UFO: C/D

http://theconcourse.deadspin.com/spinal-tap-irl-the-brief-sordid-reign-of-70s-rock-leg-1669823605/+robharvilla

I dont think ive read anything this extensive on UFO. good article. UFO fucking rules.

Yeah, great read, though a few glitches here and there as noted by others -- "the Scorpions" instead of just Scorpions. Also, a profound misunderstanding of the Mountain Goats right at the start.

Ha, I noticed that, UFO were REALLY popular when I was at school (mostly vying with Rush as I remember it) but I don't remember anything about them, I always thought they were sort of not very heavy, almost pop, heavy rock but not according to that article.

Their mid '70s streak is fucking untouchable. I didn't get into those albums until a couple of years ago, when a friend gave me the Japanese remasters of Phenomenon through Strangers in the Night and the top of my head basically flew off.

I always thought they were sort of not very heavy, almost pop, heavy rock but not according to that article.

^they could get heavy up until the time of Schenker's departure, then it's kind of a mess. Humorist is on point, the Schenker stuff is ridiculously good.

you who loved UFO? Anthrax! They would mention UFO in every interview, Pete Way this Pete Way that

I think Van Halen definitely took a couple of tips from UFO. Michael Schenker is about a mid point between Richie Blackmore and Eddie Van Halen both sound and style wise. You will definitely hear that Iron Maiden gallop in some of the big UFO songs too especially "Light's Out", so I have to figure Harris, Murray etc. were fans.

Amazing post on the FB thread I started on this (from an ILX regular whose name here I keep forgetting so I'm hoping he'll notice and reconfirm):

I interviewed Phil Mogg a few years ago. Amazing stories. One about Michael Schenker stealing a rabbit from his neighbours to save it from the cooking pot, then being horrified when it shat around the house. He didn't realise rabbits defecated.

Ah here we go

http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2012/mar/21/phil-mogg-ufo-interview

I was not previously aware that early UFO is really good.

Yeah man. Nobody told me either.

Display name,baby

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/fe/2e/43/fe2e43b292a2818e8b22e0bc80ab3b27.jpg

seriously they are just so great. dream of seeing them in the mid-seventies, how fucking great it must have been to actually watch this music being made

Fucking "Rock Bottom" man

Shadow Earth is closing in
Above the lamps in your street
Lucifer goes walking
Down for you to meet
Minutes pass so slowly by
The hands on your clock
Heavens door don't open
When you knock

1) Easily one of the top 5 "Lu-ci-ferr"s in hard rock/metal.

2) This riff crawls right the fuck up my spine and sinks into my reptile brain, every time.

3) I love the way Mogg breaks his lines in this song (Minutes pass so slowly by the/Hands on your clock).

Listening to Strangers In The Night right now and seriously considering catching their farewell tour in October. (They’re doing one show in NYC, and then a second show on Staten Island, co-billed with BÖC. Can’t imagine anything more 70s Staten Island than a UFO/BÖC concert.)

Holy shit!

Holy shit, it's Bill Magill!

Its Bill Magill making plans to head to Staten Island for the BOC/UFO show!

Paul Raymond (keyboardist and guitarist 1976– 1981, 1984–1986, 1993–1998 and 2003-present, as well as an early member of MSG) has died.

The first guitar solo on “Too Hot to Handle” is awesome.

That is all.

I love UFO and all of the thrash pioneers did as well. For whatever reason they were the "classic rock band" that provided the most inspiration among the first wave of thrash metal. For that reason I have to assume they were also a huge influence on the early NWOBHM bands as well but I didn't live through NWOBHM so I am just guessing.

They were a big influence on early Def Leppard for sure.

I remember listening to a syndicated heavy metal radio show back in the '80s where at the end of the show they would always bring on a major metal star, like someone from Iron Maiden or Judas Priest or Sabbath etc. and that person would count down their five favorite hard rock/metal records of all time. And I remember that UFO came up a lot in this context, which stuck in my mind bc UFO at that point seemed somewhat on the obscure side - they never had a huge '80s comeback like Deep Purple (also Michael Schenker had his own group and two of UFO were in Waysted by then). But yeah, it seemed clear that UFO commanded a lot of respect from the '70s generation guys.

Definitely a big influence on early NWOBHM and fully embraced. As a young NWOBHM freak, UFO were one of the few old guard bands I'd buy records by - No Place To Run (oddly, produced by George Martin) was generally regarded as a NWOBHM album and Strangers in the Night was regarded as a Rosetta Stone.

best band

My favourite UFO fact is still that it's P-Orridge and Cosey on the cover of Force It.

Sounds 6 Jan 1979:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIc_6w6WUAMpfKU?format=jpg

Michael Schenker, a man without an editor

"Anglo-Aryan"

Pretty sure that's not his phone number anymore but it is interesting that Sounds published it. I was ten at the time and I assure you if I knew UFO then (it would be a few years before I discovered them) and red that in a magazine I would have definitely called him. In fact, I like to imagine a teenaged Lars Ulrich doing so.