Proto-Metal Report: Scorpions - Fly To The Rainbow

 
 

I've been totally negligent in listening to new music lately. In about 2 weeks my schedule is going to allow me to listen to more of the great stuff that I've been sent to check out for Ripple reviews but in the meantime, here's a proto-metal report about the album I've been playing a lot lately. Everyone knows I'm a huge fan of the Uli Roth era Scorpions and recently a friend gifted me with a vinyl copy of this album in all it's RCA budget label glory. It's such a great album and this copy is extremely clean. My remastered CD sounds great, the mp3's on my iPod are perfect for blasting in the car but LP is where it's at for this underrated 1974 psychedelic hard rock gem.

Scorpions released their tripped out, almost Krautrock debut Lonesome Crow in 1972 but when guitarist Michael Schenker left to join UFO, the band broke up. Founding Scorp guitarist Rudy Schenker and vocalist Klaus Meine teamed up with the incredible Uli Roth and the rhythm section of his band Dawn Road to form a new superpower. They eventually rebranded themselves as Scorpions and and recorded Fly To The Rainbow.

Side one's opener "Speedy's Coming" starts off with some vintage Stratocaster whammy torture from Uli before the rest of the band blasts in. It must have been a shock for anyone expecting the dreamy grooves of the previous album. Klaus' vocals are much more aggressive and his lyrics on this song have always been a great source of entertainment for me. "You like David Bowie & friends at the Royal Albert Hall" is a classic inside joke/put down amongst a small circle of my friends. The song is no joke, however, just kick ass 70's hard rock with incredible guitar playing. This is a great example of a guitar team that works well together. Rudy's tight rhythm guitar blends so well with Uli's virtuoso leads. "They Need A Million" starts off with Uli on acoustic guitar and ballad-ish vocals from Klaus. After about a minute Rudy fires up a strong riff and Uli's lead gets doubled by some proggy synths. The real surprise is that Rudy takes his a turn as lead vocalist with Klaus backing him up. "Drifting Sun" is Uli's chance to show off all of his best Hendrixisms. Killer wah-wah licks and his laid back Jimi-delic vocals. Klaus joins in on the chorus and Rudy sings the psychedelic bridge through some kind of rotating speaker effect. All of this is just a build up for an outstanding groove that Uli's guitar soars over. It's about 8 minutes long but could easily have been longer. Play this for your snobby Krautrock friends and don't tell them who it is until after the song's over. They'll freak! Side one wraps up with the slow, bluesy "Fly People Fly" that was co-written by Klaus and Michael Schenker.

Flip it over and "This Is My Song" fades in from mid-jam into a solid mid-tempo heavy rocker. "Far Away" is the type of ballad that would become a Scorpions trademark. Written by the usual Kluas/Rudy team it also features contributions from Michael. The title track ends the album with a 9 minute epic. It's also the only song co-written by Michael Schenker and Uli Roth. Michael probably wrote it before he quit for UFO and Scorpions wisely decided to hang on to it. Part of the acoustic intro also show's up on UFO's "Crystal Light" on their album Phenomenon (also released in 1974). Uli must have finished the music and clearly wrote the words, even though Klaus sings it. There's some great twin guitar parts that pre-date Thin Lizzy's harmonies and it's obvious that young Steve Harris was taking notes for future use in Iron Maiden. Uli's guitar playing is once again incredible and the live version on Tokyo Tapes is even better.

Fly To The Rainbow often gets overlooked compared to the more hard rocking In Trance, Virgin Killer or Taken By Force. As a metal youth it was the one I listened to the least but has grown to be a real favorite of mine over the years. It sounds great alongside Sad Wings of Destiny by Judas Priest, Rainbow Rising, UFO's Phenomenon and Thin Lizzy's Nightlife. You have all of those, right?

--Woody

Michael Schenker – Temple of Rock

Having recently reviewed the latest super effort from UFO, it only seems fitting that I turn my Ripple gaze towards former-bandmate/crazy guitarist’s new album, Temple of Rock.  After all, Michael and UFO will be forever linked on the strength of their early-mid ‘70’s output--some of the best rock of the time.

Now, Michael Schenker for me as a solo artist has always been a hit or miss proposition.  Some albums positively cook, while others . . . well,  . . .  don’t.  A friend once told me that buying a MSG record was “a lot of waiting around for the guitar solo.”   And I get it.  Without Mogg, Schenker’s songs were patchwork at best. The last Schenker album I’d picked up was the decidedly mediocre Be Aware of Scorpions with a hillbilly bearded and disheveled Schenker on the cover, looking daze and confused.  Now, Schenker’s battles with his demons has been well-chronicled, as has his problems with alcoholism, and I’m not going to go into those, other than to say that Schenker’s peace of mind clearly has an impact on the quality of the album being produced. 

So, having said that, it’s great to see Schenker, looking fit and trim on the cover of Temple of Rock—his muscles ripped, his flying V held aloft as if a sacrifice to the Gods.    The inside photo that the cover was drawn from confirms this.  Schenker looks healthy and strong.  That’s a good sign. 

Seeing the list of artists contributing to the album is another good sign.  The main band consists of a “Who’s Who” of Schenker’s career with Pete Way on bass, Wayne Findlay on Keys and Herman “the German” on drums.  UFO, MSG and Scorpions represented right off the bat.  Way cool.  I’m not going to guess about the politics that had Way performing on Temple of Rock, but not UFO’s Seven Deadly, I’m just going to enjoy this all-star band.   Add to that, contributions from UFO-alum, Paul Raymond, Michael’s brother/Scorpion Rudolf Schenker, Former-Rainbow keyboardist Paul Airey, the bass of Neil Murray and some drum adds from Carmine Appice, Simon Philips, and Chris Slade and we have a who’s who of 70’s-80’s AOR rock.  Tasty.

So, the big question is; how does it all sound?  And the answer is a resounding “kick ass.”   Man, at times Schenker sounds more brilliant than he has in decades.  Songs like “End of an Era” find the mad axeman rejuvenated and brimming with passion.  Just about as mean as I’d ever heard him play.  The riff is nasty and carnivorous, ready to eat right through your cranium.   Carmine Appice and Elliot Rubinson drive that song from the rear while Airey drops in some tasty Hammond B3 organ.  But most important, the song is about Schenker and he doesn’t disappoint.  Fills and riffs and screeches and solos fly from the German’s fingers like the good ol’ days.  Positively testosterone raged and inspired.  And as always, at this best, no one solos like Schenker.  A mighty combination of flying speed and control of melody.  Overall, the song is fast and furious. 

“Fallen Angel” also has a beefy Schenker riff played with flair and style all leading up to “that” guitar solo.   “How Long” also tears right out of the starting gate, charging along on the back of Schenker’s guitar.  Then, in a really cool moment of inspiration, “How Long” gets a reprise at the end of the album in a monstrously extended jam version called “How Long” (3 Generations Guitar Battle Version)”  And the song is just that.  Bring in Michael Amott and the legendary Leslie West, let them loose with Schenker in a call-and-response assault and we got a guitar freak out to make fanboys drool.  If you’re like me, you’ll be listening to each frame, trying to identify each guitarists contribution.  Note by note.

“Hanging On” is another standout track with its slow build over Schenker’s stuttering riff.  We got the main band here with Raymond and Rudolf joining in.  And it all works.  The song propels itself with a meaty bite and some killer guitar work.  This song also features the best performance of producer/songwriter and vocalist Michael Voss, with his thin, raspy voice working perfectly with Schenker’s guitar.

But this also brings us to the major weakness of the album.  Voss may have done a helluva job producing the album, and for the most part, his songwriting contributions are solid (there are some blasé filler songs here) but to my ears, he’s just not the right vocalist for this album.  Not that there’s anything wrong with his singing.  Hell, he sings better than I could.  I’m just not a fan.  There’s something generic in his tone, a distinct lack of distinction.  On some other album, that may not be such a downside.  But with Schenker playing so inspired, Voss’s vocals stand out for me as not living up to the promise.

Never is this made more clear than on “Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead,” where Doogie White steps up to the microphone.  Holy crap!  I didn’t know I was a Doogie White fan, but damn, does he blow it apart here.  Now we got it going.  A strong powerful voice, channeling the best of Dio on this track.  And that to some killer keyboard fills and another inspired Schenker run and we get a glimpse what the whole album could’ve sounded like.  Man, if only White had sung the whole thing.  Later, when Robin McAuley rejoins his old partner on “Lover’s Sinfony” we get that same sort of feeling.  Not as strong as White (and the song’s not nearly as good as “Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead) McAuley nonetheless brings more of a voice to the song and helps it to soar.  If either singer had taken the lead, this may rank as one of the best Schenker albums ever.  As it is, it’s still a damn good album, just not quite to it’s potential.

Still, it’s great to have Schenker back.  May the mad German axeman stay healthy and continue to reign over his Temple of Rock.

--Racer

UFO - Seven Deadly

Anyone who has ever loved the sound of a crushing electric riff, a perfect melody, a rousing chorus, rough-hew, soulful vocals, or a guitar solo so freaking fast and dynamic that it makes your eyeballs water, needs no introduction to UFO. After more than 40 years in the business, these crazy Brits have earned their place in the honored halls of rock and roll, both for their music and their mad antics. So let's cut to the chase shall we.

UFO's last album, The Visitor was, without a doubt, the best UFO album since the band reformed with Vinnie Moore for You Are Here, which was the best UFO album since the short-lived Schenker reunion Walk On Water, which in turn was the best UFO album since the vastly under-rated Paul "Tonka" Chapman days. You want it shorter than that? The Visitor was one great rock and roll record, and it deserved to climb right up there near the top of UFO's vast cannon of great albums.

But you can't please everybody.  I heard some people complaining that it didn't "sound" like a UFO record.  Too bluesy.  Not riffy and rocky enough. Whine, whine, whine.

Welcome to Seven Deadly.

As if in direct response to these "critics" (people who refuse to let a band grow in whichever direction they choose, but no, they MUST sound the way I want them to!), UFO come raging back with the latest installment in the Vinnie Moore-era UFO, and they sound positively pissed.  Reinvigorated since the joining of Moore, UFO sound  re-energized here, like they've somehow unlocked the code and opened the fricking rock-and-roll fountain of youth. Bustling with energy, punch, and verve. Ready to rock the shit outta you or kick your face in. You choose which.

There's still a now-familiar blues-y vibe to the album but there's also a string of pure, kick-to-the-balls rocking.

The jump in adrenaline is evident from the very first track. "Fright Night," kicks off with a straight-forward, simple-yet-mean, riff that cuts right through the mix, like the kinda riff  UFO have explored so successfully in the past on songs like "Too Hot To Handle," or "Only You Can Rock Me." Think of this song following in the same vein, and from there I promise you, I will make no more references to UFO songs of the past. It's the easiest thing to do, refer back to some song on Lights Out or Obsession for reference, but the truth is, this album is so strong it should be the point of reference for future albums. Mogg's voice layers on top of the sounding more textured, more soulful, more plaintive than in recent memory. This is full-on charging UFO, crushing riffs held together tightly by an instantly catchy melody, all leading up to that chorus that will just lift you right outta your chair and in this case, thank God for salvation.

Moore's guitar work is dead on. Moore is a shredder in the best sense of the word, and most importantly, fully adept at melody. When he wants to bust out, he can wail into a jaw dropping solo, notes flying faster than spit flying from an auction barker's mouth. Then he can drop into a perfect acoustic passage, shoot off some harmonics or crush your cerebellum with the strength of his riffs. Moore's tone isn't so much reminiscent of Schenker as it is more indicative of the classic UFO sound, and yes, the band has been around long enough to declare that they have a sound all their own. God bless em.

UFO without Schenker was always a dicey affair (except for the previously mentioned Chapman years) because Mogg needs that guitar energy to set his songs ablaze. At the same time, Schenker showed us with his solo career that he needed Mogg's sense of craft and melody to create a memorable tune. It was that combative chemistry that always fueled the band's best work, and with Moore in place, Mogg seems once and for all to have found that perfect foil. Power and melody. Sizzling chops and structure. Perfect. Absolutely fucking perfect.

"Wonderland," spits out next with a fast-paced rocker in the "Lights Out" vein.  Spirited and mean, this song absolutely chugs with passion, belying the boys advancing years.   Moore comes up with a closed-fist attack of a riff, the band is tight as the glue holding Donald Trumps toupee in place, and Mogg proves once and for all that he's lost none of his fight or passion.  Play this one live and it woulda fit comfortably on their classic Strangers in the Night.  A future classic UFO song, one that our children will one day ask us if we remember it when it first came out. Then, lest you think the boys are blowing their wad too early, "Mojo Town," tears out on the back of a fierce and twisted blues riff.  Mogg sounds great, reminding us once and for all that he's always been one of rock's most unheralded vocalists. Moore's tone is dead-on, and I'll tell you, the return of "no neck" Andy Parker on the drums seems to be the final ingredient necessary to drive these chaps over the top. The only ingredient missing was the presence of legendary bass player, Pete Way.

"Angel Station," follows next, in the absolutely classic UFO power-ballad vein, like "Out on the Streets." Delicately plucked strings start it off amongst a symphonic background, then the whole thing explodes into a melodic guitar ballad that could make a grown man cry.  Paul Raymond's work, always the glue that held the band together, fills in here, leading the track into perfect hard rock territory.  Melodic rock for the ages, by one of the bands to first create the genre. Power and beauty all wrapped up into one track.

"Year of the Gun," jumps right back into the Mississippi swamp, while "The Last Stone Rider," nails a down-and-dirty mutated, menacing blues number. Another standout track, Mogg sounds positively charged here. "Steal Yourself" is a ballsy blues-rock attack and a killer album cut, while "Burn Your House Down," rocks with a dark menace, smoldering under the intense melody.  "The Fear" is another pure nitro distorted blues assault with some tasty harmonica licks and rollicking guitar.

And the album continues from there all the way to "Waving Good Bye," a gentle closer, the band mounting their horses and riding off into the sunset.  Although I gotta say, I'm a bit disconcerted by Mogg's very final lyric line.  His last line on the entire album.   "I'm saying good bye, for the very last time."  Let's hope that's not a not-so-hidden message for the future. 

For all those naysayers out there who claim that UFO haven't unleashed a great album since Walk On Water, open your ears.  Here's another brand new, fresh burst of classic UFO. Building upon their past, not revisiting it.

Misty green and blue forever.

--Racer

Ripple Theater - UFO/MSG Rockpalast DVD's

Are you ready to rock? Hot n ready? Armed and ready? Then you are ready to for these two new kick ass DVD’s to rock your television into the ground. Rockpalast (Rock Palace) is a German music TV show that’s been around since 1974 and they’re starting to release some of their historic concerts. Yours truly has already drooled all over the ZZ Top and Thin Lizzy releases here on Ripple but this double dose of primo heavy rock is a major cause for celebration.

First up is UFO live, loud, proud and drunk in Dortmund, Germany from November 1980. True, that means no Michael Schenker or Paul Raymond but the excellent Paul Chapman is on lead guitar and this is the tour supporting the solid No Place To Run album. Starting off with the high energy “Lettin’ Go” UFO comes out blazing. Chapman doesn’t have the charisma of Michael Schenker but his fiery playing is terrific and it gives Pete Way an excuse to jump around even more than usual. Watching vintage Pete Way in action, it’s obvious what a big influence he was on Steve Harris and Nikki Sixx, not only in his playing but for his awesome stripey jumpsuits. Andy Parker is one of the most underrated drummers in rock. He’s hard hitter with a huge sound and never overplays. Neil Carter does a fine job on rhythm guitar and keyboards and mainly stays out of the way. Phil Mogg is in excellent voice and his tipsy in between song banter is always entertaining. There are some great shots of the crowd. Some 13 year old little shit loves flipping the bird to the camera every time it gets near him. Classic.

The entire UFO concert is great but does drag a bit in the middle with a few too many slower songs like “No Place To Run,” “Making Moves,” and “Love To Love” all in a row. Luckily they wake everyone up with their blistering cover of “Mystery Train,” one of the highlights from the No Place To Run album. Old favorites like “Only You Can Rock Me,” “Lights Out,” “Doctor Doctor,” and of course “Rock Bottom” kick major ass. Chapman really scorches on “Rock Bottom” and proves he was probably the only guy who could replace Schenker in this classic band. (Lots of people forget that he actually played side by side with him in the short lived twin axe attack UFO line up of 1974).

Watching UFO in 1980 is the perfect warm up for the Michael Schenker Group 1981 live show. What a band! You get Paul Raymond on guitar & keyboards, Chris Glen from the Sensational Alex Harvey Band on bass and Cozy Powell on powerhouse drums. The only weak link, unfortunately, is vocalist Gary Barden. He sounds good on the opening number “Armed & Ready” but not long after that it’s obvious his voice is pretty shot. He’s not really a great frontman, either. Despite a lot of cracked notes, Schenker rescues the concert with superb playing. On a good night there are few guitarists that can come close to his tough yet melodic playing. It’s incredible what that guy can do with just a Gibson Flying V, a wah-wah pedal and FOUR STACKS of 50 watt Marshall amps.

In 1981, only the first MSG album was out so the best songs from that like “Cry For the Nations,” “Victim of Illusions” and “Into The Arena” get played alongside UFO standards “Natural Thing,” “Doctor Doctor” and “Lights Out.” It’s a lot of fun to compare these versions with the ones on the UFO DVD. Schenker and Phil Mogg never got along too well but they did make a great team. As much as I love Andy Parker, it’s too bad they never built a super UFO with Mogg, Schenker, Chapman, Cozy, Paul Raymond and Pete Way. These 2 DVD’s is the closest we’ll ever get. Get a 15 pack of Strohs and tell the old lady to hit the road when you bring these home. Tell me your ready to ROCK!!

 --Woody

Buy here:  UFO - Rockpalast: Hardrock Legends Vol. 1
buy here CD: Rockpalast: Hardrock Legends 1
buy here mp3: Rockpalast: Hardrock Legends Vol. 1

Buy here: Michael Schenker Group - Rockpalast: Hardrock Legends Vol. 2
Buy here CD: Rockpalast: Hard Rock Legends Vol. 2
Buy here mp3: Rockpalast: Hardrock Legends Vol. 2