CD/DVD Review: Uli Jon Roth Revisits "Tokyo Tapes" With New Live Release

German guitar virtuoso Uli Jon Roth returns to the exact location that he made famous 36 years ago as a member of the hard rock band The Scorpions. The Scorpions released their first live album titled "Tokyo Tapes" in 1978. It would be Uli Jon Roth's last live performances with the band. Roth has since gone on to become one of the earliest contributors of the neoclassical metal movement. On December 16th, UDR released a brand new live recording from Uli Jon Roth titled "Tokyo Tapes Revisited: Live In Japan" on CD/DVD and Blu-Ray. This new live release celebrates Roth's past contributions to The Scorpions as he and his band perform many of the classic songs from that original live release.

 

Uli Jon Roth begins the show the same way as The Scorpions did with the electrifying guitar performance of "All Night Long." He adds the rarely played "Longing For Fire" from The Scorpions' 1975 album "In Trance," then takes the audience on a sonic journey with the ten-minute version of "The Sails Of Charon" that features some of Roth's most exciting guitar playing. He speeds up the tempo with the heavy metal tones of "Virgin Killer," before reproducing his cover of the delicate Japanese song "Kojo No Tsuki." Watching Uli Jon Roth perform live is a thing of beauty, as his fingers glide up and down the fretboard with ease. Singer Nathan James keeps the energy alive in his live performance, whenever he is in the spotlight. Roth has backed himself with a very professional band that delivers Uli Jon Roth's message of music that has a timeless metal sound.

 

The combination of "Rainbow Dream Prelude" and "Fly To The Rainbow" showcase the jaw-dropping talent that Roth portrays in his music. Roth and his band deliver great renditions of Scorpion fan favorites "Top Of The Bill" and "Polar Nights," before pushing "Dark Lady" up to the 15-minute mark as the band motors through his progressive metal masterpiece. Roth and his band close the show with a couple of cover songs made famous by the late-great Jimi Hendrix, "All Along The Watchtower" and "Little Wing." To find out more about Uli Jon Roth and his latest release "Tokyo Tapes Revisited: Live In Japan," please visit ulijonroth.com.