Customer Reviews

Perfect Timing

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

THE BAND: Michael Schenker (guitars), Robin McAuley (vocals), Steve Mann (keyboards/guitars), Rocky Newton (bass), Bodo Schopf (drums & percussion).

THE DISC: (1987) 10 tracks clocking in at approximately 43 minutes. Included with the disc is a 6-page booklet containing song titles/credits, song lyrics, one black & white band photo, and thank you's. 7 of the 10 songs written by McAuley & Schenker (the others written by a combination of band members). Recorded at PUK Studios, Denmark. Re-mastered and re-released several times with bonus tracks and/or edits - now an import. Label - Capital Records.

COMMENTS: Michael Schenker has a long list of albums/discs he's made over the decades, but he only made three with singer Robin McAuley. "Perfect Timing", "Save Yourself" (1989) and another titled "MSG" (1991)... of which I truly believe this "Perfect Timing" is the best of the three. "PT" is slick, polished hair/glam rock that leaned more to the commercial side of hard rock. Schenker and his trademark black & white Gibson Flying-V guitar is in top form - as ALL the songs here are solid. Highlights include the two hits "Love Is Not A Game" (perhaps Schenker's best tune with McAuley on vocals) and "Gimme Your Love"; the rockers "Here Today - Gone Tomorrow", "I Don't Wanna Lose", and "No Time For Losers"; and two typical 80's style power ballads in "Follow The Night" and "Time". I wore this vinyl record out back in the late 80's... and I still find myself going back to the "Perfect Timing" disc frequently. I dig the cover too - so 80's with the hair and outfits, it's not even funny. For me, this is/was a special album (5 stars).

With the release of Perfect Timing Michael Schenker teamed up with Robin McAuley and put out a very good album with great songs, great playing and strong vocals. In all honesty McAuley was the best vocalist Schenker had worked since Phil Mogg in UFO. Gary Barden simply was too limited with his vocals and Graham Bonnett(while I personally like him) also is fairly limited. McAuley can handle anything from full out rockers too ballads. Schenker's playing is, as usual, great. I love how his playing can be so complex at times but still fit within the structure of the songs and his sense of melody is always strong.

Song Highlights include: Gimme Your Love, Here Today Gone Tomorrow, Love Is Not A Game, I Don't Wanna Lose and Rock Till You're Crazy.

Overall, this is a great, fun album. I don't understand people complaining about this being "hair metal". It's not like UFO or earlier MSG albums/music is thrash or hardcore metal. Schenker's music has always been powerful, but melodic. Perfect Timing provides all of that.

"Perfect Timing"(1987)marks the beginning of the short-lived but powerful collaboration between Schenker and vocalist Robin Mcauley,resulting in three amazing studio albums and one live,unplugged collection.The addition of one extra guitar player created a more dense sound,while the melodic leanings not only opened their music to a more AOR audience,but also added a touch a beauty and craftsmanship which still stands.This is not an 'eighties album'but rather a timeless classic.

How great this album is was a bit surprising at the time given that the solo Michael Schenker releases after UFO were generally unmemorable and Robin McCauley was essentially unknown before this release. But this is truly an awesome album.... every song is strong, great hooks, song craftmanship, great dynamics.. The followup LPs were not nearly of this caliber and true, they were a "hair' band but for great solid hard rock that you will remember for more than 10 minutes after listening to it, this album is an absolute gem.

This is Schenker's first outing with Robin McAuley who somehow managed to get billed as the "M" is MSG. This album is worth the price just for the photo of the band in the jacket. Ah, the days of the big hair, studded leather and flying V guitars!

This was Michael Schenkers assault on the Pop metal scene with "Gimme your Love" which rivals Dokken and Winger for pop hooks. Robin McAuley was a great choice to try and push them over the top . His raspy David Coverdale immitaion isn't to bad and his songwriting is prime for the period.

It's not surprising that this version of MSG didn't last, however, as Mitch Perry, the other guitar guy, had chops that rivaled Schenker's and therefore, not unlike the redshirted crewman in Star Trek, had to go.

There are some high quality tracks here, like "Love is not a game" and "Rock 'til you're crazy". The bonus tracks are nice for completists, as well.

If your need your 80's metal and are sick of "Living after Midnight" and "Rock you Like a Hurricane", this album will give you your fix.

Forget the hair metal photo of the cover art, and you will find in your hands a very respectable hard rock album, full of great hooks and choruses, Michael's usual breathtaking guitar playing, a solid voice by Robin MacAuley. This is the first of their three studio albums together, and by far the best of them.

This is a 1987 remastered album.
It has 2 extra tunes I honestly do not find as different from the original ones. The album is quite good. Even if you are not deep into Heavy Metal you will like it. "Get Out" is a poweful tune it will rock you well and " Love is not a game" is a heartbreaking song and in my opinion the best song in this album.

I wonder why there are no US copies to buy from. I would have buy already "Save Yourself" and "MSG" which complete the McAuley Schenker partnership 1987-1991.

This cd says it all! It is the best example of what a true rock and roll or heavy metal fan should listen to . From the sexy song "gimme your love" to the soalful song "follow the night" this cd gives you sounds of emotion and true grit, what the eighties heavy metal era was really about. I waited 15 years to finally own this cd and it was truly worth the wait!

As tacky as putting the mullet on the cover and even the multi-layered vocal tracks, this CD still rocks for it's age. The best of the three (of this lineup) in my opinion, but I've been a UFO/MSG fan for as long as I can remember. This goes for a lot of bands from the 80's that were good but have been forgotten. Unfortunately, management back then called for these cheeseball tactics and even still do this to the new bands. I mean for real everyone, do you think Marylin Manson goes Christmas shopping in his bad makeup and leather poser outfits? I say "Play it, don't catagorize it" and grab this CD.

I first heard the music of McAuley Schenker Group twenty years ago (1991) on Z ROCK [WZRZ 96.5 FM] here in Cincinnati. Although I had to use Google to find out from the lyrics who exactly sang these songs, I was determined to find out just who could create music this good. McAuley Schenker Group are an extremely underrated band, and this awesome CD deserves to be in anyone's collection. My favorite songs on this CD are "Get Out", "Rock 'Til You're Crazy", "I Don't Wanna Lose", and "Follow The Night". Michael Schenker and Robin McAuley are both creative geniuses for having composed music this good! Buy this CD if you are interested in hard rock or heavy metal with the perfect combination of heaviness and melody.