Customer Reviews

One Night at Budokan

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I think this is MSG's best CD. This performance was recorded when they played at Budokan during their first tour in Japan. At that time Michael Schenker was named "GOD" among guitar kids in Japan. A vocalist, Gary Barden had no experience to perform in front of more than 10,000 people at that time and was so nervous that his voice was out. So his vocal was rerecorded later. You will be aware of this fact if you listen carefully. Even though that is a case, on this CD you can enjoy MSG's best play. I bought this album 21 years ago (I also bought CD a couple of years ago) and still enjoy it. One of my best CDs ever.

It was perhaps a little early in a band's career for a live album with only the first two studio albums to draw from. Perhaps Schenker and co new this line up wouldn't last. They certainly laid down on vinyl a great legacy that numerous subsequent live efforts can't compare to. Schenker has provided us with so many live albums it's hard to keep count but you'll struggle to find one with guitar playing this good anywhere.
Cry for the Nations et al are terrific because this band were so well rehearsed. Schenker may have had his whacky moments but He was soo such a perfectionist in his early years it's untrue! A fine line between genius and insanity indeed, Schenker is absolutely stunning on guitar. The production and atmosphere are great, listening to Courvoisier Concerto and Lost Horizons eyes closed takes me back to 1981 and the fabulous tour that all this stems from. Sensational.
This is his tastiest live album almost up there with UFO's "Strangers in the Night". This album shows that not only was Michael the finest guitar player of this era, but that MSG were once a great band.

The disc features world class rock drummer Cozy Powell! Schenker's guitar work is well recorded, reflecting his skill's in the early '80's.
A great place to start on Schenker...features prime cuts from the first two albums,plus insight into Michael's prowess as a guitar-slinger.
Are You Ready To Rock?!

I always find it offensive to see great Schenker material rated at less than 5-stars. This is a great album - not quite SITN I admit, but well worth it at Amazon's prices.

This is without a doubt one of Michael`s greatest albums and a VERY important addition to the collection of any serious guitar fan.

In the past 20 years I have listened to this album over and over and over and over again !!!
Michael Schenker's Pure Flawless Mastery of the Electric Guitar is reflected in almost every single song on this album!!
If you listen to the solo on "Lost Horizons" and fail to rock out, then you cannot call yourself a guitar fan.
Cozy Powell's drumming goes perfectly with Michael's guitar playing.
Gary Barden could have sounded better as a singer, but he still sings well enough to get the job done.
I loovvee this CD !!

I've never heard the hype before about Gary Barden being unable to perform in front of so many people that his vocals had to be rerecorded at a later date. Hmmmmm. All I know is that looking back to the early 80's in the field of metal/hard rock, Michael Schenker was one of the bright spots and One Night At Budokan was the shizzzit! God...I had the double album and listened to it like a million times. Soooo...I guess the bottom line is this: Do you wanna revel in all the bullsh*t facts surrounding this album or do you wanna rock? I choose to rock and I choose Michael Schenker's One Night At Budokan. Is it flawless? What live album is? And that kinda fu*ks up the whole concept of making a live album in the first place, does it not? Live is not perfect, but it's different and it rocks! Schenker is one of the all-time Guitar Gods...along with Rhoads, Van Halen, Iommi, Blackmore, Santana, Malmsteen & Hendrix.... (Sure, there's some I missed, you fill in the rest...)

The lineup is stellar, including late, great drummer Cozy Powell and UFO guitarist/keyboardist Paul Raymond. Plus, it's Schenker live -- how bad can it be? Still, this is an album in desperate need of remixing. Powell is way out in front and that throws the entire effort off. Sound-wise, a better buy is last year's Unforgiven World Tour.

For a rock band to record a live record after only two studio albums may seem extremely pretentious but after bootlegs of their Japanese tour had been circulating as well as the import demand for their authorized taped gig at the Budokan, the Michael Schenker Group decided a worldwide release would be striking while the iron was hot. I personally prefer this version of Michael's band because of my affection for the previous LP and the debut which I have already described in those reviews. Whether it was a classic case of musical differences, personality clashes or Michael being, well....Michael, MSG would change quite a bit in 1982. Anyway `Budokan' is basically a compilation of the best songs from the first two records which may seem redundant but the performances are all stellar and Gary Barden proves to a more than capable front man. Michael Schenker is the true star of course as his playing is phenomenal but his other band mates support him admirably (Cozy Powell especially). The album opens with a little Wagner then goes into Barden leading the band into "Armed and Ready" and "Cry for the Nations" as show stopping here as on the debut. UFO's "Doctor Doctor" also makes an appearance and maybe this is where Barden doesn't do as well as Phil Mogg's vocal is missed here. The choice of last song "Ready to Rock" is okay here but never a favorite ("Armed and Ready" did it already and better!) but why quibble. Get `Budokan' if you love Schenker; it may not be `Strangers in the Night' but you'll love it almost as much.

TRY LISTENING TO TRACKS 10&11 THE BASS IS AWSOME IVE ONLY HAD A CHANCE TO THEM LIVE ONCE AND IT WAS WITH MCCULLY SO I GUESS I NEED TO MOVE TO EUROPE BUT ANY WAY THANKS FOR ANOTHER GREAT FIND AT AMAZON.COM