McAuley Schenker Group |Bad Boys – The MSG Story 1987-1992 |HNE Recordings Ltd

Release Date: January 30^th, 2026
Format: Box Set, 4CD
Genre: Hard Rock, Heavy Metal
Country: UK, Germany

McAuley Schenker Group came together in the late 80s when Michael Schenker, already a guitar legend thanks to Scorpions and UFO, teamed up with Robin McAuley, a singer built for big hooks and arena sized choruses. This lineup pushed Schenker into a more melodic, late 80s metal direction, landing square in the MTV era without cutting his teeth blunt. This four-album run from 1987 to 1992 captured that late-80s/early-90s shift from glossy melodic hooks to harder edges and even acoustic vibes.

“Bad Boys – The MSG Story 1987-1992” pulls all four of those releases together and lays them out in full, bonus material included. This is peak McAuley Schenker Group, when melody ruled, choruses were king and Schenker’s guitar work stayed fiery even when the songs aimed straight for radio rotation. This box set slams together “Perfect Timing” (1987), “Save Yourself” (1989), “M.S.G.” (1991), and “Unplugged Live” (1992), all loaded with bonus tracks like edits, acoustic cuts, and extra UFO nods. “Perfect Timing” delivers pure melodic metal with killer singles like "Gimme Your Love" and "Follow The Night", Schenker's leads soar, McAuley's voice belts out those arena-ready choruses, and the whole thing captures that big-hair, radio-friendly energy without apology. The bonuses add some nice single versions for completionists.

“Save Yourself” cranks up the intensity with rockers like the title track and "Bad Boys", plus the massive power ballad "Anytime" that still hits hard. McAuley's

gravelly delivery shines, Schenker's guitar rips with attitude, and the added B-sides and edits make it a beefier package. “M.S.G.” goes grittier and heavier, reacting to the changing scene with tracks like "When I'm Gone" and "Nightmare", rawer riffs, more edge, and plenty of that classic Schenker fire.

The “Unplugged Live” rounds it out with acoustic takes on MSG hits and UFO staples like "Doctor Doctor" and "Lights Out", recorded live in LA. The stripped-down approach shows off McAuley's range and Schenker's nylon-string wizardry, plus bonus studio acoustics keep it fresh. Overall, this collection is a solid deep dive into a killer phase of MSG history, tons of guitar heroics, strong vocals, and variety across the years. This boxset rocks hard for any Schenker fan, killer playing, memorable hooks, and bonus goodies that make it worth grabbing. It captures the band firing on all cylinders in that era, pure metal attitude with no bullshit.

Score: 8.0