UFO Albums (29)
What The Critics Say
Like Saturday Night Live, UFO have had plenty of creative ups and downs over the years but have often demonstrated that one should never give up on them. The veteran hard rockers have recorded some superb albums along the way, and they have recorded some weak, lackluster albums, too. But even when they let their followers down on occasion, UFO have had a way of bouncing back and giving those followers new reasons to be optimistic. The Visitor, it turns out, is a respectable 40th anniversary present from UFO, who were formed in 1969 and remained active 40 years later in 2009. This 2009 release finds two members of the original 1969 lineup (lead singer Phil Mogg and drummer Andy Parker) joined by keyboardist/guitarist Paul Raymond (a 1976 arrival) and guitarist Vinnie Moore, who didn't come on board until the 2000s; regrettably, bassist Pete Way (another original member going back to 1969) was unable to participate due to health problems. Some Michael Schenker devotees will no doubt refuse to give this album a chance because the former Scorpions/MSG guitarist isn't on board, but truth be told, UFO made some valuable contributions to hard rock during their pre-Schenker days and continued to make them after his departure. The Visitor is perhaps a somewhat misleading title for this 42-minute CD because it has a bit of a space rock connotation despite the fact that there isn't a drop of space rock to be found here; regardless, The Visitor offers a worthwhile dose of '70s-minded hard rock -- and even though "Hell Driver," "Stranger in Town," and other bluesy offerings aren't in a class with '70s favorites like "Doctor, Doctor," "Rock Bottom," and "Lights Out," they are enjoyable nonetheless. The Visitor won't go down in history as one of UFO's essential albums, but longtime fans -- at least the ones who are open to the possibility of hearing a Schenker-less lineup -- will find it to be a solid 40th anniversary present from these hard rock survivors. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Although Michael Schenker is not involved, UFO's 2006 release The Monkey Puzzle sees four-fifths of the classic lineup back in place -- singer Phil Mogg, bassist Pete Way, guitarist/keyboardist Paul Raymond, and drummer Andy Parker are all back on board. However, the group has hired certainly no slouch to replace Schenker on the six-string: Vinnie Moore. While they've taken numerous stabs over the years at replicating the magic of when Schenker is present -- with varying results -- tracks such as "Who's Fooling Who" and "Down by the River" contain the classic UFO sound, and certainly wouldn't have sounded out of place on Lights Out or Obsession. Elsewhere, Mogg sings in a much more gravelly style than what he's accustomed to, especially on the Zeppelin-esque "Heavenly Body." Some fans will never accept UFO sans Schenker. But for those who do, The Monkey Puzzle is certainly one of UFO's stronger non-Schenker studio efforts. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Most UFO fans consider the only real lineup to be when guitarist Michael Schenker decides to grace the band with his presence. And truth be told, this is a valid point -- the group's best work seems to occur whenever the unpredictable guitarist is present, whether it was in the '70s (1977's Lights Out, 1979's exceptional Strangers in the Night) or his mid-'90s re-entry (1995's Walk on Water). But shortly after the dawn of the 21st century, Schenker decided to jump ship once more for his solo career, and the band was left with the decision of "to be or not to be." What resulted was probably UFO's most interesting and strongest non-Schenker lineup ever, consisting of mainstays Phil Mogg (vocals), Pete Way (bass), and Paul Raymond (keyboards, guitar), as well as such renowned "newcomers" as Vinnie Moore (guitar) and Jason Bonham (drums). 2005 saw the release of the zillionth UFO live set, Showtime, which does a fine job of showcasing this latter day lineup. The double-disc CD (which was also issued as a DVD under the same title) focuses primarily on the classics, including such standouts as "This Kids," "Love to Love," and "Lights Out" -- despite a vocal flub by Mogg on the latter track. But the recent material included from 2004's You Are Here is surprisingly strong -- "When Daylight Goes to Town" (which sounds quite similar to Van Halen's "Best of Both Worlds") and "The Wild One." While it's not, of course, going to top the aforementioned Strangers in the Night -- a near impossible feat -- Showtime proves that there may be life after Schenker after all. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Survival sans Michael Schenker will forever be the plight of English hard rock heavyweights UFO. Indeed, for many ardent fans, the validity of the group's existence appears to hinge on the presence of the irascible German within its ranks. But with all due respect to the incomparable mad axeman, even his formidable talents have done little to elevate UFO's performance during its reunions of the '90s and 2000s, so it's only fair that the enduring "classic" trio of vocalist Phil Mogg, bassist Pete Way, and rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Paul Raymond should be free to carry on with or without him. They do the latter on 2004's You Are Here, a steady but very workmanlike album (recorded, ironically enough, in Germany) on which the lineup is rounded out by drummer Jason Bonham and American guitarist Vinnie Moore. Opening numbers like the AC/DC-riffed "When Daylight Goes to Town," the rhythmically jumpy "Black Cold Coffee," and the cool grooving "The Wild One" all throw off intermittent sparks, but leave no real lasting thunder in their wake. In a way, they are thus true to UFO tradition by prioritizing nuance over explosiveness, but this still can't mask the fact that there's no sign of a timeless tune among them, or the remaining material, for that matter. As for Moore -- surely the man under the most scrutiny -- from a purely technical perspective he is a more than capable replacement (his long resumé truly preceding him), but his input here (most evident on the muscular "Mr. Freeze") can't improve the final, mixed outcome, either. And except for a couple of fine, quasi-ballads in "Slipping Away" and "Sympathy," and a final flash of anthemic strength in the closing "Swallow," You Are Here reveals a decidedly flat band, perhaps still shell-shocked and getting back up to speed after Schenker's latest soap opera. With that in mind, better days may well come again to these survivors, should some level of stability be allowed to set in. After all, one should never count out a class act like UFO. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Much to the delight of old-school headbangers, the classic lineup of one of the great (yet usually underappreciated) bands of the '70s, UFO, regrouped in 1993. UFO's first new record since reuniting, 1995's Walk On Water, saw the quintet pick up exactly where it left off, not altering its formula much at all. The reunion (or at least the team of Phil Mogg and Michael Schenker) remained together for several albums afterwards, including 2000's Covenant and 2002's Sharks. The latter release sees bassist Pete Way return to the fold and, unsurprisingly, "the song remains the same." The boys can still lay down a hard-rocking thumper with no problem (albeit in more of an obviously Bad Company-like style), especially on such standouts as "Serenity" and "Fighting Man." But few tracks here approach the magnitude of, say, Lights Out or Obsession -- something that the aforementioned Walk On Water surprisingly did. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Possibly only outdone by Motörhead, few hard rock/heavy metal acts have issued more live sets over the years than UFO. And with the emergence of such specialty labels as Zoom Club, which focuses on vintage performances of yesteryear from a variety of bands, the in-concert UFO discography continues to grow, as evidenced by 2001's Regenerator (recorded in 1982). UFO circa 1982 was only a few years removed from guitarist Michael Schenker's exit. And while the quality of their albums quickly began to dip (the departed peroxide-haired German guitarist certainly was a crucial missing element), the band could still deliver on-stage, as heard on this 12-track release. Such UFO classics as "Love to Love," "Too Hot to Handle," and "Lights Out" sound as vibrant here as ever, while such then-recent tracks as "We Belong to the Night" and "The Wild, the Willing and the Innocent" sound much better in a live setting. Although not an era when UFO was still on the upswing, Regenerator shows the group still had some gas left in their tank on the concert stage. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
This release by hard rock favorites UFO is actually a two-disc set. The first disc consists of new material while disc two is a live album. The new studio material finds many of the old UFO sounds and trademarks, but is perhaps a bit rawer, both in terms of production and performance. In many ways, the new tracks feel a lot like they might have been leftovers from the previous CD, the brilliant Walk on Water. This one should certainly please longtime fans of the band, but probably is not a good introduction to the group. The lineup this time out is veteran drummer Aynsley Dunbar, guitar hero Michael Schenker, and vocalist Phil Mogg. ~ Gary Hill, All Music Guide
'X-Factor: Out There & Back'
Release Date 5/27/1997
Tracks 26
Label Snapper
See Album Tracklist and Review
'Parker's Birthday'
Release Date 6/6/1995
Tracks 13
Label Griffin Music
See Album Tracklist and Review
