Published on Jan 21, 1999
Even though I spent my teenage years growing up during the
“glory period” of heavy metal, I never really followed Michael
Schenker.
Oh, it’s not to say that I didn’t appreciate the work that he
did with UFO, the Scorpions and his own bands. But for one reason
or another, I didn’t develop the type of hero worship that I did
with other guitarists like Angus Young. Maybe this is why
superstardom a la Eric Clapton never seemed to fall into Schenker’s
grasp, even though he constantly demonstrated his talents on the
Flying “V.”
Case in point: 1996’s
Written In The Sand (which, last I saw, was available only
via import). Recorded with a band who I’d have to call unknowns,
Schenker and crew put forth a valiant effort that deserves your
attention. But if you’re looking for flash and crash, you may be
disappointed.
Schenker and his band — vocalist Leif Sundin, bassist Barry
Sparks, drummer Shane Gaalaas and keyboardist Claude Gaudette —
are as solid a lineup that Schenker has had behind him as ever —
and they occasionally sound a bit like UFO, who, if memory serves
me correctly, recorded
Walk On Water around the same time as this album. There are
no vocal histrionics — but there also is a lack of guitar solos
going at a thousand miles an hour.
Actually, the more of Schenker’s work I listen to, the more I
think I’m realizing that Schenker wasn’t big into throwing a lot of
fancy fluff into his solos. Schenker is more of a melodic soloist
who prefers to stay in the structure of the song, allowing the
whole work to speak for him. Nice idea — though when you’re
considered one of the best guitarists out there, you can’t blame
the listener for expecting some fireworks.
As for the songs on
Written In The Sand (produced by Ron Nevison), they’re
decent, but not chart-busters. Songs like “Brave New World,” “Back
To Life,” “Love Never Dies” and the title track all show the
talents this band has, as well as the strength of their
songwriting. The problem — and, looking back, it’s a minor one —
is that there’s nothing on this album that knocks my socks off, and
I admit going into this album expecting to be floored often. The
closest they come to this is the unlisted twelfth track, “Cry For
The Nations,” a song that especially shows the strengths of
Schenker as a rhythm guitarist.
The two instrumentals on
Written In The Sand (one intro-ed by a phone message of a
child — Schenker’s? — saying hello to his daddy) are decent, but
they don’t impress me in a way that Schenker’s acoustic
instrumental album
Thank You did. Of course, the diehard Schenker freak will
love every note of these.
Written In The Sand is a decent enough effort, and it does
make me wonder why this disc hasn’t been picked up by some label in
America. True, it may not have material that sets the speakers on
fire… but it does a good smolder, which is better than
nothing.