Rating: A+
On September 13th, UFO will release a five-disc
set that covers the band UFO from their earliest days through
their amazing live album, Strangers in the Night.
Included in this package are the entire albums Phenomenon,
Force It, No Heavy Petting, Lights Out, Obsession and
Strangers in the Night. In addition to all of the classic
albums, one also gets live performances from BEFORE the first
album was recorded, a Bob Harris Session from 1974, a live
concert from the Electric Ballroom in Atlanta Georgia, recorded
on November 5, 1974, a John Peel Session from June of 1977 and
additional bonus tracks from the albums Phenomenon, Lights
Out, Obsession and Strangers in the Night in the form
of single edits.
Some of the songs included on this amazing box set include
“Rock Bottom,” “Doctor Doctor,” “Shoot Shoot,” “Let It Roll,”
“Mother Mary,” “I’m A Loser,” “Natural Thing,” “Too Hot to
Handle,” “Lights Out,” “Getting’ Ready,” “Love to Love” and
“Only You can Rock Me.” We are talking over 80 classic songs
from the most popular UFO lineup to ever take the stage.
Michael Schenker was a teenaged guitar prodigy who took UFO
to worldwide success, becoming an iconic guitar player in the
process. Pete Way and Phil Moog are also famous around the globe
for their contributions to the band. In addition to the music,
there are awesome liner notes written by Moog and tons of rare
photographs. UFO album covers from this era were created by
renowned artist Storm Thorgerson and his company Hypgnosis.
While UFO never made a huge impact in the USA, the rest of
the world got the point, loud and clear. Diehard American hard
rock fans eventually figured out what the rest of the globe
already knew and made Lights Out and Strangers in the
Night huge albums.
This is an amazing collection of songs from a band that
influenced countless hard rock and metal bands for decades to
come.
If you have never dove in headfirst, and signed on to take a
ride with UFO, then this is your chance. Once onboard, the music
will blow your senses to the stratosphere. Chrysalis and EMI get
a huge head-bang for giving this band the respect they deserve.
By Jeb Wright
