UFO : Phenomenon, Force It, No Heavy Petting and Lights Out : Review & Reaction
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- Опубликовано: 11 сен 2024
- UFO The First Four Michael Schenker Albums Reviewed.
In 1975 I was 16 and bought an album by a band I had never heard of.
In this video I talk about how I discovered the UK Rock Band UFO and my reaction to hearing the albums as I bought them for the first time.
I review them in the order that I first heard them, so we have
Phenomenon (1974)
Force it ( 1975)
No Heavy Petting (1976)
Lights Out (1977)
In the video you will see my original vinyl copies and the recommended CD reissues.
The CD remasters are a huge sonic upgrade on the vinyl editions especially on the first three Leo Lyons releases
Phenomena (2007) this has 6 Bonus Tracks
Phenomena (2019) 3CD 16 Bonus Tracks + a Live Concert from 1974
Force It ( 2007 ) 6 Bonus Tracks
Force It ( 2021) 2CD with Live concert from 1975
No Heavy Petting (2007) 5 Bonus Tracks
Lights Out (2008 ) 4 Bonus Tracks
Phil Aston | Now Spinning Magazine
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![MICHAEL SCHENKER [ DOCTOR DOCTOR ] LIVE.](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/QU4eN3adgfE/mqdefault.jpg)
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Most under appreciated Band of all time
Thin L8zzy too
Absolute quality quality band . Poor management cost UFO a seat at the top table . I agree with you completely regarding No heavy petting, a real underrated gem of an album.
Hi, Thank you for watching, No Heavy Petting is still my favourite after all these years. Phil
I found UFO through Phenomenon at Virgin Records in Brum , then I bought UFO 1 , 2 Flying and Live all imports from Germany , They too were MY band ha ha , I saw them live at Bogarts on New Street a small club in Birmingham , there I had the pleasure of talking to Michael Schenker who was just a bit younger than I was , the gig was available on You Tube but has since been taken down .
Phil, then my Japanese friend George, (Now deceased) was the 2nd son of the 1st Asian family to move into the NW suburbs of Chicago in 1969. In 1971 George's older brother Dean told someone, he was a DJ and asked, would they send him some albums. And they did. One of those was the 1st UFO LP and it rocked. Michael, another friend, (Also deceased) bought Phenomenon in Sept. 73 and the blond bomber Michael Schenker, Phil Mogg, Pete Way and Andy Parker, the classic UFO line-up entered our lives. Michael and I and our ladies saw them in 75 w/the J.Geils Band headlining. Danny Peyronel was the keyboardist at the time. Even then Michael's genius penetrated especially on Rock Bottom. In those days you had to deliver live! They came thru Chitown 3 X;s every year for a while. As we all know the classic, classic line-up for Lights Out happened when Paul Raymond, Keyboards and rhythm guitar filled out the band. I saw Michael 6 times and UFO w/Tonka Chapman twice. But in 95 they reunited w/Michael over Walk On Water and I could not believe the noise the crowd made as the average age was close to 40. That band, UFO is one of the main soundtracks of my life. I'm 65 now and Mad Michael Schenker is 68 and his show at RockHard 2023 is amazing. Check it out fans.
Force it Still my Favourite Saw them at the Reading Festival in 75 Was magic 🎶🎶🎸🎸
Rock Bottom is not just a classic, but in terms of rock it is one of the best of all time.
Lights Out does not have a bad track. Try Me 100% sublime. Myself and my mates were late arriving to the party. We first heard UFO in 78 as we are slightly younger than yourself.
Hi Robert, thank you for watching. I agree Rock Bottom is a perfect rock song and Try Me the perfect rock ballad. Phil :)
Hello Phil 👋 thanks for the nice review back in the past. The story of this group’s discovery is well done and very interesting 👌. I discovered it later because of the introduction song of Iron Maiden lives : Doctor Doctor. It has always given me some chills of happiness ! Now I can say it’s one of my all time favorite bands like Maiden, Judas, Sabbath, Purple or Zeppelin 🤘. Those 4 albums have been released again recently in deluxe edition 2 or 3 LP, with a nice packaging in gatefold and bonus tracks and live concert of the support tour of each album. Remastered by Andy Pearce, on Chrysalis. I bought them in 2023, they are fantastic 👍. Now I wait for an Obsession new edition in same quality format. Have a good day 👌🤙
Philippe from France
Got 2 be the greatest music ever that nobody ever heard about I'll never get it ,the best band ever I'll put em up whith purple,Floyd, zeppelin,sabbath and even the great Beatles
Very entertaining video, Phil :)
My intro to what became one of my favourite bands was the release of ‘Strangers’, being lent a copy by a schoolmate and buying the two clear vinyl EPs and then the album. From there it was Force It, which is still my favourite Schenker era UFO studio album. The production sound doesn’t do it any favours but the arrangements and performances are superb - “Between the Walls” is genius as a coda to “This Kids”. Ron Nevison’s production on Lights Out showed how they should have sounded - it’s by far the best sounding Michael Schenker era UFO album imho. The classic line-up indeed - Paul Raymond was the perfect complement to the Fab Four!
As you’re a musician, you might be interested in how they usually went about songwriting - I recall reading an interview with Michael Schenker, where he said the starting point for him was always the solo, followed by the chords and then Phil Mogg wrote the lyrics. Mogg has to be one of the most underrated (an often overused word!) hard rock singers and lyricists. Looking forward to your UFO ranking :)
Will you be reviewing any MSG?
Hi Derek, thank you for watching and sharing your story. I might visit MSG later on. Phil
I jumped in blind to UFO as well, I was interested in UFO alien stuff at the time, and found the LP cover interesting, influenced by a real life hoax photo of a UFO sighting.
Got the guy in the record store to check the band catalogue, and he ordered in Force It, No Heavy Petting, and I was hooked, then Lights Out had just came out, the rest is history. Phil Mogg one of my favourite singers of all time
My first live show opening for ozzy 1982 ,along with thin lizzy so overlooked by radio ,media ,rnr hall,of fame . These albums along with their live release recorded in Chicago are pure perfection for hard rock
I always get embarrassed when talking about how I got into UFO. A good mate loved them, loved Schenker's playing especially. Despite hearing the odd track, nope, I couldn't take to them. That was even the case through the masterpieces that are Lights Out and Obsessions. Then out comes Strangers In The Night. That was a complete revelation. I think I'd previously turned down the chance to see them live (the shame!) and of course by the time I did, it was a different ball game again.
Hi Mike, Thank you for watching. I think everyone has a story like yours! Thank you for sharing. Phil
UFO : the first live band I ever seen. At the Glasgow Apollo my home town. This review brings it all back to me. Wonderful memories.
Glad you enjoyed it - Phil
Just love your videos, Phil! We're the same "vintage", so I connect so much with everything you cover in your videos! Love your stories and paasion! 🤘👍
Saw them live in the early eighties at Taunton Odeon. Mogg said it would be their warm-up concert for Reading and they had all the amps and speakers to test that night for open-air Reading, so he warned us it would be loud! At the end of the night, me and my mate fell out through the exit doors into the street making everyone outside jump back. We were yelling cus we couldn't hear right. We couldn't stand upright as the sound waves made us sway back and forth so we must have appeared drunk and disorientated. It was tremendous and luckily no lasting damage. Keep on rocking Phil.
Hi, thank you for watching and sharing your amazing story. You were very lucky your hearing survived! Phil
Bought phenomenon when it came out. Loved it. No heavy petting really rocked my world and Lights out is about as perfect a rock album as there is. Every Schenker solo on that disc is a treasure and ground breaking IMHO. Just sayin
Hi Kelly, thank you for watching. Phil
I was 7 and my older brother brought Lights Out into my room. He said give Jailbreak a rest and listen to this for awhile. Let's just say after discovering Phil Lynott and Pete Way I asked for a Bass for Xmas. Still playing at 52.
Hi Daniel, thank you for watching and sharing your great story - Phil :)
Thanks Phil for another excellent show as always. This time one of my favorite bands ever, the mighty UFO!! 🛸
Looking forward to the next episode, in the meantime 'let me roll you' and the viewers with these non-album studio tracks 1974-1976
ruclips.net/video/895zunnGEz4/видео.html
🛸zzzzzooommmmm!! 👨🚀😅
Hi Bert, thank you for watching and sharing! Phil
Great Video again ! UFO had a number of 7" singles 74 - 77. These have not to my knowledge ever been sighted at Record Fairs, not yet!!. However "To Hot To Handle" 7" was on lists in the Music Press and may be one of the first UFO singles to be on Red or Clear vinyl, nice to have ! Great Video Again !
Hi David, thank you for watching. I have a few of those singles. I will did them out and do a post on the community tab. Phil
Bought No Heavy Petting with no idea of who they were, in 77 a tad younger than you, top shelf band. They hold up today as good as ever. Cheers.
never heard of status quo before. Ill have to check them out. I am a huge ufo fan..force it is the best album in my opinion!
Damn good, whith,tonka rip and,the, 3 albums when mike came back sharks my. Favorite walk on water great,and,covenant totally rocks out
Great video Phil. Agree about Doctor Doctor - it needs a solo.
And no heaving petting my favorite
What a great video. Loved it. No Place To Run was the first album for me when it came out, so I have a soft spot for that album. Gone backwards since, as you did. Love 'em! :)
Me too! I love No Place to Run. So underrated.
They were great and didn't need proper jobs anyway , great video Phil as usual.
Thank you 🙏
Great reviews of these classic UFO albums with an historical context of those times. As you say the only way you could do research on this band was through the music press from the odd article and tour or album release announcement.
No Internet, so where do you start?
I was wondering what you thought when you discovered their deeper roots as a Space Rock band. UFO I and UFO II were great albums and their live one of that era was amazing.
If they hadn't have got Schenker on board after those albums who knows what would have happened to the band? I've read it was only by chance while touring after a guitarist dropped out that they first got him on board. The final piece of the jigsaw to help them produce those melodic masterpieces from the 70s.
I would also love to hear what you think of those initial albums post Schenker.
Hi John, I have done a separate video looking at the the Wild Willing and The Innocent album as it is one of my favourites by the band. The pre Schenker version of UFO I only got around to getting these a few years ago. People telling me they were awful put me off. Of course now I have them I think they are not bad and an important part of the UFO story. If they had not found Schenker I feel the band would have folded before 76. Phil
@@NowSpinningMagazine Phil there's two different album covers for the US and UK vinyl versions of The Wild, Willing and the Innocent. Same style but different colours.
So if any viewers are thinking of investing in vinyl copies of this album it's worth a consideration.
Personally the UK version sounds better for some reason. I've tried investigating but I haven't found out why? ...
Ha ha, I love that background story Phil of spotting Force It and taking a gamble, parents out shopping for hours and having time to listen to the new record, compilation cassettes for mates in the car on the way to a pub...oh such a similar tale to tell!.
I spotted Force It in a music paper and went to the record shop to get it but ended up with something entirely different (can't remember what!). So Lights Out was the first one on release.
Your follow up video will be interesting as personally I felt a decline after Strangers In The Night although still bought the albums stopping at Mechanix. Interesting that Lights Out and Obsession are now very hard to get hold of on CD, a strange situation for two classic rock albums...
Hi Ian, thank you for watching and sharing your story. My UFO album ranking video will contain a few surprises I am sure. With regards Obsession and Lights Out being out of print, all the labels are now doing shorter runs and it hard to believe the remasters in the video are already over 10 years old! Phil :)
Hi Phil, interesting as I've recently been on the JPC mail order site in Germany and they have info against several UFO albums they're being reprinted in next few months...
@@iang1 That sounds very promising!
I have Force It on LP and love it. I have a live studio recording (FM broadcast) from 1975 that is really hot too. Thanks for sharing.
Your wonderful storytelling makes all the difference to these videos, Phil (I also watched Deep Purple In Rock), so thank you! I only know Strangers In The Night and wanted to dig into their studio albums, so this and the upcoming video will really help. As a teenager I always thought AOR meant Adult Oriented Rock, but now I gather it meant Album Oriented Rock :) I see what you mean about the cover of Force it - could've been by the Ohio Players. I didn't realise there's also a censored version without the models. Cheers, Ian
Hi Ian, thank you for watching and I am very pleased you like my channel. I feel the story telling element helps bring the music alive for viewers who were not there. Phil
Belladonna is unbelievably big with Russians. One of my favorite UFO songs ever is Martian Landscape. An underrated album. Also love Pete's On with the Action. Natural Thing and I'm a Loser were much better as live versions. Natural Thing is still played by Michael.
Get UFO deluxe box set stranger's of the night that album was one of my faves as a young man still is. Great box set.
🛸
Hi. UFO + M Schenker are worldwide revered by music and true rock fans. Michael Schenker played with his brother in the first Scorpions album. The first 5 or 6 Scorpions albums developed that guitar sound virtuoso from Schenker/UFO. I think both groups were hearing each other by each album they launched until the 80s change the musical industry. And Uli Jon Roth was also an amazing player with a similar aproach. Just for curiosity value, one of the models on the Force it cover album was Genesis P Orridge from Throbbing Gristle/Coil. Saludos desde México.
Hi Ricardo, thank you for watching and supplying the extra information in your comment. The early Scorpions albums with Uli are superb. Phil
@@NowSpinningMagazine your channel is excellent. I have most of vintage UFO in vinyl, USA pressings and also got the Charisma budget CD box set. I sold three Michael Schenker LPs a few years ago. Only got the one with a motorbike. In the last few years I have been buying boxsets. Jazz, rock, prog, classical, experimental, punk, avantgarde, library, ethnic, blues, reggae, dub and electronic. Every country with great music and reissues popping everywhere. Good new music either. The problem is the money!!! So many I can't afford. For me who don't know very well UK music Cherry red/Esoteric/Grapefruit/él/RPM are like a time machine and new doors of perception. You are a kind, honest person. Bring us the unboxing and collection show for many years. Best wishes.
Fab video, Phil. Your telling of the story is so similar to mine. I agree with everything you said.
Stay safe, stay free and keep rocking!
Hi Andy, thank you for watching and your positive comment! Phil
I first heard UFO via a John Peel session around the time of Lights Out. Also, there was a local rock band I followed back then who used to include a great version Shoot Shoot in their set (for ages I didn't actually realize it was a cover; they really did it justice). Anyway, another excellent video, Phil. It's always good to hear your early record buying memories.
Hi Clive, thank you for watching. Thank you for the feedback that you enjoy the personal memories as well ! Phil
Great review Phil! I was fortunate as the youngest of 5 children to hear these UFO albums when they hit the streets..My brothers cranked these albums down the hallway of our home in America..Still the most played albums amongst so many greats I always return to where it all started..Look forward to your stories and reviews
Hi Terence, thank you for watching and sharing your stories about these albums. I have a lot more videos like this planned ! Phil :)
Another great and very enjoyable video Phil! Got into them a bit later so really enjoyed your story. It`s special to catch it as it`s happening so to speak. Look forward to a potential album ranking!
Hi Sjhue, thank you for watching. Sorry for the delay in replying! Phil
I really enjoy their newer albums.I love the older ones also but the newer albums are like Purple and the Heep they still rock.
Nice video! I recently picked up a UFO CD box set. It features the first 10 studio albums (released after the 2 "space rock" ones) all remastered with a bunch of bonus tracks. No fancy booklet, but they sound great. It's a good way to explore their early years without dropping a load of cash.
Hi Ken, thank you for watching. The box set you speak of is a brilliant way to get their key albums for a great price. Phil
I LOVE UFO. But, even after nearly 40 years for me of liking this band, I still can't fathom out what the exact lyrics to "Let It Roll" are. I know it's about something like drag racing but literally Force It was the first UFO album I got (on cassette from WH Smiths in 1985) and I can remember thinking "what is he on about?!" shortly after I first pressed play...
An update to my earlier comment. I've been searching for remastered CDs of Lights Out and Obsession. Found Lights Out for £6.99 (new) at Wymer Publishing together with the remastered Force It at £13.99 so ordered both.
I immediately received a reimbursement of £13.99 as Force It was unavailable despite being advertised. Two hours later I looked at the website again and Force It now says unavailable but Lights Out is now available to the next customer for £39.99!. Come on Chrysalis or EMI, get these albums re-manufactured and back in the racks...
Amazing vid Phil. These albums are very near and dear to me. I wasn't around for when these albums came out, so my journey with rock started with the big name bands (Zeppelin, Stones, etc). They were good, but once I dug deeper and I found bands like UFO, Nazareth, Riot, Y&T, Wishbone Ash... then it was lights out (pun intenced)
Hi Nick, thank you for watching ans so pleased you enjoyed the video!. I need to do something else on Riot ! Phil
Top band
Hi Phil, I also became a UFO fan retrospectively. Back in the day they were barely known in Australia. I walked into my favourite record store and heard One More For The Rodeo from Obsession playing and became an instant fan. From there I started seeking out their back catalogue and fell in love with Schenker's playing. I do think they peaked with the albums produced by Ron Nevison. I have to agree about recognizing someone's playing style back then until the shredders came into vogue and made the guitar sound so generic.
Hi Lex, thank you for watching. I feel that the guitar players from the 70s developed identifiable styles because they all had a basis in the blues for feel. Phil
Shout out to Queen Of The Deep, for me it is better than Rock Bottom and I don't know that they ever played it live. Some of my fav songs on the first Schenker album are the throw aways, Time On My Hands, Crystal Light, and Space Child, showing the bands depth and that they still had a bit of 60's rock in them in 1974. Great review.
Hi, thank you for watching and great to hear from another fan of Queen of The Deep. Phil
I hadn't heard of UFO until quite recently, when I friend from the UK recommended them. My favorite track is "Love to Love". However, my favorite album is "No Heavy Petting". I love the Hipgnosis covers on all the Schenker era band. However, the music is even better than the covers. "Can You Roll Her" has amazing guitar.
In addition to the guitar, I also love Phil Mogg's vocals and Pete Way's bass. Do you have any of the Fastway or Waysted albums? Those are also good. I actually heard Fastway on FM radio here, but I've never heard UFO (any version of the lineup) on local FM radio.
I'll have to look for the 2007 CDs to get the remastered sound and the booklets. I have the four albums on vinyl, but I've always been a huge fan of vinyl.
Thanks for doing this review, Phil. Your story makes these albums come alive especially. 😊 This is one of my favorite videos you've done so far, and I'm looking forward to your next UFO album video.
I hope you're doing well and recovering from your eye surgery. Take care.
Hi Laura, thank you for watching and your continued support for what I do here. I am so pleased you liked this video. I love Waysted as well. Phil Mogg is such a wonderful vocalist. My eye is slowly improving, the operation has left me quite tired which is why it is taking me longer to reply to comments. I am getting better but remembering not to over do it! Phil
Excellent synopsis. Think our UFO stories are fairly similar. Your band in Brum, mine in Oxford. 🎸🤘🥃
Hi Douglas, thank you for watching - Phil
Amazing band - one of the best ever.
Great video.
My band in Stoke. 👍
Hi Rob, thank you for watching - I will attempt to rank the UFO albums next! Phil
@@NowSpinningMagazine That will be where we don't agree 🤣🎸🤘🥃
Absolutely! Although there might be some surprises :)
Phenomenon is my fav
Great video. Funny you like NHP best as for me it's nowhere near as good as Force It or Lights Out...nonetheless all UFO albums are essential in my opinion.
Hi Jimmy, thank you for watching. We are all different so when I do my ranking video I imagine I am very different from many UFO fans. However, we all will agree what a fantastic band that are. Phil
Hi Phil, did you make UFO ranking albums video, you mentioned.
I could not find it.
No, it's still on my to do list - I am hoping to get it ready in September. I keep changing my mind on what goes where! Phil
👍@@NowSpinningMagazine