Artist: Foreigner Title: “Alive And Rockin’” Label: Eagle Vision Release Date: 10/16/2007 Genre: Hard Rock Rating: 4/5
It might amaze you to realize this but the band Foreigner has been around for a little over thirty years now and despite numerous lineup changes since their inception they are still rocking hard as is made evident by this DVD filmed during the 2006 “Bang Your Head” festival in Berlingen, Germany. I admit that I never expected to find the band on the same stage as that of Anvil, Helloween and Stratovarius but here they were and as a result there is a lot of great music to enjoy during their set. The Foreigner of 2006 is far from being the band of early historical record outside of journeyman performer and founder Mick Jones, but he has assembled a lineup that is high on talent and experience when it comes down to the business at hand and each member does justice to the music that many of us grew up on or had discovered as they searched through their parents record collections. Kelly Hansen, formerly of Hurricane, is in place of Lou Gramm on vocals and if you have never heard him before you are in for a treat since he has some of the best pipes to this day. He hits all the highs and even outdoes his predecessor in terms of Rock & Roll stage presence when it comes right down to it. Hey, you don’t front an 80’s Metal band and just stand there after all. On bass we have Jeff Pilson, former of Dokken and even a part of Dio’s lineup at one time so you just know that this part of the rhythm section is in good hands. The thunder on the drums is care of none other than the legendary John Bonham’s own son Jason who over the years has really been doing his father’s memory proud by accomplishments and building a stand out reputation of his own as a classy and powerful drummer. The band is rounded out by Jeff Jacobs (keyboards) and Tom Gimbel (saxophone, guitar, and flute) and together they are all able to give Foreigner the big sound that their tunes require in the live sense. Continue reading “Alive And Rockin’” [DVD] by Foreigner→
Artist: UFO Title: Showtime Label: SPV Records Release Date: 11/8/2005 Genre: Hard Rock Rating: 8/10
The music of UFO has long been a reference point in many of the popular Hard Rock and Metal band histories and you read about this in interview after interview. This might be the case because the band is perhaps one of the best Hard Rock acts to have ever come around and the fact that they still perform today is a statement on its own. For many years legendary guitarist Michael Schenker was a part of the band but through it all the signature bluesy voice of Phil Mogg gave this band the consistency that it still holds strong to this day. After years of lineup changes the band now finds three core original members (Phil Mogg, Pete Way and Paul Raymond) and the addition of dynamic players to round out the lineup. On guitar is Vinnie Moore who is a legend in his own right and admits an inspiration from Schenker as do most guitarists. The drumming is adeptly handled by Jason Bonham, son of the one and only John Bonham. Many will state that this is the strongest lineup that the band has had since the days that Schenker a member. The double DVD Set brings you to the front row for a performance the band did in Wilhelmshaven Germany at the club “Pumpverk”. All around 2004 the group was supporting their SPV Records release “You Are Here”. There is a lot to enjoy on this straight live shoot and USA fans who got to see the band will appreciate the fact that they finally are able to see Pete Way perform. The reason for Pete’s absence in the States was due to some VISA problems and as a result he had to remain in England. In his place for those shows was bassist Barry Sparks who seemed to fit right in very well. Continue reading “Showtime” (DVD) by UFO→
Artist: UFO Title: Showtime Label: SPV Records Release Date: 11/8/2005 Genre: Hard Rock Rating: 7/10
Capturing the performance of UFO recorded at “Pumpwerk” in Wilhelmshaven Germany this CD comes to use as the direct companion to the DVD bearing the same name. The band had toured extensively for the SPV Records release of “You Are Here” which was a solid Rock And Roll album full of classy hooks and soulful vocals. Truly the lineup with Mogg, Way, and Raymond from the original band was brought to an even tighter level with the help of new members Jason Bonham and Vinnie Moore. With Moore and Bonham handling the guitar and drums the band seemed to be at a great level as Moore is a guitar players dream in his own right and Bonham holds the legacy of Led Zeppelin’s famous skin pounder John. Phil Moggs voice has not changed all that much over the years and when a band continues after many lineup changes that same presence makes sure that it holds a level of consistency and doesn’t lose their audience. This consistency shows profoundly on legendary songs such as “Too Hot Too Handle”, “Lights Out”, and “Only You Can Rock Me”. These are not only my favored tracks on the recording but my favorite UFO songs altogether. Fans of the group will find a sufficient amount of the classic material present on this CD as well as new songs from the album. A nice mix all around and an excellent production that allows you to feel as if the band is present should you set the volume just right. Fans who have not heard Moore in the live sense or at all will definitely appreciate how well he handles the Schenker era material as well. The entire groove of the live show is held together by the very solid drumming of Jason who really has come a long way in his playing. He also helps out on the vocals. Continue reading “Showtime” by UFO→
Title: “UFO: Shoot Out The Lights” Author: Martin Popoff Publisher: Metal Blade Records Release Date: 4/1/2005 Rating: 7.5/10
Martin Popoff has again delivered a well arranged and enjoyable tome about a bands history for the fans of such literary works. This time around he gives us the scoop on the legendary UFO. For decades this group has been referenced by band after band as a source of inspiration to their own careers. It’s very easy to see how this was the case as UFO gave us some killer rock anthems in their early years. Among the numbers include “Rock Bottom”, “Doctor Doctor”, “Lights Out” and many, many more. This band not only had the warm vocals of Phil Mogg, but also the guitar wizardry of Michael Schenker. Add the skills and creativity of Pete Way and you get the picture. As you will find when reading the book; UFO has had many different lineups over the course of their existence. Yet in most cases that allowed the material to grow and change along with the times. Continue reading “UFO: Shoot Out The Lights” by Martin Popoff→
The long respected classic rock act Blue Oyster Cult came to the Starland Ballroom the other day to end the short tour they had been on as opener for the also legendary UFO. However, this evening the tables would be turned for some reason. Instead of headlining the gig, UFO would instead go on first and let Cult close the night. While I am not sure why this was done to be exact, I think they made the right choice for at this particular show as it seemed like the larger part of the audience was Cult Fans. The bad part of this change was the venue not telling anyone (including Press) and as a result I missed most of UFO and was just lucky to get my spot secured for the arrival of Cult. Continue reading Blue Oyster Cult @ Starland Ballroom (9/26/2004)→
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