Michael Schenker - My Years With UFO - New Album Review

[@kenkramer6761]

Michael Schenker is a absolute beast on guitar

[@Tuinuiski]

Thank you for bringing this new album to my attention. Love (to love) UFO!

[@BrendonSnyder]

My pleasure! Glad you Love To Love them too! So do I.

[@simonevans1838]

I am a huge UFO fan and interviewed Michael in 1978 during on of many scuffles with Phil Mogg. The end was obviously written on the wall. That ‘78 gig completely blew me away ans still reverberates to this day. One of rocks truly great players. The album leaves me rather cold in as much that while Axel Rose and everyone gives it their best shot, nobody will ever sing UFO numbers like the legendary Phil Mogg. Their rift was such a great pity and UFO would have dominated the rock scene for a long time. A very good album indeed but it just ain’t UFO. Keep on rockin’ Michael.

[@gregboboski9904]

I agree , I prefer his writing with Mogg. That was a winning combination as opposed to some of the mediocre metal singers of his solo stuff [ there are good ones too ]

[@2loud2oldmusic]

Great review Brendon. I think this album is great. Can't wait for my CD to arrive. I'm on a UFO kick as I just bought the box set and now I am getting Mogg's Motel too! Lot's of UFO in my future!

[@jeffreyyannuzzi4832]

Love your review. I heard Love To Love today with Axl and thought it was horrible

[@BrendonSnyder]

😂

[@petercrisp-i5z]

that is so funny i must admit i am not a fan although i did buy the Use Your Illusion albums when they came out & saw them live around 1998 or thereabouts and a crowd of 75,000 in Australia

[@IraSiegel]

Funny, I think it's one of the best on the album and I'm no big G N' R fan.

[@petercrisp-i5z]

well i did buy the Use Your Illusion albums upon release & bought 7 copies which i purchased for some people @ work, they were wrapped, saw the massive tour in Australia i think it was 1997 or 1998, with an estimate of 75,000 fans, & for some reason it took 2 hours to find my car!

[@mikeblakeslee3753]

This UFO album is how you go out , thank,s Michael, this is the best album related this year, AXL

[@Kouros-t6d]

Great album of one of the best guitar players of all times, I would had put two other songs from Obsession : pack it up and you don't fool me....absolute GEMS!

[@kennethhardbargeriii2798]

Thanks for the review lot of great singers I'm going to get for my two favorite gnr guys .

[@BruceCochrane-g8e]

Thanks for the review! It’s amazing how well the vocalists match up for the songs they are singing. Saw Michael Schenker Fest in 2018 and worked great with 4 singers so the more the merrier! I hope this album brings in a bunch of new fans for UFO and Michael Schenker. Speaking of another MSG singer Graham Bonnet is touring US and will be seeing him in concert next week. Will be fun to hear MSG, Rainbow, Alcatrazz and GBB songs live!

[@javier8218]

I saw Bonnet live last year and I also got to meet him, what a voice and what a nice person!

[@deborahcutler7510]

Michael will be touring next year..

[@paulfitzpatrick6566]

I’m A Loser is an excellent UFO Michael Schenker rocker. The outro solo,is superlative, as is the outro solo on Love To Love. Saw UFO live at the Astoria Theatre London on the Walk On Water tour. Excellent album & live performance. Schenker, as usual, was on fire. Best melodic & talented guitarist in the last 50 years, & iv seen Alex Lifeson live with Rush twice, Gary Moore, Steve Vai, Vinnie Moore on the You Are Here Tour, Larry McCray another Flying V aficionado, Tony Iommi with Sabbath & RJD, Matthias Jabs a highly underrated guitarist with Scorpions live twice, & Rudolf S who can’t hold a candle to Michael, yet struts around on stage like he’s the number one man!! Michael Schenker plenty of times with MSG. No one writes guitar chords & riffs like MS, & he’s unmatched at solo work.

[@scottshanley1244]

Dee Snider sounds great on Natural Thing, great album

[@joeallegra556]

Micheal rejoined -U-F-O- for a few more releases. Walk On Water, Sharks, and Covenant.

[@stefhan4667]

...and at least Walk on Water is on the quality level of the 70s releases!

[@treff9226]

Walk On Water smokes! ​@@stefhan4667

[@petercrisp-i5z]

& on the way Obsession special edition due just around the corner

[@Andy-bz7ow]

I'm really liking this album!! I like that it follows the tracking order of Strangers in the Night

[@andrewharrison4910]

Wouldn't it be awesome if you had the opportunity to interview Michael with regards to this release and other upcoming projects...🤘

[@BrendonSnyder]

The door is always open

[@IraSiegel]

Excellent album top to (rock) bottom.

[@BanalayerPete1972]

Enjoyed the review, thank you. Phil Mogg, though, is more soulful than almost any other rock singer. He's anything but metal. Quasi-operatic vocals just don't suit UFO songs. Biff Byford is great with and for Saxon, but sounds odd here. Joe Lynn Turner's voice sounds nowhere near as good as it did on his own early-2000s cover of Doctor Doctor. I think Axl, Joey Tempest, Erik Gronwall and Michael Voss get the Mogg "vibe" well, and no track sounds weak. Michael's playing is, as always, fantastic, and hearing Roger Glover playing Pete Way's basslines on Only You Can Rock Me (Purple and UFO being two of my Top 5 bands) was a special treat.

[@eddiepardee8307]

While Schenker is rehashing old classic UFO, and not very well, Phil Mogg just released his best album since Sign of 4.

[@BrendonSnyder]

Schenker is always releasing albums of new original music. I think he can be afforded to look back and re-record some classics for one album. While I love the new Mogg’s Motel, it’s an entirely different animal and can’t be compared.

[@mattmarino8248]

Great review, thanks

[@001gryyk6]

アクセルのLove To Love を酷評するコメントを多く見るけど、俺はこの曲を期待せずに試聴して、感動で泣いてしまった。とても良いと思う。何度も繰り返し聴いてる。この曲はオリジナルのフィル・モグ以外は上手く歌いこなせないと思っていたけど、アクセルに感謝する。なんかエフェクトは変だなとは思ったけど、最初はね。

[@JohannesYtterstrom]

Brendon Schenker ;) This will be an interesting listen!

[@jimmyagates]

Axl should be locked up for destroying Love To Love - absolutely horrendous. Mogg is untouchable and no one Schenker has worked with since has been worthy to fill his shoes.

[@BrendonSnyder]

I have to disagree with the entire statement. But then that’s just my opinion.

[@paulfitzpatrick6566]

Apart from Robin McCauley. Otherwise yes. 👍

[@mikeblakeslee3753]

Your mind was made up before you ever heard, this version, 2 bad,

[@paulfitzpatrick6566]

@@mikeblakeslee3753 tbh, iv listened to the entire 50th UFO MS anniversary album several times. Axl Rose’s rendition of Love To Love does not merit people tearing his vocal performance to shreds. He’s not Phil Mogg nor does he pretend to be. Conversely, I downloaded from iTunes Mogg’s Motel, you can’t tell that PM is in his mid 70’s, his voice & energy is as it was in the UFO Michael Schenker/Vinnie Moore days. I’d say, he has more depth in his song writing. The album also is superb, every song is beautifully arranged & crafted. Tommy Gentry’s guitar work is awesome.

[@jasongnrfan7374]

I hope we get the other Axl songs

[@BrendonSnyder]

Axl didn’t like his performance and only approved the one song Love To Love. I would assume Michael never even heard them as Axl probably next sent them since he was not happy with it. But who knows.

[@jasongnrfan7374]

@@BrendonSnyder Yeah but he might work on them

[@samkeepintherockalive]

Awesome, can't wait to get the CD! As far as UFO being over, well maybe MS can be a guess guitarist on Mogg's solo albums.

[@BrendonSnyder]

There is a reason Michael Schenker hasn’t been in UFO in over 25 years.

[@samkeepintherockalive]

@@BrendonSnyder Yeah, that's a good point. I didn't think about that. But, Michael has always been kind of odd. Hey man, have you bought the new UFO 3 CD pack of Covenant+Sharks? It's a reissue & remastered version with a 3rd disc of a live concert from Buffalo, NY in 1995. It sounds really good!!👍

[@BrendonSnyder]

I already had all 3 discs so no need to buy it. And Michael is a bit of an odd bird!to say the least and you never know what he’ll do or say about someone. He and his brother were supposed to record an entire album together but then he blew that up when talking smack about his brother and who wrote what in Scorpions during his time in the band. Regardless of his personality I still like his music.

[@3to5andglassy]

Slash did lead parts on Mother Mary. Schenker plays lead on it also.

[@BrendonSnyder]

And?

[@paulfitzpatrick6566]

@@BrendonSnyderAnd Slash plays very well on the track.

[@hansvandenheuvel4467]

Nice review Brendon though I really disagree on Axl Rose 😉. I'm not an Axl Rose fun and I really don't understand Michael having him sing Love to love. Thank god we have the original on the Strangers in the Night album.

[@BrendonSnyder]

You telling me you’re not an Axl Rose fan says it all. If you’re not a fan you’re not going to like his voice. I get it.

[@travisbruce1775]

The problem with rerecording perfect songs is you will never do them better: having said that, I enjoy listening to this album. Michael does an excellent job respecting the original but bringing the songs up to date. I'm not a fan of any of the vocalists Michael used but I respect that they respected the songs and didn't try to record them in a way that brought the attention to them instead of the songs. I would give this album an 8. It blows away today's music but is not as good as the originals.

[@BrendonSnyder]

I don’t think Michael’s intention was to “better” the original versions. It was just a way for him to look back and take stock with a bunch of his friends.

[@tapanim6576]

😎👍

[@sergefernandez3395]

Bonjour de la France brendon. Le billet d'avion va te coûter cher pour aller voir axel rose chanter avec le groupe de Michael shenker 😂. Au revoir et bonne journée brendon 😊.

[@CrueLoaf]

What the album does highlight is just how damn good Phil Mogg is as a vocalist. All these paid guests are trying too hard and some of the vocal performances are shocking! Phil Mogg sounded effortless.

[@SPak-rt2gb]

Sham he still has a grudge against Phil Mogg and didn't invite him to do a song or two. The album is just okay at best for me.

[@BrendonSnyder]

It wouldn’t make sense for Phil to appear otherwise it would just be replicating the original and what fun would that be? Regardless I don’t think he still holds a grudge. In recent interviews he said he’d still like to play a farewell show with Phil and Andy, the remaining original members who are still alive. I could see it happening except that Phil had said no farewell shows were going to happen but then he was referring to the last lineup and not a show with Michael. That might change his mind.

[@rocketrod1444]

I wanted to dig this album big time ... but after a few listens was disappointed , I'de give it a 5/10 only you can rock me and rock bottom with Kai Hansen were ok even Axel Rose gets a pass for love to love ... and J.S.S on lights out made me laugh with 'lights out lights out lundern .. any ways good review Brendon 👍

[@derekfranco2913]

Out unboxing??

[@BrendonSnyder]

What?

[@derekfranco2913]

@@BrendonSnyder Are you going to unboxing this CD??

[@BrendonSnyder]

CD isn’t out yet which is why there was no “unboxing” included. Since the review is already done, there will not be a separate unboxing.

[@rainerpawellek1292]

How can you present this and forget the Walk on water album? I like your preview though even as you seem to care more about the "great" guests. UFO was Pete Way, Phil Mogg and.....Michael Schenker but it was Schenker who made them a heavy metal (one of the greatest) bands.

[@BrendonSnyder]

This album doesn’t cover that reunion era of the band which is why I didn’t focus on it very much. Additionally the albums center point are all the guests which is why I discussed them. This is a review after all.

[@rainerpawellek1292]

@@BrendonSnyder OK

[@rainerpawellek1292]

@@BrendonSnyder It's just that I came about some guns and roses fans and others who didn't know a thing about UFO or the influence Schenker had and have.

[@OnkMar]

Go to him live in 2025

[@jacintofragoso1211]

Holy shit Axl Rose really butchers that song😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

[@dkpitt3912]

I am such a huge fan of Michael Schenker and his time in UFO. That being said, this album sonically sounds awful. Beyond amateur. Whoever produced engineered and mix this record should hang it up and I know that this reviewer is saying really great things about the vocalist on this, but most of them sound awful.

[@chrisklingman2283]

I agree! I think almost all of the vocalist sound awful. What the hell happened to Joe Lyn Turners voice? Axl sounds awful as usual.

[@dkpitt3912]

@@chrisklingman2283 And who puts a studio record that sounds like it was recorded in a warehouse? Overly compressed too. What a wasted opportunity.

[@BanalayerPete1972]

@@chrisklingman2283: Joe Lynn Turner sounds like a generic metal screecher on this album. I wouldn't've known he was singing by hearing it alone! He sang Dr Dr better for his own covers album, but that was in 2001.

[@chrisklingman2283]

@@BanalayerPete1972 I am glad I listened to this album online before purchasing. Love UFO but this album sucks! Love the new Moggs Motel Lp.Check it out!

[@ronaldsmith1484]

Axel sucks on that song dude!

[@BrendonSnyder]

I disagree and think you’re probably just not a fan of his vocals

[@ronaldsmith1484]

@BrendonSnyder his voice is not there anymore just listen

[@BrendonSnyder]

I did listen but I think you’re being dismissive. I never said he sounds like Axl from 1987. Bet your don’t sound like your prime either. No one said he has to sound like he did on Appetite. But it’s still a good song and he still sings it’s well. If you don’t like it that’s fine. But what is the point of trashing him saying it sucks? Wouldn’t your time be better spent talking about things you enjoy instead of being negative?

[@ronaldsmith1484]

@BrendonSnyder Lighten up,it's cool I heard the album ,it's one of the worst tracks,ask others!

[@stew6518]

Musically great but the vocals are 🤬

[@BrendonSnyder]

What’s wrong with the vocals? You don’t like any of the guest singers?

[@stew6518]

@@BrendonSnyder it’s a preference, I guess. In there own bands each is fine but singing these songs very few pull it off. Phil Mogg isn’t easy to follow. Robin McCauley is the only one that comes anywhere near, and he’s not on this.

[@shawnmcclanahan]

I agree with that axl was horrible the vocals sound like he was singing in a trash cans who was the producer he sucks

[@BrendonSnyder]

Certainly not me, I didn’t say anything of the sort. Look if they really were “horrible” as you say, do you think Michael would have included the song? Come on be realistic. Just because you don’t like someone doesn’t make what they do horrible. It’s just not your cup of tea.

[@FURDOG1961]

2:10 Brendon, you mean the live album isn't totally live? What songs and why?

[@3to5andglassy]

This Kids and Mother Mary were recorded live in the studio with the crowd noise piped in. Why, I don't know?

[@BanalayerPete1972]

@@3to5andglassy: Going by bootlegs from '77/'78, they didn't play those songs, or I'm a Loser, regularly. Ron Nevison said, "We're two songs short!", so they recorded MM and TK's in the studio and crowd sounds were dubbed on. You'd never guess. It just happened that they had played I'm a Loser on the US dates.