Rich’s Rapidfire Recommendations – bite-sized metal morsels to let you know about albums that have grabbed Rich Davenport by the ears, that we hope you’ll enjoy too! ROCK ON!
Band: ULI JON ROTH
Album: “Scorpions Revisited”
Release date: March 10, 2015
Label: UDR
Track listing:
CD 1
01. The Sails Of Charon
02. Longing For Fire
03. Crying Days
04. Virgin Killer
05. In Trance
06. Sun In My Hand
07. Yellow Raven
08. Polar Nights
09. Dark Lady
CD 2
01. Catch Your Train
02. Evening Wind
03. All Night Long
04. We’ll Burn In The Sky
05. Pictured Life
06. Hell Cat
07. Life’s Like A River
08. Drifting Sun
09. Rainbow Dream Prelude
10. Fly To The Rainbow
ULI JON ROTH – SCORPIONS REVISITED. An essential purchase for guitarists and fans of superior axemanship, not to mention Scorpions fans who recall or would like to investigate the band’s early era, “Scorpions Revisited” rams home exactly why Uli Jon Roth is credited as an influence by the likes of Joe Satriani, Yngwie Malmsteen and Kirk Hammett. A re-recorded collection of Uli’s favourite tracks from his 5 year tenure with the Scorps (’73-’78), this double disc applies fresh, contemporary production and subtly modified arrangements to these early gems from the band’s catalogue, beginning with the epic song that laid a blueprint for the neo-classical guitar style that characterised the approach of many ‘80s players, “Sails of Charon”. In contrast to some of the more excessive exponents of the shred onslaught that followed, Uli’s playing has always balanced the breathtaking chops with a tasteful approach, and although he’s capable of ripping it with the best of them, his solos always remains melodic and emotive, never overplaying. And long-time fans will have the added pleasure of hearing him embellish the original classic-era lead breaks with new ideas and improvisations, and higher-octave flourishes made possible by Uli’s post-Scorpions use of his self-designed Sky guitar, managing to revisit his roots while simultaneously showing just how far he’s developed as a player in the intervening decades.
Uli’s assembled a crack team of musicians, including former Electric Sun bassman Ule W. Ritgen (now holding down the low end with Fair Warning) and vocalist Nathan James from UK rockers Inglorious, definitely a name to watch out for on the evidence of his powerful performance here. As with Herman Rarebell’s recent collection of re-recorded Scorpions tracks from the era that followed Uli’s departure, “Scorpions Revisited” gives fans a very enjoyable opportunity to hear a set of familiar tracks in a different setting, retaining enough of the spirit of the 70s recordings whilst offering enthralling new twists, and it sounds like Uli and his band had a fine time blowing the dust off these songs and relished getting their teeth into them.
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