Heavy Hitters

There have been countless "cover albums" over the years, where established rock artists redo favorites from their formative years (David Bowie's Pin Ups, Rush's Feedback, etc.), and the 2005 Michael Schenker release Heavy Hitters treads upon similar terrain. Put together by renowned studio musician Bob Kulick (best known to Kiss fans as the brother of Bruce Kulick, and as a guest guitarist on numerous Kiss albums), Heavy Hitters puts Schenker together with quite a few notable names from both the heavy metal and classic rock genres. Featured are covers of Black Sabbath's "War Pigs" (featuring Tim "Ripper" Owens on vocals), Pink Floyd's "Money" (with Tommy Shaw), Mountain's "Blood of the Sun" (with Leslie West), and Nazareth's "Hair of the Dog" (with Paul Di'Anno). Also featured are a pair of tracks that are "Schenker related" -- a cover of UFO's classic "Doctor Doctor," while former MSG singer Gary Barden reunites with Schenker on a cover of Gary Moore and Phil Lynott's "Out in the Fields." Other featured special guests include Aynsley Dunbar, Mike Inez, Edgar Winter, Tony Levin, Rudy Sarzo, Sebastian Bach, Eric Singer, and Mark Slaughter, among others. While undoubtedly longtime fans would have rather had a new studio album by the Michael Schenker Group, Heavy Hitters is your typical fun cover set, which at times serves as a glimpse into Schenker's musical roots. ~ Greg Prato