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Born on January 10, 1955, in
Savstedt, Germany, it was Schenker's older brother, Rudolf, who sparked the
youngster's interest in guitar at an early age. Entirely self-taught, Michael
picked up a thing or two from such hard-rocking acts as Wishbone Ash and
Mountain, as well as his older brother, who would offer the youngster money if
he would transcribe certain songs for him while he was at work. As a result of
constant playing, it wasn't long before Schenker showed immense talent with the
instrument, and by the early '70s, joined Rudolf's group, the Scorpions.
Michael appeared on the group's 1972 full-length debut, Lonesome Crow, and
toured with the outfit (all at the age of 17). But it was during the album's
supporting tour that another up-and-coming outfit, UFO, took a keen interest in
the young Schenker and managed to pry the guitarist away from the Scorpions.
(more below) |
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(cont.) Although a language
barrier existed between Schenker and his new bandmates (he barely knew any
English at the time), the guitarist let his playing do the talking, especially
on his first recording with the group, 1974's Phenomenon, which spawned such
metal classics/Schenker showcases as "Doctor Doctor" and "Rock Bottom".
Heavy-duty touring and a pair of further releases, 1975's Force It and 1976's
No Heavy Petting, set the stage perfectly for what UFO hoped would be a global
commercial breakthrough.
The late '70s saw UFO issue a
trio of classic hard rock albums -- 1977's Lights Out, 1978's Obsession, and
especially 1979's outstanding live set, Strangers in the Night -- all of which
made strong showings on the U.S. charts. 1979 saw Schenker's exit from UFO (who
were never the same after his exit) and re-entry into the
Scorpions.
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Michael Schenker pictured
here with his TRIBAL ACOUSTIC
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Free of any other obligations,
Schenker set his sights on a solo career, forming the much famed Michael
Schenker Group immediately thereafter. (Assault Attack is a must own for
serious MSG fans!) 1982 saw Schenker get an invite from Ozzy Osbourne to join
his group immediately after Randy Rhoads' tragic death. This never was
finalized, but despite that, the guitarists in such renowned groups as
Metallica and Def Leppard were quick to voice Schenker's huge
influence.
Throughout the '90s, Schenker
continued to issue solo albums, including 1993's acoustic-based Thank You and
1999's more rock-based Unforgiven, but the real story of the '90s for Schenker
was his re-enlistment into UFO in 1993. Schenker's second go-around with UFO
was brief, yet it did spawn a world tour as well as an all-new studio effort,
1995's Walk on Water. Schenker's pace of issuing solo albums only increased
during the early 21st century, as such titles as 2000's all-instrumental
Adventures of the Imagination, plus a staggering three albums in 2001 alone (MS
2000: Dreams and Expressions, Odd Trio, and Be Aware of Scorpions) saw the
light of day. 2002 saw Schenker sign on with UFO once more for a new album,
Sharks.
~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide |
Dean Classic - The Dean
V
The first models introduced by Dean in 1977
were the V and Z. Like their counterpart the ML, they were designed with the
ultimate in tone, sustain and playability in mind. These models have dramatic
string angles at the bridge and nut and a string thru body design featuring the
original V plate. The added string length created by the exclusive headstock
coupled with the original Dean neck design is how the V achieves its incredible
ease of play. Still offered in their original configuration, the V has
withstood the test of time. |
