Dirkschneider: ‘Live – Back To The Roots’
DIRKSCHNEIDER
LIVE – BACK TO THE ROOTS
Released on October 28, 2016 (AFM Records)
Review:
Udo Dirkschneider, the former Accept vocalist, has had a lengthy solo career. It wouldn’t be erroneous to say that his solo career has been more successful in Europe than it has been in North America. Dirkschneider and his solo band U.D.O. has had a revolving door of musicians over the years. The current incarnation of U.D.O. features Dirkschneider on vocals, Sven Dirkschneider (his son) on drums, Fitty Wienhold on bass, and, Andrey Smirnov and Kasperi Heikkinen on guitars.
It has been well documented over the past few months that Dirkschneider will bid farewell to the Accept catalog. He’s not quitting the business. No, he’s merely putting Accept to rest. Dirkschneider has a vast solo back catalog that he could perform a gig and not include a single Accept song in the set and Europeans won’t bat an eye. In North America however, I don’t think this would fare as well, simply because Dirkschneider doesn’t play here that often and his solo albums haven’t been as celebrated as Accept records have been in recent years.
Dirkschneider recorded a double live album titled Live – Back To The Roots, which features 24 brilliantly executed Accept classics. This collection was well thought out and is a career spanning series of songs that includes “London Leather Boys,” “Midnight Mover,” “Breaker,” “Head Over Heels,” “Princess of the Dawn,” “Son of A Bitch,” “Monster Man,” “Metal Heart,” “Fast As A Shark,” and the Accept signature track “Balls To The Wall.” There isn’t a brick on this album — it makes you realize just how many monster cuts Dirkschneider and Accept were responsible for. Live – Back To The Roots is highly recommended.
Disc 1 Track List:
01. Intro
02. Starlight
03. Living For Tonite
04. Flash Rockin‘ Man
05. London Leatherboys
06. Midnight Mover
07. Breaker
08. Head Over Heels
09. Neon Nights
10. Princess Of The Dawn
11. Winterdreams
12. Restless And Wild
13. Son Of A Bitch
Disc 2 Track List:
01. Up To The Limit
02. Wrong Is Right
03. Midnight Highway
04. Screaming For A Love-Bite
05. Monsterman
06. T.V. War
07. Losers And Winners
08. Metal Heart
09. I’m A Rebel
10. Fast As A Shark
11. Balls To The Wall
12. Burning
13. Outro
Band Members:
Udo Dirkschneider – vocals
Sven Dirkschneider – drums
Fitty Wienhold – bass
Andrey Smirnov – guitar
Kasperi Heikkinen – guitar
Band Websites:
Official Website
Facebook
Twitter
Reviewed by Ruben Mosqueda for Sleaze Roxx, November 2016
Dirkschneider‘s “Breaker” single:
DIRKSCHNEIDER – Breaker (2016) // Official Audio // AFM Records
Pre order the album on iTunes & you’ll get the songs “Breaker” and “Midnight Highway” right away! http://smarturl.it/dirkschneider_iTunes DIRKSCHNEIDER – Bre…