UFO - The Best Of UFO (CD 1996)

Which British rock band has been recently cited as a primary influence by 'Iron Maiden', 'Metallica', 'Megadeth' and 'TESLA'? The answer: UFO

'The Best of UFO' is a great album as an introduction to one of Britain's best classic rock bands, sadly often overlooked nowadays, or for established fans (like me) to update their worn out vinyl quite cheaply! The album comes with a useful overview of the band's history and ever-changing membership. After brief spells as Hocus Pocus and The Boyfriends, UFO released their first three albums in 1971. These enjoyed considerable success in Germany and Japan, but it wasn't till they signed to Chrysalis in 1973 that British success arrived.

UFO's line-up, although regularly changing, sounds like a 'Who's Who' of classic rock musicians - the great Michael Schenker (Scorpions), Andy Parker (recently subbed by Jason Bonham due to ill-health), Phil Mogg, Pete Way (Ozzie Osbourne), Bernie Marsden (Whitesnake, Cozy Powell), Larry Wallis (Pink Fairies, Motorhead), Paul Raymond (Savoy Brown), Paul Chapman (Skid Row, Lone Star), Neil Carter (Wild Horses), Paul Gray (Eddie and the Hot Rods, The Damned), Danny Peyronel (Heavy Metal Kids), Jim Simpson (Magnum), John Sloman (Uriah Heep), Aynsley Dunbar, Lawrence Archer (Grand Slam), Simon Wright (AC/DC) and Clive Edwards (Wild Horses). Wikipedia has an excellent article on UFO and the many transformations.

But now to the most important part - the music! This 'Best Of...' compilation is a taster of the band's first twenty or so years, focusing mainly on the 1970s. It includes 'Doctor, Doctor', a song played by every classic rock covers band throughout the land, the anthemic 'Only You Can Rock Me' and Schenker's brilliant riff on 'Rock Bottom'. There's a gentler side, too - 'Love to Love' and the beautiful 'High Flyer' where Schenker reminds us why The Scorpions are such a great band (also one of my favourite guitar solos ever!) As a sample of what UFO is about, it's excellent - it also reminds me how they've failed to recapture that early brilliance in some of their recent recordings.

Buy this album - it's a bargain, and no rock record collection should be without UFO.