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)→
Artist: U.F.O. Title: “You Are Here” Label: SPV America Release Date: 5/2004 Genre: Hard Rock Rating: 7.5/10
Legendary rockers U.F.O. have returned with a kicking piece of rock and roll for the world to enjoy. Singer Phil Mogg still has one of the more pure voices in rock music and he has held up over the years quite well. Some of the CD reminded me a little more of Bad Company style than that of earlier UFO, yet this is not a bad comparison to hold. Continue reading “You Are Here” by UFO→
