Ufo Strangers In The Night

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

There have been countless UFO live recordings issued over the years, with the best undoubtedly being 1979's classic Strangers in the Night. But certainly one of the more intriguing live UFO releases came in 2008 with the arrival of the four-disc set Live Throughout the Years. And what makes this set stand out from the oodles of other live UFO items is that it includes standout live performances from three different decades – 1976 (London), 1982 (London), and 1998 (Vienna)…

After the fluke success of "Hey Saint Peter" made Flash and The Pan's first album into an international hit, this side project from Harry Vanda and George Young had to contend with a follow-up. Vanda and Young, best known as the core of 60's hit makers The Easybeats and producers to AC/DC (George Young is family to Malcom and Angus), were already no strangers to hit song-writing. The result was "Media Man" charting in several countries, and the album expanding on the band's cult audience. The formula remained pretty much the same. Heavy new wave synths paired to either dance-beats or down tempo gloominess, along with monotone, processed vocals. This doesn't click quite as often as it does on the debut album, and there's nothing here as memorable as "Hey St Peter" or "The Band Played On/Down Among The Dead Men." But more than half the album clicks, with "Media Man" being the dance-hit and the title track being the best of the bummers. It's also worth pointing out that, despite the minimalist trappings, these guys were pretty incredible musicians. Give a listen to the piano solo on "Welcome To The Universe" for proof on that one.

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…

Two studio albums and one live set featuring Phil Mogg, Pete Way and Michael Schenker from the classic, reformed ‘Strangers In The Night’ line-up of UFO.