Michael Schenker should have learned to stay put. Despite his considerable talent and high-caliber pedigree, Schenker’s tendency toward band-hopping — along with his predilection for substance abuse and a karmic knack for missed opportunities — has relegated him to cult status. Rock-indoctrinated at an early age by brother Rudolf, a founding member of German hard-rock heroes the Scorpions, Schenker quickly proved himself to be something of a guitar prodigy, landing lead duty in his brother’s band as a young teen. His initial Scorpions tenure was short-lived; he jumped ship at the invitation of British space-metalers UFO a short two years after recording Scorpions’ debut album. While Schenker’s harder guitar sound contributed to UFO’s waxing popularity, he drank his way out of the band inside of five years, eventually returning to the Scorpions’ fold for one year and one album. Then, with Schenker preferring the complete control of an eponymous project, came MSG. In 1984, the Scorpions hit it big with quintessential ’80s cock-rocker “Rock You Like a Hurricane,” while Schenker’s group struggled for chart success. Since then, though, Schenker has rejoined both of his previous bands several times while continuing to ply his craft both solo and in MSG.
This article appears in Mar 26 – Apr 1, 2009.
