Udo Dirkschneider has been around awhile and it's starting to show. However, it should be stated right here and now that he's aged much better than fellow countrymen Scorpions. Granted, that's not saying a whole lot, though. And in Udo's two decades or so of making hard rock music, he hasn't changed a whole lot. He's kept essentially the same musical approach intact and Man and Machine is just another slice out of the same pie.

On one side, if you like the fist pumping heavy metal with all sorts of anthemic tunes and the prerequisite power ballad, Man and Machine is a pretty safe purchase. If you still maintain a "shorty-longback" haircut (a.k.a. "mullet"), drive a Camaro and tell stories at the bar about concert experiences in 1984, the recommendation becomes even more enthusiastic for you. I wouldn't, however, aim too many of today's sophisticated youths in the direction of U.D.O. as I'm sure screams of laughter might ensue. Man and Machine, apart from the very good production, is very dated. This is music for when AC/DC ruled boomboxes and cassettes were the main way of transporting your favorite tunes. And admittedly, a few of these songs aren't too bad at all. I just feel a little embarrassed when someone catches it coming out of my open car window. But it's not as embarrassing as listening to Udo, with his signature rasp, try to woo Doro Pesch on "Dancing With an Angel".

If your tastes still include a love for old world heavy metal and arena hard rock, this is a good little CD. I suspect that outside of that sphere, Man and Machine represents a long gone era that will stay in the past for most of today's audience.

Review by John Chedsey

Review date: 02/2004

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