UDO DIRKSCHNEIDER – My Way

Udo Does It His Way

Of all of the Heavy Metal singers from the 80s that are still making music, it has to be said that few still have the chops that got them to where they are today. One of the exceptions to that rule is Udo Dirkschneider of Accept fame (U.D.O.). As the current trend of musicians putting out cover albums continues to soar, he has followed suit with the release of Udo Dirkschneider – My Way. Udo has brought along his son Sven Dirkschneider on the drums, and bassist from Dirkschneider & The Old Gang: Peter Baltes. Finishing the lineup is the twin guitar attack of Peter Koobs and Stefan Kaufmann.

About the Album

As he turns 70, Udo Dirkschneider has put together an album that contains 17 cover versions of the very songs that have influenced him the most. All kinds of classics from different musical genres show a real variety, including some songs you would never expect from Udo. Not only does a very personal story lie behind each of the tracks, but also a some fresh arrangements that show his take on songs that for the most part are cemented in the minds of fans. The singer explains “Now when I hear the song, I remember the time when, as a very young Udo, I’d go out to light up the town and lived all the stories that can only be experienced late at night in the clubs.”

One track that is a real surprise is “Nutbush City Limits”, a classic song by Tina Turner about the place she grew up. Udo explains “What hardly anyone knows so far: I was once a huge fan of Ike and Tina Turner, and especially Tina’s voice. We always covered this song during Accept rehearsals in the early days. It was one of the mainstays of our Accept rehearsal repertoire for years. Regrettably, there is no recording of it.”

Final Notes

With 17 songs, the album is packed with material that will connect with fans of all different ages. For this reviewer the real treasures of the album are the tracks “Faith Healer” (Alex Harvey Band), Fire (Crazy World Of Arthur Brown), Sympathy (Uriah Heep), Hell Raiser (The Sweet) and the fantastic arrangement of Queen’s “We Will Rock You”. With these songs Udo has taken songs and created something completely new. Other tracks such as “TNT” (AC/DC), “Hell Bent For Leather” (Judas Priest), and “Man on the Silver Mountain” (Rainbow) are more of a straight cover, just like the thousands of Metal bar bands over the years have done. Udo Dirkschneider keeps making great Heavy Metal, and we are thankful to that he does. All in all there is something on My Way for every Metal fan, with some real treasures sure to put a smile on your face.

Lineup

Udo Dirkschneider | Vocals
Peter Baltes | Bass
Peter Koobs | Guitar
Stefan Kaufmann | Guitar
Sven Dirkschneider | Drums

My Way – Tracklist

01. Faith Healer (Alex Harvey)
02. Fire (Crazy World Of Arthur Brown)
03. Sympathy (Uriah Heep)
04. They Call It Nutbush (Tina Turner)
05. Man On The Silver Mountain (Rainbow)
06. Hell Raiser (The Sweet)
07. No Class (Motörhead)
08. Rock And Roll (Led Zeppelin)
09. The Stroke (Billy Squier)
10. Paint It Black (Rolling Stones)
11. He’s A Woman, She’s A Man (The Scorpions)
12. T.N.T. (AC/DC)
13. Jealousy (Frankie Miller)
14. Hell Bent For Leather (Judas Priest)
15. We Will Rock You (Queen)
16. Kein Zurück (Wolfsheim)
17. My Way (Frank Sinatra)