The UFO album by album thread.

Well said.

I've trumpeted the glory of Walk on Water many times in this thread but it seems to have fallen largely on deaf ears. Seems like the norm on this forum for folks who are into a band in the 70's then stop for whatever reason have no interest in hearing anything later. Such a shame. Nice to hear from someone else who shares my enthusiasm for this album. Like you I stumbled upon it somewhere when it came out and had no idea the band had reformed with Michael. Could not believe what I was hearing. And as far as Nevison goes, his production on this album is just what the Doctor Doctor ordered. Maybe Mogg threatened to clock him if he saddled them with string quartets again....

 

Maybe @Crush Everything could finish this thread up for us? Maybe only three or four albums to go. I'd do it but I've got a severe hangnail at the moment.

 

I like the album Walk on Water although the CD is pretty compressed, so much so that I cannot listen to it much. I would love to hear a properly mastered vinyl version.

 

Crush, this is precisely the grade of impassioned analysis I, for one, love to read; it sort of 'has everything.' Keep it coming...

 

Another disc in a long list of discs that I own but haven't listened to so I'm giving it a spin now & I'm liking what I'm hearing

 

Walk on Water was indeed a great UFO (Schenker line-up) comeback album. I'd rate it higher than Phenomenon & No Heavy Pettin'!

 

Kingsley you crack me up

I think you've said this kind of thing b4 in other threads (having an album for a long time but not yet having the time to listen to it). Reminds me of myself (I have too much stuff too). I have a box right now of "new" stuff I "need" to listen to but have it down to about a dozen releases now. Although I confess that for many of the albums I've bought in the last 15 years, unless it is something that grabs me so much I can't stop listening to it, most are one listen on the home stereo, one listen in the car, then they get relegated to my storage cabinets and promptly forgotten

Not like when we're young and just discovering music, each album getting played hundreds of times (unless not liking them) and savored as they should be.

 

Man, that's me, too. I have probably a 1oo or so lps and cds I've never listened to. Too much music, too little time. :[

 

I used to be very active in the live music taping/trading/downloading world. I have hundreds of shows I converted/burned to CD I've never listened to (& probably never will) in addition to dozens more on the hard drive I never even got that far with. I have completely pulled the plug on that side of my music addiction - just not enough time, with the exception of one band (Denmark's Dizzy Mizz Lizzy) I only focus now on officially released stuff and even then its too much. I shake my head in amazement at my rock music loving friends who say "I'd like to get into something new but there isn't anything out there to check out" & try to turn them onto stuff, but that in itself is time consuming....

 

Man, it sounds like you're running surveilance on my life! I'll never understand passive listeners who make next to no effort to find good music and complain about the lack of it. It's out there, if you get off your a** and actually pursue it. In recent years, I've discovered some amazing artists such as Royal Southern Brotherhood, Beth Hart, King King, Vintage Trouble and Rival Sons. I have also recently yanked the plug on my live music downloading/trading obsession. It just got to be too much with overflowing hard drives and piles of burned cds I don't have the time to listen to. My focus has shifted back to vinyl and thankfully, I never gave away or sold my records like everyone else I know. I bought my first home last year and finally have the big music room I always dreamed of with 4-speaker stereo, comfy couch and my record collection - my little piece of heaven. Now, all I need is time...

 

Walk on Water is a great album, IMHO as good as anything from the "classic" Schenker era.

 

Get prepared to expand your "big" room. You will need more space just for the stuff you've bought but haven't yet listened to.

Luckly I gave up on vinyl years ago because CD's take up less space is the only reason I can still move in my music room. I would need a bigger house if I still were collecting LP's.
Still it is possible the wife has more shoes than I have CD's.

These threads are an excellent way of leading you towards more "must haves" to add to the piles.

 

Yeah, stacks of records are starting to take up residence in the living room, where I have a turntable, as well. Luckily, my girlfriend loves vinyl, too and has never given me any grief about the space it takes up. In fact, she's the only woman I've ever known who says, "Hey, is that as loud as that goes?", when there's a song on that she really loves. Usually, it's Priest or Alice Cooper. Not sure where she was hiding all my life, but I'm marrying the cute little freak of nature this fall. Mama didn't raise no fool!

 

Does your girlfriend have a sister ?

 

Haha!! Sorry, man - one and done, unfortunately.

 

Don't get me wrong but I just find WOW a little lacking fire...as good as it is I wanted more I guess. The playing is flawless and the production and Moggys vocals are all great I just think the songs weren't as good as they could've been. Maybe as a UFO nutter of the highest order I was expecting too much from the reunion of the classic line-up...

 

I enjoyed reading this article about Strangers In The Night.

 

Ok finally got around to putting together a list of all the known live recordings that have mostly been officially released and some on shady UK indie labels of dubious legitimacy!
The actual tracks aren't listed here but the places, dates and albums they appear on are - some have been on may releases so I put the most recent/common release as the source.
To find out what tracks are available check the albums listed....

Anyone willing to add or contribute further info or point out something I missed feel free to!!


1971

JAPAN HIBIYA PARK 25 SEPT LANDED IN TOKYO AKA UFO LIVE


1972

FRANCE EARLY FLIGHT LP IN LIVE SIGHTINGS BOX

UK MARQUEE MAY EARLY FLIGHT LP IN LIVE SIGHTINGS BOX


1974

BBC SESSION 6 JUN BBC BOX

BBC SESSION 26 OCT BBC BOX

US ELECTRIC BALLROOM 5 NOV CHRYSALIS YEARS VOL 1


1975

US RECORD PLANT 1 SEPT BOOTLEG BOX / IMPACT LIVE

UK BBC PARIS THEATRE 11 DEC BBC BOX


1976

UK ROUNDHOUSE 25 APR BOOTLEG BOX / LIVE THROUGHOUT THE YEARS


1977

UK ROUNDHOUSE 2 APR BOOTLEG BOX

UK BBC JOHN PEEL 1 JUNE BBC BOX

US CLEVELAND 11 JULY LIVE ON EARTH


1978

US STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT

US WISCONSIN 14 OCT HOT N LIVE

US CLEVELAND OHIO 16 OCT BOOTLEG BOX

US COLUMBUS 17 OCT HOT N LIVE


1979

US TEXAS 21 MAR LET IT ROLL BOX


1980

UK HAMMERSMITH 4 FEB BBC BOX / CHRYSALIS YEARS

US CHICAGO 16 MAR LIVE SIGHTINGS

UK MARQUEE 16 NOV HOT N LIVE


1981

UK HAMMERSMITH 20 FEB BOOTLEG BOX

US CHICAGO 13 MAR LIVE SIGHTINGS


1982

UK HAMMERSMITH 28 JAN BBC BOX / BOOTLEG BOX

US ST LOUIS 14 MAR LIVE SIGHTINGS

US CLEVELAND 9 JUN LIVE SIGHTINGS


1983

UK APPOLLO 4 APR HOT N LIVE

UK HAMMERSMITH 15 APR HEADSTONE


1985

UK KNEBWORTH 22 JUN BBC BOX




1992

JAPAN 20 JUN LIGHTS OUT IN TOKYO


1993

GERMANY FRANKFURT 16 DEC LET IT ROLL BOX


1995

JAPAN TOKYO 16 JUN LET IT ROLL BOX

USA BUFFALO 18 AUG COVENANY / SHARKS BONUS

USA CINCINATTI 31 AUG LIVE ON EARTH

USA SAN FRANCISCO 9 OCT LET IT ROLL BOX


1998

AUSTRIA VIENNA 28 JAN LIVE THROUGHOUT THE YEARS

UK WOLVERHAMPTON 10 FEB IMPACT LIVE


2005

GERMANY WILHELMSHAVEN MAY SHOWTIME

 

Schenker uses a similar technique with open string pull-offs on Stopped By A Bullet from Walk On Water, although it’s the main riff, rather than a solo of sorts and therefore, not as “legato”. As evidenced by Michael's Thank You series of acoustic instrmental releases, he easily surpasses Chapman in this realm, as well. IMO, Michael Schenker has a gift - something intrinsic and magical - that elevates him above the majority of rock guitarists of any era, including scores of more technically proficient players and it applies whether or not he’s “plugged in”. His melodic sensibility is unique and has elevated many a merely decent song to something great.

 

Could not have said it better meself.

His weakness though is the songwriting department - he can come up with riffs but he needs a good vocalist/songwriting partner (like Mogg) to shape his ideas into actual songs. He is my favorite living guitarist but his solo albums just continue to let me down over and over again as far as having any good/memorable/decent songs on them (almost every album post Assault Attack). His latest one with the multiple past singers is better than anything in a while but even with that for the most part I find it not something I will be going back to listen to again very many times.

 

Pete Way helped too IMO.

 

slipkid, what’s your assessment of Written In The Sand? I think that record is really a grower and in Leif Sundin, I feel Michael found a singer closer to Phil Mogg (soulful, bluesy and melodic) than any other with whom he’s written original music. When it came out in ‘96, I was kind of let down after the first few spins, especially since I had loved Walk On Water so much a year earlier. However, being such a Schenker freak, I kept playing it and grew to really dig it. I still play it from time to time and, as with most guitar-driven rock, it sounds best when cranked. I dig Sundin’s voice as well as the rhythm section of Barry Sparks and Shane Gaalaas and wish this line-up had lasted longer than the one album. Off subject slightly, a couple of other releases with Sundin on vocals that are worth checking out are Brian “Robbo” Robertson’s Diamonds and Dirt and John Norum’s Face It Live. Curious to hear people’s take on Written In The Sand and Sundin...

 

You do have a point with that one. I think it is one of his better studio efforts but not even in same ballpark of greatness like his first two solo albums, or any UFO he was on up through Walk on Water.

I have Robbo's Diamonds (love it) as well as Norum's Face it Live but never even realized Sundin was on those!

 

Definitely! UFO at their peak were a special sauce of ingredients of all those guys. Way is an icon for sure.

 

Just discovered this thread as I was looking for info on a recent addition to my vinyl collection: UFO Live in Cleveland 1978 on Dead Man Records.
Vinyl clean and flat and not a bad sound for what I think is probably a bootleg source.
Just checked and I have this show in more complete for in the Bootleg Box

Love this period of UFO !! Should've been huge!