Artist: UFO
Label: SPV Records
Release: 2004
Rating: 3.5/5
UFO are back with a new record and another lineup change. Stylistically they’re staying true to their tradition, but the lineup has gone through a full-on revolutionary rebirth. Keyboardist Paul Raymond has rejoined the band, while Ansley Dunbar has been replaced behind the kit by Jason Bonham, son of the legendary John “Bonzo” Bonham. The change that has probably left the biggest stylistic mark on the new UFO happened on guitar, which is nothing unusual in hard rock circles. But when we talk about UFO guitarist swaps, they’re never quite that simple, because the name Michael Schenker holds a special place in the world of rock music. Put simply, the band stopped caring about Schenker a long time ago. His constant in-and-out routine after 1995, when UFO briefly rose from the dead with “Walk On Water”, only prolonged the band’s agony. UFO did go on to release two albums with Schenker, “Covenant” (2000) and “Sharks” (2002), but neither can hold a candle to the gem that is “Walk On Water”. “You Are Here”, with Vinnie Moore at the guitar helm, gives the band back its consistency, its solidity and, most importantly, that convincing magic that “Covenant” and “Sharks” couldn’t exactly boast. It sounds phenomenal again, which means the legendary British hard rockers have once more crawled back from deep within a coma. A fresh wind is blowing through the band, and fresh creative energy has filled the gaps. With both newcomers on board, Mogg, Way and Raymond have got a new work drive, a new run-up, new inspiration. Vinnie and Jason are artists almost twenty years younger, and singer Phil Mogg, for example, could nearly be their dad.
Vinnie contributed some phenomenal riffs to the record, like a “riffmeister” in his best days. Unlike Schenker’s, these come dressed in somewhat sharper “shredding” riffage. No worries, though: Vinnie stepped nicely into Schenker’s shoes, and the UFO riffs have stayed huge. On top of that, the kid brought polished, well-crafted and downright witty guitar solos, which he tastefully fitted into the song frameworks with great meticulousness. Sure, these are sometimes a bit shorter, but they still keep the common thread of finely crafted melodies (with the exception of Mr. Freeze, which is just simple “tapping” up and down the fretboard). All of this invites enviable comparisons to his infamous predecessor, even though Vinnie also likes to take the odd bluesy detour from time to time. Schenker-style, Vinnie too has filled the transitions, outros and intros of the songs with juicy guitar flourishes, which positively swarm all over “You Are Here”.
“You Are Here” hits proudly and at full volume, and in its own way even wildly, thanks also to the sheer power and explosiveness of Jason’s drumming. Which brings us to the production. It’s crystal clear, with the contrasts between the instruments and Mogg’s vocals, always front and center, vividly emphasized. Phil Mogg is one of those singers who know how to conjure up their feelings in the most convincing way. His voice can be unbelievably soft and warm, and in the next moment it explodes with passion. It’s striking how his singing carries through the verses the constant pain the man holds in his heart. Pain that blossoms into love, the artist’s inspiration. The contrast between the massive wall of guitars and Pete Way’s low-sounding, pulsing, tightly wound, ripping bass lines is outstanding, and this time, alongside Jason’s incredible pounding, the two coexist perfectly. Once Phil joins in with his unique voice and singing style, which at times may faintly recall David Coverdale (not in tone, but in approach), the reborn magic of the band is with us again. The lyrics are cynical as always, the band laughs conformists right in the face, and of course there’s once again plenty of room for yearning for days gone by and plenty of cheating on the side. Now, let’s stir things up a bit on the keyboards. Raymond’s keys this time serve only to hold up the atmospheric background of the songs, and UFO don’t string together any piano bits this time, like the one, if I rewind for a moment into history, in the classic This Kids.
All the songs are perfect lessons in pure, simple hard rock that crawls quickly and efficiently under your skin. They’re all on an equal footing, so it’s hard to single out highlights. “You Are Here” contains classic hard rock UFO attacks like the opener When Daylight Comes To Town, followed by the speeding rock machine Black Cold Coffee (pay attention to the superb drum entrance into the song), or the pure-blooded, bombastic “roll drive” of Give It Up. UFO also tucked an excellent ballad onto “You Are Here”, Baby Blue, with tasteful “southern rock” touches of folk guitar. The guys can get really groovy too, as in Jello Man, where Vinnie is especially busy with expressive riffing through a wah-wah effect. Several times the atmospheric peaks in the songs convincingly coincide with the choruses, and the melancholic The Spark That Is Us and Slipping Away shine especially bright. Those last two are marked in particular by a pronounced sonic depth, created by the massive guitar riff on one side and Jason’s mid-tempo drum thrashing on the other.
The revamped UFO haven’t lost even a spark without Schenker. Quite the opposite. The spark is back. The revived band has a lot, a whole lot more to say, and UFO are charging forward energetically at full throttle. “You Are Here” is an excellent classic lesson in hard rock, full of dynamics and punch, with outstanding vibrant moods, loaded with emotion. UFO are thus returning to the path of “Walk On Water”. Schenker really isn’t missed on “You Are Here”, and I get the feeling we won’t be missing him in the future either. “You Are Here” is therefore the start of a new creative era for the band.
Lineup
Phil Moog – vocals
Vinnie Moore – guitar
Paul Raymond – keyboards
Pete Way – bass
Jason Bonham – drums
Production
Tommy Newton
Tracklist
1. Daylight Goes To Town
2. Black Cold Coffee
3. The Wild One
4. Give It Up
5. Call Me
6. Slipping Away
7. The Spark That Is Us
8. Sympathy
9. Mr. Freeze
10. Jelloman
11. Baby Blue
12. Swallow
Album length: 53:00
