On disc: U.F.O.

 
 You Are Here
 
- Sandra Bucher -
 
 


 
 The Best Of A Decade
 
- Lars Bjørn -
 
 


 
 The Best Of A Decade
 
- Claudia Ehrhardt -
 
 


 
 Seven Deadly
 
- Claudia Ehrhardt -
 
 

Seven Deadly

(SPV - 2012)



 
 

 

There is no need to introduce U.F.O., with about 20 studio albums under their belt every rock fan should know the band. So let's talk about Seven Deadly now!



The kick off with Fight Night, a heavy rocker with crunching riffs and a bluesy edge. A good way to start the album, then they speed up for Wonderland. Guitarist Vinnie Moore shows off his skills in solo parts - and he isn't overdoing it! -, but most of the time supports the song. With Mojo Town they hit the bluesy road, and Phil Mogg's vocals give it the U.F.O. trademark sound. The following tunes are bluesy hard rockers which will fit perfectly between their classics on the upcoming tour. The Last Stone Rider is among my favorites, it's a classic U.F.O. tune. Another highlight is Steal Yourself, it has an 80's feel and reminds me a bit of Bad Company... Burn Your House Down is ennobled by Vinnie Moore's guitar solo. They close this chapter with Waving Good Bye.



Fans of Mr. Mogg and his mates won't be disappointed by the 10 tracks off Seven Deadly. The songs rock, have a bluesy edge, what else can U.F.O. fans ask for?

 
 










Claudia Ehrhardt


  
up 













The Best Of A Decade

(SPV - 2010)



 
 

 

After 40 years in rock and some best-of albums they now offer The Best Of A Decade, but when I look at the tracks I'm wondering, coz songs like Too Hot To Handle and Doctor, Doctor are classics. A few classics made it onto this disc as live recordings, but fans will have a live album anyway, and their last live album was released in 2007. So it would be more interesting to here new songs like Saving Me or Heavenly Body live as they aren't at Showtime, coz they were released after the last live album.

When I heard first of this compilation, I thought it's a good idea, coz not everybody who's going to see UFO live has all studio albums and so would get a cool round-up. For catching the interest of die-hard fans, it would have been necessary to offer more. No complain about the songs or the craftsmanship, but why not offering alternate versions? For example Saving Me in an acoustic version.

For someone who has nothing from UFO with Vinnie Moore on guitar it's probably interesting... But to be honest, I would pick up Showtime instead... On the other hand it has some nice tunes which were released afterwards... Anyway, it's still a cool collection of UFO tunes.




Track list:



The Wild One

Hard Being Me

Lights Out (live)

Saving Me

Daylight Goes To Town

Let It Roll (live)

This Kids (live)

Heavenly Body

The Helldriver

Too Hot To Handle (live)

Mr. Freeze

Shoot Shoot (live)

Black'n Blue

Can't Buy A Thrill

Baby Blue

Docter Docter (live)

 
 










Claudia Ehrhardt


  
up 













The Best Of A Decade

(SPV - 2010)



 
 

 

Vocalist Phil Mogg: "We was going through a lifetime. I had a banshee on my back."

I think everybody has heard of the English band UFO. This band has been making records for the last 40 years, and during these many years a lot of things have happened. Many people have been in and out of the band, even the founding members Andy Parker and Pete Way. Conflicts, arguments and sickness have followed UFO constantly, and two times it led to disbanding of UFO. In the last 8 years it has been more stable for UFO as Vinnie Moore came into the band as replacement for Michael Schenker, but within the last 3 years trouble and difficulties have reappeared as both Pete Way and Andy Parker have been absent due to illness.



The new UFO album is called Best Of A Decade, but includes some of the best UFO songs from 1971 to 2009, so this is a long decade. Some of the 16 songs are performed live, and some are studio versions. Very high class on most of it, and in my eyes the best songs are:



The Wild One: A groovy rhytm, heavy tempo with raw power guitar from Vinnie Moore and sharp vocals from Phil Mogg.

Hard Being Me: Party rock ala UFO, uptempo drive even with blues inspired part, all with a touch of the Eric Clapton style.

Lights Out: The super hit is from 1977, but with heavy guitars from this century, strong and powerful tight, absolutely no hoopla here.

Helldriver: Quality powerriffs gives this song new life again.

Doctor Doctor: This song is hard not to mention. It still holds, and works fine nowadays, just as in the 70's and 80's where it got cult status.






Track list:



The Wild One

Hard Being Me

Lights Out (live)

Saving Me

Daylight Goes To Town

Let It Roll (live)

This Kids (live)

Heavenly Body

The Helldriver

Too Hot To Handle (live)

Mr. Freeze

Shoot Shoot (live)

Black'n Blue

Can't Buy A Thrill

Baby Blue

Docter Docter (live)

 
 










Lars Bjørn


  
up 













You Are Here

(Steamhammer - 2004)



 
 

 

The current line-up of U.F.O. has beside singer Phil Moog, Paul Raymond and Pete Way the new members Vinnie Moore (guitar) and drummer Jason Bonham. Okay, this isn't a milestone in the career of the flying saucer, but a more then decent album. Some might miss guitarist Michael Schenker, but I think that they are better without him. It seems to me that he's not interested in playing with the band and just did it for the money. Okay, the newbies probably doing it for money-reasons, too, but it ain't obvious. But Phil Moog & co. are still able to write simple, but beautiful ballads. Mr. Mogg's voice is good as ever. His voice is a trademark for their sound and makes them recognizable easily. Okay, this one hasn't classics like Love to Love, Too Hot To Handle or Doctor, Doctor. On the other hand some songs need time and even this songs needed time to become classics. Give them a chance and a few spins to develop.
 
 










Sandra Bucher
(translation: Claudia Ehrhardt)


  
up 





 
           ©2008-2014 by Claudia Ehrhardt • E-Mail: contact@ice-vajal.com