
They'd look at me bewildered, and I'd go " :roll: ..nevermind".

Coincidentally, I read a GP article, the one with Michael on the cover, and he said Jeff Beck was his biggest influence. THAT was when I realized that it was no accident that the really tasty guitar players always cite Beck as an influence. I started listening to Beck right after that. :wink:

Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2007 3:15 pm
by Tone Slinger
Right on ! Schenker really 'listened' to Beck. Becks style isnt one that lends itsef to be 'copied' very easily. It is all about TASTE.

Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2007 12:36 pm
by 45auto
MS is like my favorite wah user of all time. He insisted on using it as a CONTROLLED filter. So many guys just pump the thing like they're churning butter or something. Honestly, just cranking something like that, I'd say your alot more likely to get a bad sound as a good one!

Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2007 3:54 pm
by NY Chief
Eargasm wrote: Coincidentally, I read a GP article, the one with Michael on the cover, and he said Jeff Beck was his biggest influence.
That's too funny. I used to have good natured knock down, drag outs with the guitar player in the rival neighboorhood band. He loved Schenker and argued for Blackmore and Uli Roth. When I got to Beck he would say "I hate Beck. I don't know whay anybody would listen to him" Boy I would love to show that article to Mike now!

I was never really big on Schenker. I saw UFO with Rainbow on thier first tour. Can't say I wa too impressed but then again I was waiting for the mighty Ritche Blackmore. What can I say? You tend to be impressionable at 16 :lol:

Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2007 6:33 pm
by Tone Slinger
Man, I would have loved to have seen UFO back then. Rainbow too. I alway's loved when Schenker used the wha. He used it alot on the 'Lights Out' album. Ron Nevison had Michael playing through a little pignose amp on that album. I guess the tone wasnt as crunchy and focused as his Marshall, so maybe he filtered the wha to 'tighten' things up a little on solo's. The next album, 'Obsession', has some of the best lead tones and solo's I've ever heard( back to usin the 50 watt marshall), as well as one of the coolest album cover's.

Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 10:11 am
by 45auto
even through a pignose the guy sounded great. a true master.

Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 10:41 am
by Tone Slinger
I totally agree, he is a 'True Master'. His solo's, as well as many of his songs/riffs are so musical. It's amost like it could be played on any instrument, simply because it is, so musical.

This is where I draw the line on comparing Schenker and say, EVH. Granted, both dudes have similarities, like tremendous vibrato and screaming bends, very much in the vein of Jimi Hendrix. But imo, the difference is that Eddie was more a 'guitarist' so to speak, and Michael was more a musician. Eddie applied 'odd' techniques to the guitar (tapping mainly) that got a shit load of attention, but many of his solo's lacked direction and melody. He repeated the same vibe and feel too much, which was a loose, wild off the cuff sorta thing.
Michael, on the other hand, played solos that were very tasty, that fit the song, as well as adding to it. And as far as guitar tone goes, Michael hit on those big fat warm Gibson type tones, that are not as offensive to the ears as all that treble and sharp presence that Ed used to get. Dont get me wrong, I love Ed's tone obviously, I just prefer Schenker's. My wife sorta cringes when I crank EVH, cause the frequencies hurt her ears. She likes "Feel Your Love Tonight', but thats about it. On the other hand, I can play "Out On The Streets", Love To Love", "Lookin Out For #1", etc, and she loves it.

Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 1:05 pm
by 45auto
i must agree. michael could straddle that V like it was built for him & make it sing like a violin. i learned alot of subblety from this guy. i still catch myself plugging in & playing natural thing, or mother mary, or...

Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 6:40 pm
by Tone Slinger
Hell yeah, me too :D .

Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 11:54 pm
by Winder
Schenker had some great chops in the day. I used to wear out "Obsession", "Lights Out" and "Strangers In The Night". When I saw UFO in '79, he'd moved on I guess. I think Paul Chapman was playing for them at the time. That was at Mile High Stadium with Heart, The Cars, The Rockets and Ted Nugent.

Too bad he can't keep his head on straight. He was one of the best at his peak. I saw MSG in 1980 and while I love that first album and loved the playing live it was less than interesting to watch. He basically stood there with the vee between his legs and jammed. The opening act (Earthquake from the Bay Area) was great. Considering Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, The Scorpions, Sammy Hagar and all the rest that we were seeing in that timeframe it wasn't much of a live show.

Anyway, he's up there with the great ones for sure as far as playing with style.

Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2007 11:41 am
by Tone Slinger
Yeah, Michael used to move a bit more back in the UFO days. He really wasnt much of an 'entertainer', visually that is. He made up for it though by, like you said, being one of the great soloists of all time. Schenker maybe has some 'issues' that go beyond the easy to understand ones, like, why would you leave a band like UFO, that would have definatly been fairly big along with AC/DC, as the 70's turned to the 80's ? Shit, "Lights Out" charted top 20, even without proper distribution (record label fuck up) I still love the guy though.

Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2007 1:27 pm
by NY Chief
OK, second chance part duex. I listened again to Lynch and my orignal take remained the same. I just listened to Force It and must give Schenker the credit I didn't years ago. Excellent player with good tones and a lot of taste. Mogg always turned me off and he still doesn't impress me but Schenker's OK!! I should know this but are there any recordings of him and Rudy in the Scorps before Ullrich Roth? I hear a lot of early Scorps sound on Force It (obviously M. Schenker's influence).

Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2007 5:54 pm
by Winder
Schenker on a Les Paul with the Scorpions in '72:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nTGTCSGj30

First solo at about 2:00 on this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Blvnoao1WO0

Classic UFO tune but MSG version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgY_w6M6Fnc

Kickin-z-azz:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZyCF56N ... re=related

So dayum good, here's the studio version. The Japanese call it "Armed Lady" here. Heh heh ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBsdYcZD ... re=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrRBHO28 ... re=related

Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 10:24 am
by Tone Slinger
I have been listening alot to 'Force It' as well lately too. That album really turned alot of heads. Schenker played brilliantly. I was alway's impressed with "This Kids" power and vibe. He played his ass off. "Between the Walls" also is very moving, with its harmonies and a very melodic/effective bass riff from Pete Way.

I also had problems with Phil Mogg along time ago. He seemed so 'unrhythmic' for lack of a better word. Very rough dude. But, upon 'rediscovering' UFO a few years ago, I grew to appreciate him. For whatever reason, the Mogg, Way,Parker, Schenker line up (Raymond as well) made some very good music. It tripped me out when I first aquired some live footage of UFO from the 70's. Mogg seemed to be hyped up a bit on coke, as did the rest of the band. Schenker was moving more too. Regardless, UFO were a great band.