Published on Sep 1, 1997
UFO is the type of band who you may hear on the radio and not
recognize until the DJ tells you. Once you are let in on the
“secret,” you’re ready to slap yourself upside the head, wondering
why you didn’t recognize them in the first place.
You want to know why? I’ll let you in on the secret – UFO was a
heavy metal band that didn’t know they were heavy metal.
Boy, you are now thinking, Chris had better open the garage door
before working on the exhaust system again. Nope, my mind is
totally clear – as a result of several listenings to UFO’s 1977
release
Lights Out.
Phil Mogg and Pete Way were the undeniable leaders of this
British group – though, if memory serves me correctly, there was
constant fighting as to which one was the leader. When German
guitar extraordinaire Michael Schenker joined the band in 1974, the
core of their classic line-up was established. They added
keyboardist Paul Raymond in 1977, replacing Danny Peyronel after
just one album.
This is important to note because
Lights Out is more often Raymond’s show than Mogg, Way or
Schenker’s. The keyboard work dominates the bulk of this album,
whether it is the central riff of “Just Another Suicide” or the
harmonies in the background of “Love To Love,” Raymond makes his
mark felt really quick.
And this, kids, is where the difficulty comes in. UFO has often
been classified as a “hard rock” band – at times on
Lights Out this is apparent, as on “Too Hot To Handle” or
the title track. But these moments are few and far between – more
often than not, UFO comes off sounding like light pop in the vein
of Supertramp. And for the listener ready to smash their head into
the drywall, this may come as a real downer.
Oh, sure, there are some good moments in this vein – “Love To
Love” has become a song synonomous with the band. (Ever been in a
used record store where some guy behind you is trying to buy this
album without knowing which one it is? They end up trying the line
“Misty green and blue” – and off-key, at that. Yeeech.) But at
times, when Schenker does decide to whip out some hot riffs in the
softer songs, it sounds very out of place. This is not a criticism
of Schenker’s guitar playing – he does show his mettle on the
harder songs. (Easy trivia question: What band did Schenker play in
before joining UFO? Answer: The Scorpions.) Schenker’s time with
UFO was limited; he would record two more albums with the band
before bolting in 1978 to start his own group.
Way’s bass lines often stand out in the mix as strongly as
Mogg’s vocals, and I can’t decide if this is a good thing or not.
In one sense, this seems to me like a sign of a power struggle
within the band. The production on this one seems a bit muddy at
times – it just seems to lack any real treble range. (Never mind
the fact the copy I have in the Pierce Memorial Archives is an
ancient tape copy – Alliance has since re-released this one on
CD.)
There are moments on
Lights Out that you will enjoy, but for the most part, UFO
sounds like a band trying to deny their hard rock roots in favor of
ballads. Two words: big mistake.