Phenomenon (2008 Expanded Version)

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UFO

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1977. Rainbow Music Hall in Denver.

Maybe 2500 people at the show. I was in the Air Force stationed at Lowery and I dragged a friend of mine to the show.

I had read about the album in Rolling Stone (back when it was actually relevant kids) and they raved about it, so I bought that vinyl.

The band came out at about 9:30pm and played for two hours.

Then came FOUR encores ending with the classic "Rock Bottom"

I can still close my eyes and hear the thundering ending of that song.

My friend talked about it for a week.

They tore it up.

It was the loudest concert I've ever been to, and I've seen them all.

A thousand concerts, and I have yet to see it's equal.

UFO.

What a great name for a band.

After a stint of success in Germany & Japan with their debut and sophomore space-rock efforts and two guitar player departures UFO were at the crossroads in 1973. During a 6 week Germany tour 2nd guitarist Bernie Mardsen(replacing original Mick Bolton) had added a group of blues covers to the bands set list and on their second album then decided not to join them. Without equpment and a guitar player they borrowed both from opening act the Scorpions who had just released their debut album. Future guitar god Michael Schenker was asked to join and UFO then went on to record their third album which would be carried out with the idea of burying the memory of their first two interesting yet muddled space-rock efforts for the straightforward hard rock brand we know as UFO. With Ten Years After bassist Leo Lyons as producer they did an album that more or less laid the ground for the classic sound. Pieces of melodic hard rock like Too Young To Know and Oh My are the place for great gems here as is the more lightweight albeit highly entertaining Crystal Light and ballad Space Child which show the band might not be ready to totally abandon their psychedelic conceptual tunes. They kick it into the gear though on two tracks that would go on to be classics: Rock Bottom and Doctor Doctor. Although more familar to those on UFO's classic live album these early versions are pretty good despite lacking the firey performances found on the live record.The band come off as quite innocent and naive throughout the album but thats to be expected and its entirely welcomed. The Willie Dixon cover Built For Comfort might be the only oddity here but it's the more wistful and acousic Time On My Hands that really comes across as a hidden gem. The single off the album Lipstick Traces might lack a bit of energy as doe certain spots on Queen Of The Deep but that particular track isnt bogged down too much. So space rock influences here and there, this was still the album that transformed UFO into curiosity/product of their time to masters of a genre. The 2008 remastered edition outdoes all previous ones with the German single Give Her The Gun bw/ Sweet Little Thing which arent bad songs at all and some demos particuarly the one of a song called Sixteen as well as it's finished product that was unreleased. All in all this is a must have for any heavy metal/hard rock collection even if UFO might not find their point right away on what would be dubbed their new offical debut album.