The Michael Schenker Group – The Michael Schenker Group (1980)


 

Artist: The Michael Schenker Group

Title: The Michael Schenker Group

Label: Chrysalis

Format: LP

Cat: PV 41302

Year of Release: 1980

Country and Year of Edition: US 1981

Date of Sale: 9/3/23

Sell Price: $8.59

Condition: VG+/VG+ with inner sleeve

Discogs Last Sold: 12/24/22 VG+/VG+ $7.99

Low: $2.99 VG/G+ 5/1/21

Median: $7.99

Average: $7.89

High: $13.00 VG+/VG 8/2/22

Current low price: $9.99 VG+/VG+ 

Current Number on Sale at Discogs: 8

Have/Want: 98/17

Where Sold: Las Vegas, NV

Time It Took To Sell:  2  years

Where and When Bought: internet lot

Gwiz-gau Letter Grade:  B+

Sad To See It Go: No

This is undoubtedly Michael Schenker's post-UFO calling card, his solo debut.  My friend Kenny has this in his A-tier for all eternity, and he convinced me to get this first on CD remaster in the late 90's so even though I ignored it in it's day, I've been heavily exposed to it for decades now.  This early 80's reissue was bought in a hard rock lot on the internet a couple years back.  Perhaps even in the same one that brought the Stormbringer album that Kenny also reveres.

So anyway the tracks that are stamped in my brain from seeing Schenker every few years over the past 20 are the openers "Armed and Ready" and the instrumental "Into The Arena."  Those two are undeniable.  Of the rest the best of the rest are top loaded on the first side--"Cry For The Nations" and "Victim of Illusion."  After the Scorpions-esque "Looking Out From Nowhere,"  Side 2 meanders a little bit for me, no fault of the main player but my eyes will glaze over on "Tales of Mystery" the way they did on Deep Purple's "Soldier of Fortune."   "Lost Horizons" is a bit better because of the ending solo.  No surprise this was a Roger Glover production, since he had his hands in the best of the genre throughout the 70's.  There is a driving metal chug that could easily be placed alongside later 70's Judas Priest.

British vocalist Gary Barden was the singer on this one and he definitely has an AOR voice on the tougher side, but there weren't any radio hits I  can remember.  This peaked in the US at #100 on Billboard and the follow-up did a little better.  This was definitely for guitar heads and maybe did a little better in the Mid-West, thought the Northeast certainly loves it's Guitar Gods.  

The pride of Sarstedt, Germany.



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