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Strangers in the Night is one of the 10 best hard rock live albums of all time. Unfortunately, though, it is less known than many others.
No offense to the fans of Thin Lizzy and Kiss, but Strangers in the Night wipes the floor with both Live and Dangerous and Alive! together.
And this is not an opinion, but a solid reality.
Michael Schenker was a sort of Ritchie Blackmore vol.2.
Very unstable as a guitarist, he frequently changed bands.
But if you put him on stage, he kicked everyone's ass… well, not everyone's, certainly not Hendrix's, not Blackmore's, not Randy Rhoads's, maybe not even Eddie Van Halen's… but live, he was above everyone else.
In this live album, you'll find all the best UFO tracks.
Now, let's be clear: I think getting a studio album by UFO is kind of a waste … at best there will be two or three strong tracks and all the rest is banal stuff you'll forget after five minutes.
Here, those two or three tracks per album are all together on the same record. Considering that you can get the CD for 2 or 3 euros, it's a freaking bargain. Often, you even get a free poster of a band of your choice that you like (not necessarily UFO, because who the hell wants a UFO poster? Much cooler one of Led Zeppelin, with that damn hermit and his damn lantern).
You might say, well, I might as well get a greatest hits…
Not at all! Here Michael is live, and live he was one of those who liked to mix things up a bit, improvise, not like those Iron Maiden guys who made the pieces always identical, perfect, the same as the original versions… oh, how skilled Murray is.. what precision… do an improv now and then Dave, for fuck's sake!
Let's face it, Live after Death is the most boring live album of all time. There, yes, put on a greatest hits and nothing changes.
Of course, though, he didn't improvise as much as Jimmy Page with his 47-minute scrotum-busting solos… stuff that Plant could go to the dressing room, do a line, screw a groupie and come back in time for the end of the solo… basically, he improvised just enough to make the pieces cooler than the original versions.
The rest of the band? Oh, yeah, there were others in the band too. I don't know who they are and frankly, I couldn't care less, and I don't think you care to know the bassist's name or the drummer's… they won't go down in history, but they knew what they were doing, also because someone as good as Michael usually surrounds himself with good people, not half-wits like those in the Sex Pistols or the Velvet Undersomething.
So, what else to say. Get this cd and spread the word: Strangers in the Night is one of the ten best hard rock live albums of all time!
Those who don't agree deserve to end up like my ex. Want to know what happened to him? Ask him, if he can still talk, that bastard.
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
01 Natural Thing (03:59)
Michael Schenker; Phil Mogg; Pete Way
[Spoken]
Ya know we get, we’re getting a bit confused up here.
It’s your licensing laws.
We’ve just taken a vote; apparently this is something called Natural Thing
[Intro]
Said she came from Memphis
You can look but please don't touch
Didn't like rock and rollers
It seemed a bit much too much
Cause it's the natural thing you git at the start
The natural blood starts to flow
Yeah, the natural thing, you git at the start
Then she'll never let you go
Hey girl, now does it feel alright
D’ya think I'm getting through
Don't you think it feels real tight
Wait till we start to move
May sound funny but you gave it to me
I didn't even like it
May sound funny but you gave it to me
Now I got to live without it
[Instrumental]
Gittin’ on down to Atlanta
I got to move my feet
Ya know I’m down for the last encore
With every star she meets
Cause it's the natural thing you git at the start
The natural blood starts to flow
Yeah, the natural thing, you git at the start
Then she'll never let you go
Hey girl, now does it feel alright
D’ya think I'm getting through
Don't you think it feels real tight
Wait till we start to move
May sound funny but you gave it to me
I didn't even like it
May sound funny but you gave it to me
Now I got to live without it
[Instrumental to end]
02 Out in the Street (05:09)
Pete Way; Phil Mogg
Lady love to hang on
Lady like a real intel-lectual
Sweet sister you’re still shaking
And your tragedy is never ending
Silver shoes you're wearing
Every window that you've ever stared in
Over my head, over my head
Sidewalks of the city
Every theater there you've ever played
Your comic book impersonations
Wish for cinder embers to keep
Over my head, so it's all…
Out in the streets for just one more matinee
Yes, your vaudeville carries on
So put a smile in front your man can see
Yes your vaudeville carries on
[Instrumental]
Out in the street for just one more matinee
Yes, your vaudeville carries on
So put a smile in front your man can see
Yes your vaudeville carries on
Lady love to hang on
Lady like a real intel-lectual
Sweet sister you’re still shaking
And your tragedy is never ending
Over my head, over my head
03 Only You Can Rock Me (04:10)
Michael Schenker; Pete Way; Phil Mogg
Who’s taking time out, we’ll take a shine out
We’re the boys we got nothing to lose
I’ve had enough now of school and stuff now
If you ain’t with us then it’s just bad news
Only you can rock me rock me
Come on back now d o it again
Only you can rock me, rock me
Kicking out just like a hurrican3
We can’t wait from day to day
Cuz we’ve got something to say
We can’t wait from day to day
Cuz we’ve got something to say
Come on the street now on every corner
Breaking out and we’re doing what we want to
Just like a jewel shines in the night
She burns so hot out under the street light
Chorus
We are here and there’s no end
We keep on coming again
We are here and there’s no end
We just keep coming again
Instrumental
Who’s taking time out, we take a shine out
We’re the boys we got nothing to lose
I’ve had enough now of school
And stuff now
If you ain’t with us then it’s just bad news
Only you can rock me, rock me
Come on back now, do it again
Only you can rock me, rock me
Kickin’ out just like a hurricane
We can’t wait from day to day
Cuz we’ve got something to say
We are here and there’s no end
We’ll keep on coming again
We can’t wait from day to day
Cuz we’ve got something to say
We are here and there’s no end
We’ll keep on coming again
Only You Can Rock Me
04 Doctor Doctor (04:42)
Michael Schenker; Phil Mogg
Doctor doctor, please
Oh, the mess Im in
Doctor doctor, please,
Oh the mess Im in
She walked up to me
And really stole my heart
And then she started
To take my body apart
*livin, lovin, Im on the run
Far away from you
Livin, lovin, Im on the run
So far away from you
Doctor doctor, please
Oh, Im goin fast
Doctor doctor, please,
Oh, Im goin fast
Its only just a moment,
Shes turnin paranoid
Thats not a situation for a nervous boy
Doctor doctor, please
Oh, the mess Im in
Doctor doctor, please,
Oh, the mess Im in
But you look so angry
As I crawled across your floor
Shes got the strain,
And I cant take any more
*repeat
*repeat
05 Mother Mary (03:26)
Try to make some changes really on the line
Given your religion, never ever time
All the jokers laughing, queens upon the floor
Don't misunderstand it, baby needs some more
Lovin' up some ransom, weapon and a gun
Just your education, hard to understand
Will the teenage lesion make a mark on you
Make a big tome status, then we run them through
Mother Mary could you ever really feel the same
And would you try to understand a wild colonial boy
Try to make some changes really on the line
Given your religion, never ever time
All the jokers laughing, queens upon the floor
Don't misunderstand it, baby needs some more
Mother Mary could you ever really feel the same
And would you try to understand a wild colonial boy
06 This Kids (04:58)
Michael Schenker; Phil Mogg; Schenkar
Kid's gettin' tired, hangin' around
So cocksure, thinkin' aloud
Can't get it in (when you) can't get it out
Sure ain't enough and there ain't no doubt
You can't stop a train with just a smile
Stop me at the start only for a while
Hole in my pocket and a hole in my arm
All that's left when life's lost it's charm
This could be for us just any other day
So come on girl, we really got to get away
It's the only chance you'll ever have to change
Or stick in this city will drive you insane
*
Can't win or lose when there's little left to choose
Now 'til next year it'll always be the same
The black backstreets and people who don't know your name
Go with the wind if it'll only carry us away
--instrumental--
Between The Walls
No Lyrics - Instrumental
07 Love to Love (08:10)
Michael Schenker; Phil Mogg
Oh it’s been too many times and I can’t go back
Night bars, guitars, rundown motels like shacks
What it mounts up to I don’t want it at all
Lost you and I want you today
* misty green and blue
Love to love to love you
Misty green and blue
Love to love to love you
To be something, to be with you
Don’t say that you’ll never know
Love to love to love you
[instrumental]
Half the time it could seem funny
The other half is just too sad
This west bound moon’s they rise and fall
Lost you and I want you today
* repeat
To be something, to be near you
I don’t know where I’m goin’ to
I’ve tried and I need you to stay
[instrumental]
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Other reviews
By extro91
"Strangers in The Night is a furious, incandescent, and pyrotechnic hard rock concentrate with spectacular and astonishing solos."
"After nearly 75 minutes of listening, you get the sense of having listened to one of the best live albums of the 70s, perfectly representing those years filled with powerful guitar riffs."
