Behrendt Ufo

English rock band UFO‘s 1979 live album Strangers in the Night is being reissued as an 8CD deluxe edition in November.

The Best of UFO (1974-1983) is a greatest hits collection by UFO, released in 2008. All songs were digitally remastered in 2007 and 2008…

The first two albums by UFO featured an odd mix of crisp, focussed songs alternating with meandering electric guitar-led soundscapes. Flying starts off with perhaps their best of the former category, "Silver Bird." This story of a primitive islander seeing an airplane for the first time begins with a pleasant little acoustic guitar melody and builds into a soaring full-band musical expression of the wonder of flight. The next cut, all 19 minutes of it, conjures up the vaster expanses of space. To complain that "Star Storm" rambles is to miss the point; sometimes Michael Bolton's guitar is used as a pure sound effect rather than to convey any kind of rhythm or melody, and if you're patient, then listening can be an enjoyable, even absorbing, experience.

Only the most dedicated UFO fan could possibly keep track of all the live releases that have surfaced over the years. Many of these live recordings were not necessarily approved by the band, and as a result, some have been good, and some have been downright stinky. Finally, the UFO lads have taken steps to regain control of their concert recordings, by issuing a mammoth six-disc box set, 2009's Official Bootleg Box Set. UFO have always been one of those groups best experienced on the concert stage, as evidenced by 1979's Strangers in the Night, which is widely regarded as one of hard rock/heavy metal's all-time great live sets…

Recorded on a shoestring budget, UFO has several challenging sonic moments. The uneven mixes and amateur performances that some listeners might find quaint or innocent could be distracting to others. In their pre-Michael Schenker days, the British band made a much more experimental noise that reflected psychedelic as well as R&B influences pitched with a dark resonance. This swirling mish-mosh barely suggests the early British metal of the group's commercial pinnacle that was still years off when they released their eponymous debut. Blue Cheer, early Black Sabbath, and maybe a little bit of the Who (mostly derived via bassist Pete Way's meandering, over-saturated basslines) all come to mind on standouts like "Boogie," "C'mon Everybody," and "Follow You Home."

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…

This deluxe reissue not only reintroduces the original EP in all its glory but also treats fans to a selection of bonus tracks, including vintage live performances and other rarities that showcase UFO’s dynamic live energy and musical evolution. The artwork has been revamped with an even sexier front cover image.
Recorded in the wake of the band’s electrifying 1987 tour in support of their ’85 album Misdemeanor, this EP marked the final collaboration between UFO frontman Phil Mogg and the virtuosic Japanese-born guitarist Atomik Tommy M. Much like its predecessor, Ain’t Misbehavin’ goes full throttle from beginning to end with Mogg matching his vocal prowess to the pyrotechnic playing of guitarist Tommy alongside superstar bassist Paul Gray (The Damned) and former Magnum drummer Jim Simpson. The brilliant lead off track, “Between A Rock And A Hard Place,” ranks up there with some of the band’s best rockers.

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…

Hard rock pioneers UFO are one of the UK's most prolific and influential rock bands - their musical influence can be seen across a host of modern metal groups and during the course of over four decades they have built up an extremely loyal and dedicated fan base. Spanning 5CDs, a DVD and a massive 52 remastered tracks, UFO 'At The BBC' collects together all of the legendary group's BBC appearances from their first session with Bob Harris in 1974 through to their epic live set at Knebworth in June 1985…