It’s been subtle but Michael Schenker’s career came under scrutiny in recent years: there were reissues of UFO albums with him on – plus, the guitarist’s own album of the band’s classics – and a couple of box sets of his ensemble’s studio records. And now there’s a six-disc collection of the MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP‘s concert recordings is ready to be out on April 3rd. Titled “Live & Ready: 1980-1984” and including both previously released and yet-unheard cuts, it focuses on the two periods when Gary Barden was fronting the line-up.
While a couple of discs in the set are dedicated to a Japan show documented on 1982’s “One Night At Budokan” and one to a London performance commemorated on “Rock Will Never Die” in 1984, the latter – featuring Michael’s former colleagues in SCORPIONS, his brother Rudolf and Klaus Meine – has been expanded to include all the pieces played on that night and also made available on a DVD, the last item in this box. Factor in an early Manchester gig from 1980 and another Tokyo concert, from 1984, that fans could get only on a Japanese laserdisc, add in liner notes by Martin Popoff who interviewed Schenker specially for it, and the results look teasing to say the least.
Live & Ready:
1980-1984
CD 1 – Manchester Apollo, Manchester – September 30th, 1980:
1. Armed & Ready
2. Cry For The Nations
3. Victim Of Illusion
4. Natural Thing
5. Feels Like A Good Thing
6. Into The Arena
7. Looking Out from Nowhere
8. Rock Bottom
9. Tales Of Mystery
10. Lost Horizons
11. Shoot Shoot
12. Doctor Doctor
13. Lights Out
CD 2 – Nippon Budokan, Tokyo – August 12th, 1981 – part 1:
1. Introduction
2. Armed And Ready
3. Cry For The Nations
4. Attack Of The Mad Axeman
5. But I Want More
6. Victim Of Illusion
7. Into The Arena
CD 3 – Nippon Budokan, Tokyo – August 12th, 1981 – part 2:
1. On And On
2. Never Trust A Stranger
3. Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
4. Tales Of Mystery
5. Cozy Powell Drum Solo
6. Courvoisier Concerto
7. Lost Horizons
8. Doctor Doctor
9. Are You Ready To Rock
CD 4 – Hammersmith Odeon, London – October 22nd-23rd, 1983:
1. Captain Nemo
2. Rock My Nights Away
3. Ready To Rock
4. Cry For The Nations
5. Rock You To The Ground
6. Attack Of The Mad Axeman
7. Into The Arena
8. Courvoisier Concerto
9. Rock Will Never Die
10. Desert Song
11. I’m Gonna Make You Mine
12. Red Sky
13. Looking For Love
14. Armed And Ready
15. Little Devil
16. Doctor, Doctor
17. Thank You
Live & Ready:
1980-1984
CD 5 – Seibu Stadium, Tokyo – August 12th, 1984:
1. Captain Nemo
2. Rock My Nights Away
3. Cry For The Nations
4. On And On
5. Lipstick Traces
6. Bijou Pleasurette
7. Into The Arena
8. Courvoisier Concerto
9. Lost Horizons
10. I’m Gonna Make You Mine
11. Armed And Ready
12. Doctor, Doctor
DVD – Hammersmith Odeon, London – October 22nd-23rd, 1983:
1-17 – as on CD 4
