From "Classic Rock", May 2000.
"Michael Schenker has at last realised his long cherished dream of making an instrumental rock album" chirps the accompanying press release. Well, great joy for the rest of us then, I don't think. If truth be told, only a Schenker fan as bizarre and brazenly self-promoting as himself would refuse to concur with the train of thought that the blonde German has not lent his name to a worthwhile disc, UFO's 1995 release 'Walk On Water' not withstanding, since 1984's 'Built To Destroy'. And although he has contributed to some of the greatest moments in hard rock history, he has tarnished golden memories with such atrocious nonsense as last year's 'The Unforgiven'.
'Adventures Of The Imagination' is a nine-track musical journey almost lacking in its titular suggestion. Recorded as a trio with MSG bassist John Onder and ex-Zappa/Journey/Whitesnake drummer Aynsley Dunbar, 'Adventures ...' is rock not dissimilar to anything Schenker has churned out over the last 10 years. The only difference is that there is no voice, though given that Schenker's recent vocal choices have had the charm of a bar of soap this is something of a blessing in disguise.
Even bedsit-dwelling guitar nerds would find little of inspiration within Schenker's noodlings on over-long numbers like 'Three Fish Dancing' or the plain daft 'Aardvark In A VW Smoking A Cigar'.
For a guitarist as abundantly talented as he is famously eccentric this is a sad waste of talent.
Jerry Ewing
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