Audio CD review:
Michael Schenker - Adventures of the Imagination

Michael Schenker - Adventures of the Imagination

Band: Michael Schenker Title: Adventures of the Imagination Rating: Release Date: 07 March, 2000 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Achtung Fertig, Los 2: Open Gate 3: Adventures Part One: Three Fish Dancing 4: Adventures Part One: Michael Schenker Junior 5: Adventures Part Two: Aardvark In A VW Smoking A Cigar 6: Adventures Part Two: I Want To Be With You 7: Adventures Part Three: Old Man With Sheep On Mars 8: Adventures Part Three: At The End Of The Day 9: Adventures Part Three: Hand In Hand

Customer Reviews Yeah: "good, but not excellent" I read the reviews here, and most of them really praise this CD, and some don't, with one of those saying it rises to the level of good, but not excellent. I like MS and UFO. I figured that anything that got all but unanimous fantastic praising should completely blow me away, even in just 30-second splices. So I just listened to samples of every song once or twice, but based on what I heard I completely agree with that lone reviewer's assessment. The title of the review is "thoughts after a few listens", and it's the very last one, by "A Customer". The sample for the song "AArdvark in a VW smoking a cigar" was. . . smokin' and did totally blow me away If the other song samples sounded something like that, I'd rush to buy this. But hearing what I just did on the whole, I can let it sit in my cart for awhile - no big hurry. Not sure what's happening with the wig action on the cover? Or maybe MS's head is on fire??? Either way, it seems that taking oneself too seriously can do strange things to one's appearance. reply to dissenters Adventures of the Imagination is no exception to this. I think that the reason people like Schenker is because he remembers what music is about - it expresses our humanity in its many sidedness and depth. The second and second-to-last tracks are a sheer joy to listen to, whilst I agree with another reviewer who rates the solo work at the end of Old Man with Sheep on Mars along with the best in rock history - in my view the very best ever. What Schenker so skilfully avoids is that whole nexus of adolescent feeling-states to do with showing off, performing to win attention, 'proving I'm better', and so on. Instead, Schenker expresses far less superficial, and hence commonly more adult, yearnings, sorrows, and joys of the human heart. These are things that belong to maturer stages of human growth and self-understanding - things that reflect true humanity-for-others rather than mere adolescent vanity and 'I told you so' competitive narcissism. Schenker's style, actually, reflects his broader Germanic historical context - the richness of German tradition - both musical and philosophical. Of course, Michael may not realise this consciously (though he has agreed with my thoughts on such matters), but there is a rich way in which his cultural setting has influenced and shaped his style, even if this is at a pre-cognitive or unconscious level. Schenker should not be likened to shredders (though he is as fast as anybody when he occasionally wants to be), but to players like Hendrix, who somehow create the human shape out of the primordial chaos. If Hendrix perfectly captured the more tragic side to humanity, then Schenker (despite his troubles) captures the more hopeful, joyous side - without losing sight of Hendrix's insights. To my mind, Hendrix and Schenker are the only two rock guitarists in their league (which is the top league). If forced to choose between the two players, I would choose Schenker. But both players play what the German philosopher Heidegger spoke of as human 'existentiality'. It is notable that Heidegger viewed the merely 'technical' level of human thinking as a peculiarly 'Western' aberration that had lost touch with deeper aspects of human reality. As that other great 20th century thinker Wittgenstein puts it: 'when genius fades, technique begins to show'. With Schenker, it is never really the technique that shows - because the listener is elsewhere in the 'world' that Schenker's music creates. Again, with Wittgenstein, it is only when 'genius fades' that mere 'technique begins to show' - a problem that Schenker does not suffer from! In other words, buy the record! . One of Michael's best albums Very much like a Surfing with the Alien type of albun. I've had this CD for a year now and have yet to grow sick of it - the album ROCKS! Great selection of lyric-less songs in a Satriani-type format. The songs are well put together and really take you on a journey. And of our course the guitar playing is phenominal. I think it's his best post MSG era album since the 80's. And is personally on my top 3 favorite albums from Michael. Pop it in the player and go for a ride!. . You can see a complete list of all Michael Schenker discography, or go back to the Michael Schenker tabs