UFO’s first without Michael Schenker always felt like it was treading water after the band had reached a peak with Obsession and the essential Strangers In The Night live set. The songs are at least for the most part good and there are two or three excellent ones, The packaging has one of those foldout poster inserts which I hate. The folds are too strong so you could never flatten it and I think the previous remaster edition’s standard booklet was much better.
Flying out to George Martin’s Montserrat based Air Studios must have sounded a great idea with the bonus of working with the legendary Beatles’ producer. but there was a lack of sparkle in the production. It just didn’t hit hard enough in the way it should have done for a band who were still looking to expand and build on their success.
The good news is that this 2025 master has given the album more oomph so it’s a good time to reassess the material. The problem is the loss of guitar wizard Michael Schenker. There’s too often a lack of a killer edge in the song-writing and as good as his replacement Paul Chapman was he lacked Schenker’s inspiration and flair.
It opens with the strident unsettling Alpha Centauri which sounds every bit the intro tape it was to be on stage. It works and heralds the bludgeoning swagger of Lettin’ Go which pulverises even more now. Big winner in the sound-stakes is bassist Pete Way who is really dialled up on this one. His rhythm buddy, drummer Andy Parker, is a powerhouse too. It’s exciting and powerful and almost vintage UFO, but just needed a magical lead guitar part. Chapman makes himself felt on the acoustic intro to their cover of Elvis’s Mystery Train. When they pull the hammer on this one it just takes off – so far so good.
The melodic rocker This Fire Burns Tonight follows but there’s still something missing about this one. It sounds kind of lacking in the mid-range, a bit distant. I wanted more crunch and swing. Gone In The Night is a nearly goodie. Great intro and biting guitars but it softens up a bit too much and I don’t think the chorus is strong enough. The single from the album, Young Blood, features a big Who style intro but descends into a dull plodding rhythm and a poor chorus can’t save it. Phil Mogg, it has to be said, is excellent on the vocals here, as he is throughout, but it’s still a terrible song.
Mogg’s Springsteen influenced lyrics are embarrassing on the title track, but generally he gets the tone right elsewhere. It’s the big ‘epic’ on the album but I can’t get past all the American themed lyrical stuff. When Mogg chants ‘Jungleland’ I just want him to stop right now! Take It Or Leave It is very good indeed but woefully undercooked. It’s a big ballad at heart and deserved a bigger treatment. Nice piano too from Paul Raymond whose guitar/ keyboards were an essential part of the UFO sound.
Money Money is this album’s Cherry. Way’s bass echoes that classic and this is no slouch of a song either. It’s a solid enough rocker with those UFO harmonies and melodies that add so much to anything they did. But the best song on the album for me is the last one – Anyday – a genuinely unusual feel to the verses for UFO with Mogg heading into falsetto territory and a wickedly tough chorus with Chapman absolutely catching fire. I really love this one a lot. The faded outro is frustrating as it sounds like there was more to be heard.
Deluxe means two studio outtakes for a start. However, a very similar Gone In The Night and No Place To Run don’t add much. Much better is the second disc recorded live at the Marquee in November 1980, featuring new songs from this album and even a couple from their next, and best, with Chapman The Wild, The Willing & The Innocent. It’s a raw hot and sweaty performance and well worth the price of purchase alone. UFO were always a terrific live act and this deluxe edition is definitely another one to add to your collection.
