All purpose UFO thread...ask anything

There's a very strong argument for holding Schenker up as defining an inviolate era for the band (he is just incredible, really) but much of the Paul Chapman stuff at the start of the next decade marries spectacularly to some of the rest of the band's best composing, period.

I'm a stuck record but The Wild, The Willing And The Innocent ... (the whole album, that is. )

 

By the way and talking of Covenant, that Live In The USA ('official bootleg'*) sounds surprisingly decent: haven't played it in years but it feels good to me...

(* Jimmy - what's the score on these live recordings; there's precious little info in my jewel box?)

Anyway, methinks a week long, er, obsession with this album is in order: lovely production and one of those CD recordings that doesn't make me yearn for vinyl.

 

All I know is the live tracks are from 11 Sept 1995 at Blind Melon in Buffalo - Sharks has 3 more tracks appended to the Japanese version...Too Hot To Handle, Only You Can Rock Me and Rock Bottom which unfortunately fades out abruptly just before the end of the song.

Yeah good production on Covenant (not in the Ron Nevison league though!!) and those live tracks are indeed worthy.

 

I have just checked myself if there is anything new on the subject available through Google search, and found these bits:

http://ufothebestbandintheworld.blogspot.com.es/2013/07/does-anyone-know-what-is-up-with-mick.html

http://www.69facesofrock.com/ufo_interview2012.html

 

Thanks, Jimmy.

Any info on who and how it was produced? It certainly sounds better than something taped on a Sony WM-D6!

 

Got this today so far I've listened to the first disc (Chicago 1980) and the 4th (Cleveland 1982) sound quality is probably 8/10 on disc one and 9.5/10 o disc four. Great looking package with 2 tour programs reproduced and another booklet as well as the 4 cds wich are all in cardboard slipcases with inserts not to mention the Larry Wallis era blue vinyl lp which I've yet to listen to since I don't have a turntable :-/

Cleopatra have done a very decent job with this release.

 

Further to my above post and for the purposes of not misleading anyone. I want to clarify that these shows are all radio show broadcasts and as such when I say that they're 8.5 or 9/10 I'm certainly not using Strangers as a yardstick of comparison!

If you're a newbie to the bad then this box set is best avoided but for UFO obsessives it's great and has some decent quality live shows.

Audiophile quality it most certainly isn't

 

I was interested but I read some of the reviews on Amazon & I've decided to pass. I can't recall the exact details right now but some folks were saying things like these were already circulated FM shows in collector circles (so I may already have 'em - or had 'em), quality is not an upgrade over what was already out there, and some are not even complete shows (?). If it was Schenker era stuff I would probably get it though. Also the LP it includes is not a positive for me, I'd rather have a CD. Still looks like a cool package collection-wise if you are into this era of UFO.

 

The Schenker era is the best in terms of individual songs and solos, by far. But The Wild, The Willing And The Innocent is their most entertaining record from start to finish. The rest of the Chapman stuff is pretty bad, no fault of his/theirs, but just age, changing production techniques and market dissolution.

 

Or, put another way, The Wild, The Willing And The Innocent is the album Bruce Springsteen has been trying to make for 44 years.

 

I personally love Mechanix as much as TWTW&TI so this set is cool to have for me as it covers a lot of material off those albums. And since I don't collect boots or download radio shows I had never heard this stuff. Granted it's for UFO nutters like me

 

I actually prefer Chapman's stuff to Schenker's. I thought UFO rocked harder with Chapman. I love Making Contact.

Jimmy - Thanks for info on the new set. Didn't know about it, I'll have to check it out.

 

Is this remaster any good https://www.discogs.com/UFO-No-Heavy-Petting/release/2664524 or brickwalled and compressed to death? Thanks

 

OP, what do you think about the fact, despite seemingly having been a pretty big band (back in the late '70s, at least) there is almost no video footage or media or books or anything to do with documentation of the history, live or otherwise, of this killer band?

Also, UFO has a crap ton of live albums to the point where I can't tell anymore which are official, which are new, or which are re-releases of previously released recordings.

Thoughts?

 

I have not read it yet myself but Martin Popoff has put out a book on UFO called Shoot Out The Lights. Description from his website:

"UFO: Shoot Out The Lights is my 257 page book on the classic and fantastic British band of rogues known as UFO. The book is album by album, song by song, utilizing my many, mostly unpublished interviews with the boys. Band and solo discographies are included. A damn fine looking book, although we decided not to include any photos (long story)."

Can be purchased via his website or Amazon. I have many of Popoff's books and generally enjoy his style of writing though some of his reviews are a little controversial but he is definitely a fan of the bands he writes about.

 

Please tell me he gives equal time to all albums - I can't stand biographies that only cover the "glory days" and then just skim over everything else.

 

He does full discographies on the bands up to the time of the book publishing. That's what I like about him.

 

Any non remastered CD versions of the first 3 UFO albums without Schenker?

 

It's a major shame that there isn't some great live footage out there from the peak period of the band (75-79) of course there is some stuff which is on the Too Hot To Handle dvd but certainly not enough and no complete concert available in physical format. As a major fan of Scorpions I suffer the same disappointment - imagine a live dvd to accompany Stranger In The Night and Tokyo Tapes....I'd die a happy man!!

The best book out there is Martin Popoff's Shoot Out The Lights which i'd give an 8/10 but it's hardly a Phil Mogg, Michael Schenker or Pete Way warts and all autobiography but it'll suffice I guess!

As for live stuff for years we had the 72 live album, Strangers and one side of Headstone but over the past 10 or so years there's been so much that we're now scraping the bottom of the barrel it seems with the recent 4cd/lp box from Cleopatra...to be honest I think enough is enough on that score!!!

 

I think the UFO remasters sound excellent as do many others however and needless to say there are detractors

 

The first versions I had were the Repertoire pressings which I thought were good. I have since updated to the mini lp versions and am not very happy wit the sound of UFO1...Flying and the Live cd sound great in my opinion though

 

SITN Reunion NEEDS to happen for at least one concert/album.

 

Although I think the original vinyl suits the pre-CD era material most consistently, 1994 saw some 'two-for' sets which were remastered to a terrific standard and some of these are/were subjectively on a par with the acetates.

Talking about Tonks, I played this the other day and immediately transgressed various statutes of the land (with nuts duly tightened...from 2.06, especially!)

 

Great track from an under rated album

 

Jimmy, just played side two from No Place To Run (original vinyl) and I'm close to tears.

One of the most exquisite marriages of Hard Rock scribbleage/execution and sound quality bar none.

I do absolutely love Horst Tonkqvest.

You simply cannot find music even remotely close to this any more - and to think - some folks dismiss 'em as 2nd tier!