Michael Schenker/Tokyo,Japan 1981 Upgrade

Once again, a must-listen live documentary for all hard rock/heavy metal fans will be released as a 2-CD set! The performance of THE MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP’s first visit to Japan in August 1981, the premiere performance at Nippon Budokan on August 12th, will be revived with the definitive audience source of Miracle Man recording! RAINBOW’s “AN EVENING IN DECEMBER” and WHITESNAKE’s “LIVEHUNTER” provided sensational topics for fans immediately after their recent release. Now that the shock has not yet worn off, this work will be released again and will be one of the most notable M.S.G. collector’s items! After leaving UFO, Michael Schenker chose the path of a solo career after a short return to SCORPIONS. He invited Gary Barden, Billy Sheehan, Denny Carmassi and others to record sessions and demos, but the initial activities were very unstable due to his own alcohol problems. However, in April 1980, when Michael recovered his health, he produced his first album “THE MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP” with Gary who remained. When the album was released in August, Michael, persuaded by his management, moved forward with his activities with Gary into a full-fledged band. Michael first welcomed his UFO comrade Paul Raymond on keyboards and side guitar, and also succeeded in acquiring Cozy Powell, who had just left RAINBOW. With Cozy’s future after RAINBOW attracting much attention, fans’ attention towards Michael suddenly increased. With Chris Glenn on bass, M.S.G. made a spectacular stage debut on a UK tour in September. As Michael’s solo band had built up a fan base with UFO, the subsequent US tour was also well-received. The band, which had gained momentum from the excellent start, began working on the studio album “MSG” with this lineup in February 1981. After finishing the work in July, they finally realized their first Japan tour prior to the release of the new album. The official live work “ONE NIGHT AT BUDOKAN” (“Flying Legend”), which was performed at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo on August 12, the first day of the Japan tour, left a strong impression on fans. Furthermore, as it is a live performance that will remain in the band’s history, various audience recordings are also known. Recently, the press CD title “PRAISING GOD”, which allows you to listen to the live performance with a high-quality audience source, and the recording of “Cry For The Budokan”, which has a vivid documentary touch, have been released on the Shades label, allowing fans to enjoy the live performance from various aspects. This time, the long-awaited Miracle Man recording joins the lineup! Just like RAINBOW’s “AN EVENING IN DECEMBER,” the sound is realistically captured from the arena seats of the Budokan, capturing not only the performance but also the heat, excitement, and atmosphere of the venue, and packages the previously released characteristics of “realism of the performance” and “documentary-like realism” in an ideal listening experience. (The recording seat is number 29 in row Z, so it is in the front of the rear block to the right of the arena.) This is M.S.G.’s first visit to Japan, and as a Budokan recording, it is of undoubtedly the best quality ever, and you can enjoy a total of 96 minutes of live recording! Immediately after playing the disc, the loudest cheers and applause jump out at the highest level of brightness. And the roar of a helicopter! This helicopter is of course a part of “The Ride Of The Valkyries,” which is used as the opening S.E. The powerful intro you can hear here speaks volumes about the characteristics of this recording, which allows you to relive the Budokan live performance with the utmost realism. When Gary Burden’s unique shout announces the start of the live performance, the hall is once again filled with cheers, and the heated performance begins with “Armed and Ready”! The clarity of the band’s ensemble, backed by the best freshness and condition, and the clear contours that can be heard, are truly Miracle Man quality. Michael’s guitar, which pierces sharply in the solo, is irresistible! Cozy’s drums in particular have a great presence, and from his powerful hitting to each and every small play, he knocks out the listeners with his powerful tone! I think that any enthusiast would already know that due to various reasons such as the members’ poor health and lack of rehearsals, the performance on this day was a little rougher than usual. This feeling will be especially strong for those who have compared the official work “Flying Legend” with the audience recordings already released such as “PRAISING GOD”. However, many fans who actually saw the live at the Budokan at that time recalled that “I didn’t think it was that bad” and “It was fun”. The reason for this is the great excitement captured in this recording. This live, which realized Michael’s long-awaited first visit to Japan, broke the “record of attendance at a Western music concert at the Budokan” recorded by DEEP PURPLE at the end of 1975 for the first time in about six years, proving the growing boom of Western music in Japan. Not only the songs from the first album such as “Cry For The Nations” and “Victim Of Illusion”, but also the new songs such as “Attack Of The Mad Axeman” and “But I Want More” and “On And On” that have not yet been released, the fans at the venue responded with endless cheers and clapping, and the whole show was a whirlpool of excitement. The way the fans at the venue created the live performance will feel more real than any previous recording in this recording. It is true that Gary’s vocals are not high enough and are a bit difficult, but he also sings with a taste in “But I Want More”, “Never Trust A Stranger”, and “Tales Of Mystery”. “Into The Arena”, where Cozy’s drums and Michael’s guitar collide head-on, is overwhelming! The tension-filled first half, the thrilling middle, and the melody in the second half that stirs the listeners’ hearts – the fierce competition between the “strong” Cozy and the “sharp” Michael is something you’ll never tire of, no matter how many times you listen to it (the cheers that rise up after the performance are so moving)! The highlight of this recording is definitely the heavy rhythm of “Let Sleeping Dogs Lie” that shakes the earth, through to Cozy’s drum solo. In particular, Cozy’s solo is visibly filled with the sense of expectation that everyone has been waiting for! The debut of “633 Squadron” is also wonderful, but the cheers at “1812 Overture” make even us who are listening happy. I really admire the taper that left this pattern with outstanding clarity and power! The recording includes every bit of the enthusiastic live performance, from Michael’s “Doctor Doctor” that fans all over Japan have been waiting for, to the last song, “Are You Ready To Rock” (the true ending, which differs from the official live performance, can of course be heard with outstanding sound quality). You will be able to enjoy the best re-experience with a sense of realism as if you were one of the arena seats, right up to the big cheers at the end of the show! Beyond the quality of the performance, the excitement of the audience and the sense of unity created by the passionate performance on stage are full of the fun that is unique to this kind of hard rock live. From the opening to the end, you can enjoy the charm of this work in a super documentary that transcends 30 years of time and space. Here is a super-class one that invites listeners to the Budokan on August 12, 1981, when the hard rock fever in Japan marked an epoch! Live at Budokan, Tokyo, Japan 12th August 1981 TRULY AMAZING/PERFECT SOUND(from Original Masters) Disc 1 (56:21) 1. The Ride Of The Valkyries 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. Member Introduction 8. Into The Arena 9. On And On 10. Never Trust A Stranger 11. Let Sleeping Dogs Lie Disc 2 (40:19) 1. Tales Of Mystery 2. Drum Solo incl. 633 Squadron & 1812 Overture 3. Courvoisier Concerto 4. Lost Horizons 5. Doctor Doctor 6. Are You Ready To Rock