UFO - Phenomenon (1974, 2014) [WMA] [Fallen Angel]

Codec WMA Lossless



Tracklist:

1. Oh My  2:25

2. Crystal Light  3:48

3. Doctor Doctor  4:13

4. Space Child  4:02

5. Rock Bottom  6:29

6. Too Young To No  3:09

7. Time On My Hands  4:12

8. Built For Comfort  3:08

9. Lipstick Traces  2:21

Bonus Tracks:

11. Sixteen (Demo)  3:48

12. Oh My (Demo)  4:13

13. Give Her The Gun (A-side)  3:59

14. Sweet Little Thing (B-side)  3:52

15. Sixteen (Outtake)  3:55



Personnel:

Phil Mogg - vocals

Andy Parker - drums

Pete Way - bass

Michael Schenker - guitar



"Phenomenon" is the first UFO album with Michael Schenker, who truly changed the group and led it to later successes. It is actually from this album that the true story of UFO dates and will undoubtedly remain the most important in their output - it can be assigned a similar meaning to Deep Purple's "In Rock" or Jethro Tull's "Aqualung".



The appearance of the brilliant Schenker in the group turned UFO from a band playing interesting music, but for a small group of supporters, into a real star, and then a rock legend. This does not mean, however, that the album is dominated by his style of playing, and even more so that it is a copy of the Scorpions style. UFO's music took on its own distinctive expression. The composer's lead remained with Mogg, who, however, will often be supported from now on by Schenker, while Pete Way is signed to only two tracks ("Oh My" and "Too Young To Know"). Schenker enriches compositions with freshness, melodiousness of sound, and of course a dazzling playing technique. Combining the ambitious yet crude music presented by UFO on the previous two albums with these features of Schenker's guitar, liberated from their music what UFO will always be famous for, which gives them a unique position among other rock legends - the one devoid of pompousness, full of passion, energy, real rock "rock".



The album certainly cannot bore, especially those accustomed to long-winded, tedious compositions of the group from the previous album. The material is quite diverse - later associated rather with "rock". UFO presents here quite a lot of calm songs, such as "Crystal Light", "Space Child", "Time On My Hands" or "Lipstick Traces". The latter is a short instrumental piece by Schenker, not very ambitious and rather naive, but it complements the album in an interesting way and tones down the more aggressive pieces. The UFO we know and love is best heard in the cheerful "Oh My", "Too Young Too Know", and above all in the group's classic and immortal hits - "Rock Bottom" and "Doctor Doctor". "Rock Bottom" is an absolutely brilliant hard rock song with a characteristic, aggressive riff and typical, amelodic Mogg vocals. This track is an undoubted success of Schenker, passed the entrance exam with an A - in addition to a great riff, we also have one of the best solos of the German guitarist.



"Doctor Doctor" is probably the biggest hit of the group to this day, again with a typically "Ufowski" riff - simple, but brilliant (something like Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love"), beginning with Schenker's atmospheric introduction, gradually gaining steam and speed. As a curiosity, it can be added that "Doctor Doctor" was later covered in large numbers, including Iron Maiden's concerts.



The album also features a great blues by Willie Dixon, though skilfully colored with the "Ufowski" style - "Built For Comfort", well showing the versatility of the group's musicians.



"Phenomenon" is a breakthrough album for the group. UFO developed its style on it, which will be present in their music forever, even after Schenker's departure. The high bar of expectations for the next productions of the group turned out to be a challenge that turned out to be the best for the music, as evidenced by the next, no less brilliant albums and the group's successes until the end of the seventies.

10. Queen Of The Deep  5:49