Oh my (UFO) (LP 4746 - 4753)

UFO  Phenomenon (CD, Chrysalis Records, 1974) ***  

UFO  Force It (CD, Chrysalis Records, 1975) *** 

UFO  No Heavy Petting (CD, Chrysalis Records, 1976) *** 

UFO  Lights Out (CD, Chrysalis Records, 1977) *** 

UFO  Obsession (CD, Chrysalis Records, 1978) *** 

UFO  Strangers in the Night (CD, Chrysalis Records, 1979) **** 

UFO  No Place to Run (Vinyl, Chrysalis Records, 1980) *** 

UFO  Mechanix (Vinyl, Chrysalis Records, 1982) ****

Genre: Hard rock

Places I remember: HMV

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Doctor Doctor (Strangers in the Night)

Gear costume: Rock Bottom (Phenomenon); Let it Rain, Somethin' Else (Mechanix)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7; Part 8

Active compensatory factors: UFO are a hard rock band from the seventies who had three big things going for them on Phenomenon - their third album: Phil Mogg's superb vocals; axe hero Michael Schenker (fresh from Scorpions); and producer Leo Lyons from fellow Chrysalis band, Ten Years After. He knows blues rock territory.

While Phenomenon is yet to harness the power of the new UFO completely, the album has some great moments - principally Doctor Doctor and Rock Bottom. Both would become regular additions to the setlist from then on.

Force It, again superbly produced by Leo Lyons, was where the classic UFO started to take full flight. That said, I'm not a huge fan of this and the next couple of albums. Moog sings great and Schenker shreds with aplomb - it's just that the songs aren't as strong as they should, could, would be later on. The highlights on the album are Let It Roll, the lead off song, and Shoot Shoot.

No Heavy Petting was the last album produced by Leo Lyons and it's quite similar to Force It in its approach. The songs aren't even as strong as they were on that album so No Heavy Petting is something of a disappointment, even though the Hipgnosis team contributed an excellent cover.

Lights Out was produced by Ron Nevison and was a slight step forward, while sounding distinctly like the UFO of the previous few albums. 

Love to Love is the last song on the album, and for me it's a clear highlight. The misstep is the cover of Love's Alone Again Or. What's the point of a close cover like this?

Obsession was Michael Schenker's last studio album on lead guitar. No doubt, he is a great guitarist but his tone isn't a particularly warm one so I'm not a huge fan as it happens. His impressive lightning leads are often shrill and harsh to my ears.

Overall, the album hits hard (like Lights Out and indeed all of these albums) but it also takes a lead from Love to Love to experiment a bit, even including strings and piano on the ballad Lookin' Out For No. 1.

The live album, Strangers in the Night, is a great summary of the band's strengths with Michael Schenker. The set captures the band at its peak. The sound is superb and the band are tight as. The highlights are many with definitive versions of songs like Doctor Doctor, Rock Bottom, Shoot Shoot, Let It Roll and Lights Out.

No Place to Run was the first album with new guitar ace - Paul Chapman. My other reason for owning a copy is the producer who happened to be George Martin! Sadly, I have to report that even his genius can't lift the album beyond some generic hard rock moves. Standout track would be their version of Mystery Train.

Mechanix, however, is another story. I love this album, mainly because it was the first UFO album I heard. For some reason their seventies output had passed me by. Secondly, the songs are great. Highlights are The Writer, Somethin' Else, We Belong to the Night, Let it Rain, and Terri - a fantastic power ballad.

Where do they all belong? The hard rock genre is much maligned these days and not my go-to anymore, but listening to UFO still gives me pleasure.