Review by Phil Rozier for MPM
Some box sets exist to tidy up a back catalogue. Others exist to remind you, rather loudly, proudly, and with absolute conviction that a band was far better, far bigger, and far more important than history sometimes gives them credit for. Bad Boys: The McAuley Schenker Group Story 1987–1992 is firmly in the latter camp. This fourdisc retrospective doesn’t just repackage the McAuley Schenker era; it restores it, reframes it, and celebrates it as one of melodic hard rock’s most underrated chapters.
Across three studio albums and an unplugged live set, this clamshell box doesn’t just document an era, it replays it for us to remember. Between 1987 and 1992, Michael Schenker and Robin McAuley built a version of MSG that was sleek, melodic, and arenaready without ever losing its bite. Schenker’s tone is still one of the most instantly recognisable in rock. Fluid, lyrical, and emotionally articulate. McAuley, meanwhile, remains one of the most criminally underrated vocalists of that whole late- ‘80s/early’90s wave: powerful, expressive, and capable of lifting a chorus into orbit.
This set pulls together Perfect Timing (1987), Save Yourself (1989), MSG (1991), and Unplugged “Live” (1992), each with bonus material that earns its place. It’s not just a reissue (especially some of the previously unheard, to me anyway, acoustic renditions).
CD 1 – Perfect Timing (1987) + 2 edits
We start with Perfect Timing, the record that introduced the McAuley/Schenker partnership proper. Even now, it sounds like a band stepping into a new identity with intent.
“Gimme’ Your Love” opens the disc and still feels like a melodicrock clinic: huge chorus, razorsharp hook, and Schenker’s guitar threading through everything with that effortless, singing quality.
“Here Today – Gone Tomorrow” and “Don’t Stop Me Now” keep the energy high, hooky, punchy, and built for big stages. Defo has a touch of Meat Loaf about it!
“Love Is Not a Game” remains one of the great undercelebrated singles of the era, balancing gloss with hardrock muscle.
Deeper cuts like “Follow the Night”, “Time”, and “I Don’t Wanna Lose” show just how consistent this album is. No lazy padding, just solid, melodic songwriting front to back.
The bonus content here is straightforward and correctly so: two (I assume) radio edits, “Gimme’ Your Love (Edit)” and “Follow the Night (Edit)”. No demos, no halfbaked curios. Just tighter, airplayready versions that underline how radiofriendly this incarnation of MSG really was.
CD 2 – Save Yourself (1989) + single edit and Bsides
If Perfect Timing was the arrival, Save Yourself is the fullblown statement. Bigger production, sharper edges, and a band that has learnt what they what to do.
“Save Yourself” kicks things off with a granitecarved riff and a chorus that sounds built for arenas. I say riff, this is after the tolling bell and the squealing solo. Schenker’s soloing here is peak him. Melodic, expressive, and completely in service of the song. That classic rock sound. Delay, chorus, and played in a warehouse for extra depth.
“Bad Boys” brings swagger and attitude; the kind of track that makes the box set’s title feel perfectly chosen. I’d say slightly softer on the gain, but extra on the groove.
“Anytime” is still an absolute monster of a power ballad (the opening keyboards give it away). McAuley’s vocal is huge, emotional, and utterly convincing. Anyone else getting a certain Randy Rhoads vibe here?
“Shadow of the Night”, “What We Need”, and “This Is My Heart” show the band leaning hard into melodic rock without ever tipping into syrup. Instrumental bonus track “There Has to Be Another Way” gives Schenker space to stretch out, reminding you that underneath all the hooks, there’s still a virtuoso at work.
The additional bonus tracks on this disc are where the collector value really kicks in:
“Save Yourself (Single Edit)” trims the fat for radio without losing the punch and “Vicious” (other Bside material is available) give a glimpse into the edges of the band’s sound. Harder, leaner, and sometimes darker.
CD 3 – MSG (1991) + edits and acoustic versions
By the time we hit MSG, the band are fully flying. This is arguably the most cohesive of the three studio albums. Sounding perhaps more mature, a touch heavier in places, and packed with songs that deserved far more attention than they got.
“When I’m Gone” is a standout. Emotional, soaring, and one of McAuley’s finest vocal showcases. “Eve” leans into a darker, moodier space, with Schenker’s lines dripping tension. “This Night Is Gonna Last Forever” is pure melodicrock gold, the kind of track that should have been a staple on rock radio.
The real magic, though, lies in the acoustic versions included as bonus material. Stripped of the early’90s production sheen, the songs stand naked on melody and performance alone and they absolutely hold up. Acoustic “What Happens to Me” lets McAuley’s voice sit right in your ear. Raw, exposed, and all the more powerful for it.
CD 4 – Unplugged “Live” (1992)
The fourth disc is where the box set takes a sharp but very welcome turn: Unplugged “Live” from 1992. No electric bombast, no walls of distortion. Just songs, voices, and strings.
Hearing this material in an unplugged setting is a new experience for me. Familiar with other 90’s Unplugged records, such as Kiss, Alice in Chains, Nirvana etc, I think this version of classic MSG work slipped under the growing grunge radar. The melodic backbone of the McAuley Schenker era is laid completely bare, and it more than holds its own.
Strippedback versions of the big hitters like “Anytime” and “Gimme your love” land with a different kind of weight. The drama is still there, but it’s carried by dynamics and delivery rather than sheer volume.
McAuley sounds phenomenal in this context. Controlled and emotive, and utterly in his comfort zone. Schenker, freed from the need to shred (although even on an acoustic he still does!), leans into feel and phrasing, reminding you that his sense of melody is what made him special in the first place.
As a closing chapter to the story, this disc is perfect. It doesn’t just recap the songs; it recreates a lot them. You come away with a deeper respect for the writing, not just the playing.
Bad Boys: The McAuley Schenker Group Story 1987–1992 is quite the epic listen. Taken to a sound, which could be from an MSG, Van Halen, Meatloaf, Europe mash up, it’s pure hair and guitars with arena rock vocals.
Perfect Timing is sharp, hookladen, and bursting with intent. Save Yourself is big, confident, and packed with stonecold melodicrock anthems. MSG is mature, cohesive, and quietly brilliant.
Surprisingly my favourite is Unplugged “Live”. The songs stripped back, the craft laid bare to perhaps actually hear, rather than just listen to. Schenker’s guitar work is masterful throughout. McAuley’s vocals are consistently worldclass. The songwriting holds up shockingly well in 2026. It’s a chapter in rock that deserves to be spoken about in the same breath as the classic UFO years and the early MSG records.
For longtime fans, this box is a celebration. For newcomers, it’s an eye opener. For everyone else, it’s proof that this era of rock still has plenty of fire left in it. For me, it just great fun rock n roll to start off 2026.
