The UFO Thread-Pete Way RIP

[Stadler]

Very much looking forward to the discography.  I love the Schenker years, and really like the Chapman years (though I haven't really gotten into the Moore stuff yet), but have always been curious about the era BEFORE Schenker.   We're gonna find out soon enough!

[TAC]

Well, like I said, I'm not starting it until it's actually done. So when I say it'll be soon, I mean:



Seriously, we are months away!

The funny thing about The Moore era is that my overall feeling about it is that it's been disappointing, yet I recently made mix CDs of the Chapman Era and the Moore Era, and I actually enjoy the Moore one um..more.

Both UFO1 and Flying are on Spotify. Don't wait for the thread! Both are quite interesting, especially Flying's 26 minute title track!

[TAC]

I am also planning on hitting the Schenker albums, especially the early ones and the last few, while I may skip over most of the 90's-00's.
I will most definitely be hitting the Waysted albums of the 80's as well.

[PowerSlave]

I am also planning on hitting the Schenker albums, especially the early ones and the last few, while I may skip over most of the 90's-00's.
I will most definitely be hitting the Waysted albums of the 80's as well.

I always thought the Unforgiven, and the live album for it were pretty good. I'd like to hear your thoughts, but if you're going to skip that era...

[TAC]

Unforgiven is a highlight of that era. I won't skip it completely. I have the live album and yes, it's pretty good.

[Podaar]

I'd recommend not skipping any record while doing a discography. I know when I was doing the BOC thread there were a few I was tempted to skip but I forced myself to listen a minimum of 12 times and read everything I could about those records. Low and behold I found something to love (except Revolution by Night). It really expanded my personal knowledge of the band and put me in their head-space. Most importantly, after my write-up and sharing my personal feelings for the record, the responses from the readers (especially those who disagreed with me) were fascinating and quite entertaining.

[TAC]

I'm not skipping any UFO albums. I may just skim over some of the Schenker albums. If I include all of them, this won't get posted until next summer. 

[Podaar]

Got it.

Yeah, as far as solo work or other musical projects, they'd (perhaps) be best left for another discography. An MSG/Schenker discography, for example, would be large enterprise in itself. Fascinating though.

[TAC]

I'm open to any suggestions. I'm working on Phenomenon right now. I actually don't do back to work until next Thursday. I would love to have most of the Schenker era knocked out by then. But even with that, best case is that I can do an album a week. We have the TAC Family Vacation in August so there goes that.

So there is plenty of time before it gets going. If anyone wants anything highlighted let me know.

[PowerSlave]

I'm not skipping any UFO albums. I may just skim over some of the Schenker albums. If I include all of them, this won't get posted until next summer. 

Yeah, after thinking about it I can definitely see your point. There's a ton of albums if you cover everything. I'm assuming that you're going to want to cover the Mogg/Way albums as well. That's a really heavy work load. You also might want to consider doing more than one album a week, or else the topic is going to take quite awhile to get through.

[TAC]

The Mogg/Way albums will definitely be included. They are, in essence, UFO albums.

I'm thinking it will be at least 2 albums per week. After all, it'll be a discussion amongst 4 or 5 of us anyway!

[Mosh]

I'll check out the UFO discussion. I've listened to just about everything up to Strangers In the Night, but UFO is one of those bands where the live album is all I need. Maybe the discography discussion will help increase my appreciation for everything else.

[Podaar]

The Mogg/Way albums will definitely be included. They are, in essence, UFO albums.

I'm thinking it will be at least 2 albums per week. After all, it'll be a discussion amongst 4 or 5 of us anyway!

Yeah, BOC turned out like that. 20 people following on the first post, two or three by the end.

[jingle.boy]

Naturally, since I pushed you into it, I'm down for the discussion.  Strangers is the only album I have.  They were totally off my radar growing up, and I never rectified it.  So, this will be my opportunity.  Very much looking forward to it, and waiting a couple of months is just fine - we've got enough great stuff underway with IM and QR already, it'll be good to have something to look forward to / continue with when either of those are done.

[Stadler]

At TAC's implicit suggestion, I went back and dug out "Strangers...". I had about an hour and a half in the car yesterday and that's how I spent it.

I went into it with the mindset of, "imagine you're listening to the LP of Alive! on a stereo, like you did when you were 15, and put yourself in that mindset."   I can remember hearing the acoustic intro of "Rock Bottom" (Kiss's RB) with the atmosphere of the crowd and the pops of the record...

I was blown away by Strangers.  I still think I'd rather hear the studio versions of those songs, but I think I get it now.   I don't remember the keys being as "up" in the mix as they were yesterday, but that's a good thing, as they add texture.  I can only say that "Side Two" would've smoked me as an 15 year old listening to records in my basement.   So atmospheric and so  full.... Mother Mary is just amazing to me, the solo to "This Kid's" is jaw-dropping, and this version is pretty much why "Love To Love" is one of my favorite UFO songs ever.   (There's a riff - pretty sure it's in L2L - that is very reminiscent of something that Michael would play later in MSG). 

FYI, I'm a MASSIVE MSG fan, up to the point Barden left the second time.  Built To Destroy is probably my favorite of that run.  List time:
1. Built To Destroy
2. MSG (the second one)
2a. Rock Will Never Die (LIVE)
3. Michael Schenker Group (the first one)
4. Assault Attack
4a. One Night At Budokan (LIVE)
5. In The Midst of Beauty

[TAC]

It's understandable to like the studio versions. The rawness actually makes Schenker come off as even greater. But truly, Strangers is the signature version of these tracks.


I am definitely including the early Schenker albums as MSG, his second album, was the one that got the whole ball rolling for me. Hearing On And On on the radio was game changing, and this was well before I ever heard a lick of UFO.

[axeman90210]

Figured I'd pop back in since I did go and grab Strangers at everyone's recommendation. It's certainly a good live album of rock and roll, and I look forward to spinning it the next time I'm hanging out and brewing on a nice Saturday. At the same time I feel like it's showing someone Die Hard for the first time now, with that person having seen so many of the action movies that have followed already. I can realize the quality and see the impact that it had, but I just don't think it can be the same for me listening to it now as it was for some of you guys who were listening to it when it first came out. I do really enjoy it, but also don't feel compelled to go out and grab any of the studio albums or dig further into the discography.

That solo section on Rock Bottom is bananas though

[TAC]

Yeah, that's totally fair. In many respects it's a "best of" of their most classic era. As a collection, it really is as good as it gets, even though UFO continue to release albums to this day.

[PowerSlave]

Figured I'd pop back in since I did go and grab Strangers at everyone's recommendation. It's certainly a good live album of rock and roll, and I look forward to spinning it the next time I'm hanging out and brewing on a nice Saturday. At the same time I feel like it's showing someone Die Hard for the first time now, with that person having seen so many of the action movies that have followed already. I can realize the quality and see the impact that it had, but I just don't think it can be the same for me listening to it now as it was for some of you guys who were listening to it when it first came out. I do really enjoy it, but also don't feel compelled to go out and grab any of the studio albums or dig further into the discography.

That solo section on Rock Bottom is bananas though

For me it's all about MS. There are guys that can play faster, with more complexity and many other attributes. But he's so unique with his string attack, tone and overall approach to the instrument. And as you've mentioned, he's literally influenced the entire rock/metal genre' either directly, or indirectly. I still feel like there's a lot to be learned and gained by listening to those recordings. I've basically given up the instrument in recent years (hopefully only for the short term), but I still feel that I can learn a lot from hearing his approach to it just by listening. Whether it's just his string bends, or his note selection or how he uses the wah pedal to color his tone ect. ect... There's a ton of things there for the every day guitarist to sink their teeth into.

[Lowdz]

Figured I'd pop back in since I did go and grab Strangers at everyone's recommendation. It's certainly a good live album of rock and roll, and I look forward to spinning it the next time I'm hanging out and brewing on a nice Saturday. At the same time I feel like it's showing someone Die Hard for the first time now, with that person having seen so many of the action movies that have followed already. I can realize the quality and see the impact that it had, but I just don't think it can be the same for me listening to it now as it was for some of you guys who were listening to it when it first came out. I do really enjoy it, but also don't feel compelled to go out and grab any of the studio albums or dig further into the discography.

That solo section on Rock Bottom is bananas though

I can see that. I was shot down in the discussion in the Queensryche thread regarding O:M and how you had to be there at the time. I was told a great album should be a great album no matter what - and that's true to an extent. But music is always wrapped up in your life story and that has a huge effect on what hits you and what doesn't.

[Stadler]

Figured I'd pop back in since I did go and grab Strangers at everyone's recommendation. It's certainly a good live album of rock and roll, and I look forward to spinning it the next time I'm hanging out and brewing on a nice Saturday. At the same time I feel like it's showing someone Die Hard for the first time now, with that person having seen so many of the action movies that have followed already. I can realize the quality and see the impact that it had, but I just don't think it can be the same for me listening to it now as it was for some of you guys who were listening to it when it first came out. I do really enjoy it, but also don't feel compelled to go out and grab any of the studio albums or dig further into the discography.

That solo section on Rock Bottom is bananas though

I can see that. I was shot down in the discussion in the Queensryche thread regarding O:M and how you had to be there at the time. I was told a great album should be a great album no matter what - and that's true to an extent. But music is always wrapped up in your life story and that has a huge effect on what hits you and what doesn't.

You can both be right.  I can recognize Thriller for what it is today, and pass that on to my kid (who LOVES that record) but my experience will always be different than hers, because I saw that stupid 17 minute Thriller video for the first time in real time.   Same with a lot of early Bowie.  It's still very good, but it takes on another dimension when you were there or understand what was going on then. 

The Beatles are probably the best example of this.

[jingle.boy]

I can see that. I was shot down in the discussion in the Queensryche thread regarding O:M and how you had to be there at the time. I was told a great album should be a great album no matter what - and that's true to an extent. But music is always wrapped up in your life story and that has a huge effect on what hits you and what doesn't.

I didn't exactly shoot you down... I said that I just don't always buy the theory of 'you had to be there'.  Music doesn't always click - that can happen with great music whether from any era.  One of the best submissions I got in one of my roulette's was W.A.S.P.  It clicked right off the bat, and I didn't have to be there at the time.   

You're spot on that the timing and events in one's life can play a huge role ... and for us 40-somethings, the stuff from the mid/late 70s to early 90s was hitting us right in the sweet spot of our formative years.

[Lowdz]

I can see that. I was shot down in the discussion in the Queensryche thread regarding O:M and how you had to be there at the time. I was told a great album should be a great album no matter what - and that's true to an extent. But music is always wrapped up in your life story and that has a huge effect on what hits you and what doesn't.

I didn't exactly shoot you down... I said that I just don't always buy the theory of 'you had to be there'.  Music doesn't always click - that can happen with great music whether from any era.  One of the best submissions I got in one of my roulette's was W.A.S.P.  It clicked right off the bat, and I didn't have to be there at the time.   

You're spot on that the timing and events in one's life can play a huge role ... and for us 40-somethings, the stuff from the mid/late 70s to early 90s was hitting us right in the sweet spot of our formative years.

It was a great time - metal was blossoming. So glad I grew up then rather than now. There is just too much stuff out there. Where would you start? 😀 There are more genres of metal now than there were recording bands when I started to get into metal.

[jingle.boy]

I can see that. I was shot down in the discussion in the Queensryche thread regarding O:M and how you had to be there at the time. I was told a great album should be a great album no matter what - and that's true to an extent. But music is always wrapped up in your life story and that has a huge effect on what hits you and what doesn't.

I didn't exactly shoot you down... I said that I just don't always buy the theory of 'you had to be there'.  Music doesn't always click - that can happen with great music whether from any era.  One of the best submissions I got in one of my roulette's was W.A.S.P.  It clicked right off the bat, and I didn't have to be there at the time.   

You're spot on that the timing and events in one's life can play a huge role ... and for us 40-somethings, the stuff from the mid/late 70s to early 90s was hitting us right in the sweet spot of our formative years.

It was a great time - metal was blossoming. So glad I grew up then rather than now. There is just too much stuff out there. Where would you start? 😀 There are more genres of metal now than there were recording bands when I started to get into metal.

There are times that I wish I had been born in the early-mid 60s, so I could have appreciated the 70s as it was unfolding.

[TAC]

@ Powerslave...or anyone else that cares to weigh in, though I'm looking for a guitarist's POV.

Are you familiar with the Vinnie Moore era UFO albums, and if so, what do you think of them, of Vinnie's playing?

[PowerSlave]

@ Powerslave...or anyone else that cares to weigh in, though I'm looking for a guitarist's POV.

Are you familiar with the Vinnie Moore era UFO albums, and if so, what do you think of them, of Vinnie's playing?

I haven't explored them. I was going to follow along on the upcoming discography thread, and try to check them out that way.

I will say this, though. I seen MSG on the Unforgiven tour in Columbus, Ohio at the infamous Al Rosa Villa. Vinnie was the opening act and he was using the MSG touring band as his band. Basically they would just leave their stuff setup between the sets, and only have to remove Vinnie's stuff to have the MSG stage setup. I'm guessing that they did this to keep costs under control. His playing was excellent to say the least, but it wasn't exactly my kind of thing because a great deal of his set was instrumental if I remember correctly. I can only take instrumental music in small pieces at a time, but it was easy to recognize his talent.

[TAC]

Wow, that's interesting.

I actually saw Vinnie Moore open for Rush in in 1991. Somehow we met him after the show and he signed my ticket. I have very little memory of it, however.

I haven't explored them. I was going to follow along on the upcoming discography thread, and try to check them out that way.

I will likely plant a few tracks here and there before then. Likely in the next few days. Be on the lookout..

[PowerSlave]

The more that I think about it, I might be wrong about what tour that was. I remember them pushing something about a "Michael Schenker Life" tour, or album. It's been awhile, though. I remember the singer being the guy that was on The Unforgiven, though. I really liked that guys voice. When we pulled up to the venue there was some Mercedes suv out back by the stage door, and I seen Michael getting out of it with with some woman that had long light-brown hair. It might have been the manager/girlfriend that ended up ripping him off a year or two later.

[devieira73]

Big UFO fan here. I really LOVE all Schenker albums (minus Covenant - hit and miss- and Sharks - it's not good IMO)and all Paul Chapman albums. I never heard UFO 1 and 2 and I like a lot Misdemeanor and Dangerous Men. I'm not a big fan of Moore's albums, maybe a bit too much blues rock style (I miss the more oriented hard rock style from 70's and 80's), although I think there's a lot of great songs on them. Some I suggest to hear from this era (one by album):
Baby Blue: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=no1MUOEUeV0 (By the way, one of my favorite UFO songs, ever. UFO always made great "ballads" IMO);
Drink Too Much: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymtobnaPolM (another beautiful ballad);
Hell Driver: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDMt4aDfZG0;
Wonderland: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8OmwQhBIU8 (very Chapman era);
Run Boy Run: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtvCZr-MIyM.

[Stadler]

Wow, that's interesting.

I actually saw Vinnie Moore open for Rush in in 1991. Somehow we met him after the show and he signed my ticket. I have very little memory of it, however.

My experience exactly.  I was writing down some shows so I don't forget them (with openers and such) and "Vinnie Moore" was in that category of "huh, I saw him?   Opening for Rush?  Huh.  I wonder if it was good?"   

(Interestingly, I've also seen Radiohead as an opener, which I vaguely recall being bored to tears, and I realized I've seen Rusted Root something like six times, go figure!)

[TAC]

Drink Too Much: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymtobnaPolM (another beautiful ballad);

Hell yes! Vinnie is awesome in this, and when I said I'd plant a few Vinnie tunes in the thread, I was definitely going to plant Drink Too Much. Love Vinnie's playing and this track is a true highlight of the Moore era.

[Lowdz]

I am a huge Vinnie fan but haven't really enjoyed the UFO albums with him. They're ok but nothing more.
The first one with him they recycled a few of his instrumental tracks and put vocals on them and that pissed me off.

[TAC]

I am a huge Vinnie fan but haven't really enjoyed the UFO albums with him. They're ok but nothing more.
The first one with him they recycled a few of his instrumental tracks and put vocals on them and that pissed me off.

Oh really? I would love to hear more about that. You Are here is definitely the heaviest.

[wrighty]

I am a huge Vinnie fan but haven't really enjoyed the UFO albums with him. They're ok but nothing more.
The first one with him they recycled a few of his instrumental tracks and put vocals on them and that pissed me off.

It wasn't just the first album with him - that song just posted, 'Drink too much', is Vinnie's tune 'In the blink of an eye' from his Defying Gravity album.

[Lowdz]

I am a huge Vinnie fan but haven't really enjoyed the UFO albums with him. They're ok but nothing more.
The first one with him they recycled a few of his instrumental tracks and put vocals on them and that pissed me off.

Oh really? I would love to hear more about that. You Are here is definitely the heaviest.

With a quick listen, I actually enjoyed the UFO album more than I remembered now I've got over the recycling 

When Daylight Goes To Town is Ridin' high

Baby Blue is she's only sleeping

Black cold coffee is emotion overload

Slipping Away is Echoes

I think if you have more familiarity with the UFO album, if you give Vinnie Out of Control and Defying Gravity albums a listen you'll hear plenty of the riffs and melodies from You Are Here.