I'm a connector...
And it is remarkable that the band survived their early mediocrity to become legends of hard rock, albeit frequently unrecognized during their Schenker period heyday. In the space of a year and a half, the UFO franchise was launched with 2 studios and 1 live album. The band was directionless at the dawn of the seventies and those early albums are very difficult to compare to their notable works with Michael Schenker or even the Paul Chapman period of 1979-1983. To say that early UFO sucked might be a bit harsh but even die hard fans would be loath to acknowledge `UFO 1', `Flying' and probably the direst of the trio `Live' released at first in Japan only sometime in 1972. It is hard to believe that a band of UFO's admittedly fledgling status had an audience so far away, but so says the band and UFO historians. `Live' is mercifully short but many of the songs are extended cuts taken from the debut with only "Prince Kajuku" from album 2. "Who Do You Love" was awful on the debut and it is excruciating on this live record. "Kajuku" is probably the best song because it doesn't force Mick Bolton to improvise as much, because he isn't very good. Again for the UFO completist only.
Awsome
They have such a raw kinda Hawkwind sound but with more of a blues feel to it. I might be weird but I think everything after this album from UFO sucks, I just love there first 3 albums.
Sadly Amateurish
I am a UFO fanatic, but recognize only the Michael Schenker era as the "real" UFO. UFO, as a band, has gone through more changes than my underwear. This Live CD is one of three pre-Schenker CD's, and it is very amateurish. "Prince Kajuku/The Coming of Prince Kajuku" is the only attempt at anything complicated musically. "C'mon Everybody" is a decent rocker but a very basic "music 101" song. The rest of the songs barely even qualify as songs. The sound quality is good for this context. It is live and of old technology, but clean and bluesy. Mogg and the rest of the band blends well, but if I didn't know better, I'd never recognize this band as UFO. I have never had a guitar lesson, and I guarantee that I can play as well as Mick Bolton. If you are limited on dollars and want to experiment with UFO for the first time, buy any one of the first four Schenker era CD's. The man can play faster than you can think, and his melodies are unmatched. Long live Mikey!.
Overlooked classic!
This was back in the early days of FM radio in the US, when the DJ's could play pretty much whatever they wanted. Back about 100 years ago, I heard UFO for the first time. Anyway, the local FM station kept playing Rock Bottom and Doctor, Doctor. I purchased the album (Phenomenon) and loved every song on it. I went in search of other UFO albums, and the record store told me the one before Phenomenon was a live album. I bought it (this one)immediately and literally flew home to check it out. While my initial impression was not as good, over the next few days it began to really grow on me. A VERY energetic live performance, with excellent playing by all involved. Mogg's voice is superb and the three musicians shine. Many people seem to be unable to get past the Schenker-era, either pre or post. That's a shame, because UFO is a great band, with or without Schenker. The live album is the pinnacle of their pre-Schenker career, with the vastly underrated Flying also worth exploring. Check this one out for a young band blazing away on stage. Also noteworthy for being one of the first hard rock live albums to be recorded in Japan. As a bonus, the CD has live photos that weren't in my vinyl version.
Original UFO
That said, it's not quite as good as Phenomenon, but not that bad either. For anyone thinking about buying this, you should know that it's not Michael Schenker on guitar, it's original guitarist Mick Bolton. This is a band still trying to find their sound, doing mostly covers, and sticking to their roots. Mick Bolton's guitar playing is no match for Schenker's, but it's still pretty good. Includes covers of Eddie Cochran's "C'mon Everybody", Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love", and Paul Butterfield's "Loving Cup. " "Follow You Home" is a huge ripoff of the Kinks, repeating the riff off of "You Really Got Me" a hundred times. Not bad performances, but the material is pretty simple in structure but played with plenty of energy. Recommended for those who are interested in the roots of the early British heavy metal acts.
You can see a complete list of all UFO discography, or go back to the UFO tabs
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