Assault Attack: Difference between revisions

Assault Attack
Assault Attack
Studio album by Michael Schenker Group
Released	October 1982
Recorded	Château d'Hérouville, France
Genre	Hard rock, heavy metal
Length	39:52
Label	Chrysalis
Producer	Martin Birch
Michael Schenker Group chronology
Singles from Assault Attack
	"Dancer" / "Girl from Uptown"; Released: 27 August 1982;

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Assault Attack is the third studio album by the Michael Schenker Group, and the only album to feature former Rainbow vocalist Graham Bonnet. The album was recorded in France at the Château d'Hérouville and was produced by Martin Birch.

Overview

After returning to the UK from Japan in August 1981, having recorded the live album One Night at Budokan, Schenker and his band played a short tour of the UK. After the tour, Cozy Powell and Peter Mensch (Michael Schenker Group's manager) wanted a better singer for the band and suggested David Coverdale, but Schenker himself wanted Graham Bonnet. After some disagreements, which ultimately led to the termination of the cooperation between Mensch and MSG,^{[citation needed]} Bonnet joined the MSG in February 1982. Meanwhile, Powell and Paul Raymond left the band for their own reasons and were replaced by drummer Ted McKenna and session keyboardist Tommy Eyre. After four months the band went to France to start recording the album that would become Assault Attack with producer Martin Birch, who arrived fresh from Iron Maiden's album The Number of the Beast. The sessions took place at a French castle, Le Château d'Hérouville.

This was the last time until the Tales of Rock'n'Roll album that Schenker and Bonnet cooperated. The BBC broadcast of the Reading Festival concert was released in 1993 as BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert - this featured a returning Gary Barden on vocals.

More recent CD reissues contain the bonus track "Girl from Uptown", the b-side of "Dancer", the album's sole single. The title track was featured in the 2009 video game Brütal Legend.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal	10/10^[2]
Metal Hammer (GER)	^[3]
Sounds	^[4]

Attracting mixed reviews on release, Assault Attack is now looked on more favourably, and Schenker himself is considered by many critics to be in top form.^{[citation needed]}

In 2005, Assault Attack was ranked number 481 in Rock Hard magazine's book of The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time.^[5]

Track listing

Songwriters are listed in brackets.

Side one

"Assault Attack" (Michael Schenker, Graham Bonnet, Chris Glen, Ted McKenna) - 4:16
"Rock You to the Ground" (Schenker, Bonnet) - 5:48
"Dancer" (Schenker, Bonnet) - 4:41
"Samurai" (Schenker, Bonnet, Glen) - 5:16

Side two

"Desert Song" (Schenker, Bonnet) - 5:51
"Broken Promises" (Schenker, Bonnet, Glen) - 6:21
"Searching for a Reason" (Schenker, Bonnet) - 3:46
"Ulcer" (Schenker) - 3:53

Bonus track on the 2009 CD reissue

"Girl from Uptown" (Schenker, Bonnet) - 5:21

Personnel

Band members

Michael Schenker – guitar
Graham Bonnet – vocals
Chris Glen – bass
Ted McKenna – drums

Additional musician

Tommy Eyre – keyboards

Production

Martin Birch – producer, engineer
Benedict Tobias Fenner, Patrick Droguet – second engineers
Jack Magill – album title
Fin Costello – cover photo

Charts

Chart (1982)	Peak position
Japanese Albums (Oricon)^[6]	9
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)^[7]	34
UK Albums (OCC)^[8]	19
US Billboard 200^[9]	151

References

^ Hinds, Andy. "Michael Schenker Assault Attack review". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 18 July 2011.
^ Popoff, Martin (1 November 2005). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 317. ISBN 978-1894959315.
^ "Michael Schenker Group - Assault Attack". Metal Hammer (in German). December 1982. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
^ Roberts, Dave (9 October 1982). "Assault reppelled!". Sounds. p. 50.
^ Best of Rock & Metal - Die 500 stärksten Scheiben aller Zeiten (in German). Rock Hard. 2005. p. 14. ISBN 3-89880-517-4.
^ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
^ "Swedishcharts.com – Michael Schenker Group – Assault Attack". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
^ "Michael Schenker Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 17, 2023.

[1] Hinds, Andy. "Michael Schenker Assault Attack review". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 18 July 2011.

[martin-2] Popoff, Martin (1 November 2005). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 317. ISBN 978-1894959315.

[3] "Michael Schenker Group - Assault Attack". Metal Hammer (in German). December 1982. Retrieved 6 January 2015.

[4] Roberts, Dave (9 October 1982). "Assault reppelled!". Sounds. p. 50.

[5] Best of Rock & Metal - Die 500 stärksten Scheiben aller Zeiten (in German). Rock Hard. 2005. p. 14. ISBN 3-89880-517-4.

[JPN-6] Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.

[ac_Sweden_Michael_Schenker_Group-7] "Swedishcharts.com – Michael Schenker Group – Assault Attack". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 17, 2023.

[ac_UK2_-8] "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 17, 2023.

[ac_Billboard200_Michael_Schenker-9] "Michael Schenker Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 17, 2023.

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@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 | name       = Assault Attack
 | type       = Album
-| artist     = [[the Michael Schenker Group]]
+| artist     = [[Michael Schenker Group]]
 | cover      = Msgassault.jpg
 | alt        =
@@ Line 16: / Line 16: @@
 | prev_title = [[One Night at Budokan]]
 | prev_year  = 1981
-| next_title = [[Built to Destroy]]
+| next_title = [[Built to Destroy (Michael Schenker Group album)|Built to Destroy]]
 | next_year  = 1983
 | misc       = {{Singles
@@ Line 26: / Line 26: @@
 }}
-'''''Assault Attack''''' is the third studio album from the [[Michael Schenker Group]], and the only album to feature former Rainbow vocalist [[Graham Bonnet]]. The album was recorded in [[France]] at the [[Château d'Hérouville]] and was produced by [[Martin Birch]].
+'''''Assault Attack''''' is the third studio album by the [[Michael Schenker Group]], and the only album to feature former Rainbow vocalist [[Graham Bonnet]]. The album was recorded in France at the [[Château d'Hérouville]] and was produced by [[Martin Birch]].
 ==Overview==
 After returning to the UK from Japan in August 1981, having recorded the live album ''[[One Night at Budokan]]'', Schenker and his band played a short tour of the UK. After the tour, [[Cozy Powell]] and [[Peter Mensch]] (Michael Schenker Group's manager) wanted a better singer for the band and suggested [[David Coverdale]], but Schenker himself wanted [[Graham Bonnet]]. After some disagreements, which ultimately led to the termination of the cooperation between Mensch and MSG,{{citation needed|date=September 2013}} Bonnet joined the MSG in February 1982. Meanwhile, Powell and [[Paul Raymond (musician)|Paul Raymond]] left the band for their own reasons and were replaced by drummer [[Ted McKenna]] and session keyboardist [[Tommy Eyre]]. After four months the band went to France to start recording the album that would become ''Assault Attack'' with producer [[Martin Birch]], who arrived fresh from [[Iron Maiden]]'s album ''[[The Number of the Beast (album)|The Number of the Beast]]''. The sessions took place at a French castle, Le [[Château d'Hérouville]].
-This was the last time until the ''[[Tales of Rock'n'Roll]]'' album that Schenker and Bonnet cooperated. The [[BBC]] broadcast of the Reading Festival concert was released in 1993 as ''BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert'' - this featured a returning Gary Barden on vocals. .
+This was the last time until the ''[[Tales of Rock'n'Roll]]'' album that Schenker and Bonnet cooperated. The [[BBC]] broadcast of the Reading Festival concert was released in 1993 as ''BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert'' - this featured a returning Gary Barden on vocals.
-More recent CD reissues contains the bonus track "Girl from Uptown", the b-side of "Dancer", the album's sole single. The title track was featured in the video game ''[[Brütal Legend]]''.
+More recent CD reissues contain the bonus track "Girl from Uptown", the b-side of "Dancer", the album's sole single. The title track was featured in the 2009 video game ''[[Brütal Legend]]''.
 ==Reception==
@@ Line 43: / Line 43: @@
 | rev3 = ''[[Metal Hammer]]'' (GER)
 | rev3Score = {{Rating|6|7}}<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.metal-hammer.de/suche/?&from=01.01.1900&to=01.01.2100&searchString=assault+attack&pub=mth&pub=mse&src=all&src=wbs&src=pct&sortBy=publishdate&filter=review |title=Michael Schenker Group - Assault Attack |language=German |magazine=[[Metal Hammer]] |date=December 1982 |accessdate=6 January 2015 }}</ref>
+| rev4 = ''[[Sounds (magazine)|Sounds]]''
+| rev4Score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Roberts |first=Dave |date=9 October 1982 |title=Assault reppelled! |magazine=[[Sounds (magazine)|Sounds]] |page=50}}</ref>
 | noprose = yes
 }}
@@ Line 50: / Line 52: @@
 == Track listing ==
+Songwriters are listed in brackets.
 ;Side one
 # "Assault Attack" ''<small>([[Michael Schenker]], [[Graham Bonnet]], [[Chris Glen]], [[Ted McKenna]])</small>'' -  4:16
@@ Line 67: / Line 70: @@
 == Personnel ==
 ;Band members
-* [[Michael Schenker]] – guitars
+* [[Michael Schenker]] – guitar
-* [[Graham Bonnet]] – lead and backing vocals
+* [[Graham Bonnet]] – vocals
 * [[Chris Glen]] – bass
-* [[Ted McKenna]] – drums, percussion
+* [[Ted McKenna]] – drums
-;Additional musicians
+;Additional musician
 * [[Tommy Eyre]] – keyboards
 ;Production
 *[[Martin Birch]] – producer, engineer
-*Benedict Tobias Fenner, Patrick Droguet – engineers
+*Benedict Tobias Fenner, Patrick Droguet – second engineers
+*Jack Magill – album title
+*Fin Costello – cover photo
-== Charts ==
+==Charts==
-{|class="wikitable"
+{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
-! Year
-! Chart
-!style="width:5em;line-height:1.3"| Peak position
-! Sales
-! Weeks on chart
 |-
-|1982
+! Chart (1982)
+! Peak<br/>position
-| UK
-|align="center"| 19<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.officialcharts.com/search/albums/Assault%20Attack | title = Assault Attack The Official Charts Company | accessdate = 18 July 2011 | publisher = [[Official Charts Company]]}}</ref>
-|align="center"| -
-|align="center"| 5
 |-
+!scope="row"|[[1982 in Japanese music|Japanese Albums]] ([[Oricon]])<ref name="JPN">{{cite book|title=Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005|publisher=[[Oricon|Oricon Entertainment]]|location=Roppongi, Tokyo|year=2006|isbn=4-87131-077-9|language=ja}}</ref>
-|1982
+| align="center"| 9
-| Japan
-|align="center"| 9
-|align="center"| 44,000
-|align="center"| 8
 |-
+{{Album chart|Sweden|34|artist= Michael Schenker Group|album=Assault Attack|rowheader=true|accessdate=October 17, 2023}}
-|1982
-| US
-|align="center"| 151<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.allmusic.com/album/assault-attack-r17483/charts-awards | title = Assault Attack Billboard Albums | accessdate = 18 July 2011 | work = [[Allmusic]] | publisher = [[Rovi Corporation]]}}</ref>
-|align="center"| -
-|align="center"| -
 |-
+{{Album chart|UK2|19|date=19821024|rowheader=true|accessdate=October 17, 2023}}
-|1982
-| Sweden
-|align="center"| 34<ref>{{cite web | url = http://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Michael+Schenker+Group&titel=Assault+Attack&cat=a | title = Michael Schenker Group - Assault Attack (Album) | accessdate = 18 July 2011 | work = Swedishcharts.com | publisher = [[Media Control Charts]]}}</ref>
-|align="center"| -
-|align="center"| 1
 |-
+{{Album chart|Billboard200|151|artist=Michael Schenker|rowheader=true|accessdate=October 17, 2023}}
 |}

v t e Michael Schenker Group
Michael Schenker Gary Barden Robin McAuley Doogie White Steve Mann Bodo Schopf Barry Sparks Raymond Louis Kennedy Leif Sundin David VanLanding Kelly Keeling Graham Bonnet Don Airey Paul Raymond Tommy Eyre Andy Nye Jesse Harms Derek St. Holmes Billy Sheehan Mo Foster Jeff Pilson Jeff Kollman Stuart Hamm Pete Way Neil Murray Francis Buchholz Chris Glen Denny Carmassi Cozy Powell Simon Phillips Ted McKenna James Kottak Shane Gaalaas Jeff Martin Chris Slade Carmine Appice Brian Tichy Herman Rarebell
Studio albums	The Michael Schenker Group (1980) MSG (1981) Assault Attack (1982) Built to Destroy (1983) Written in the Sand (1996) The Unforgiven (1999) Be Aware of Scorpions (2001) Arachnophobiac (2003) Tales of Rock'n'Roll (2006) In the Midst of Beauty (2008)
Live albums	One Night at Budokan (1982) Rock Will Never Die (1984) The Michael Schenker Story Live (1997) The Unforgiven World Tour (1999) The 30th Anniversary Concert: Live in Tokyo (2010)
Cover albums	Heavy Hitters (2005)
Related	Members Discography