Post by cozyal on Aug 1, 2009 13:17:04 GMT -5
[glow=red,2,300]UFO – The Visitor CD Review by Cozy Al For: [/glow]
This is the umm, bloody hell, they’ve released that many albums …?! Yes, they have & without going into too many details of exactly how many studio, semi-studio & live albums UFO have released or how many line up changes they’ve had, I will say it’s great that this is Vinnie Moore’s 3rd studio release with UFO. Well, they did re-record some old tracks on the Showtime Live + Studio, CD / DVD sets too … I hope he sticks around a while longer!
I almost wish I could say the same of Jason Bonham, but to be honest, it’s kind of good to see Andy Parker back in the fold, so to speak alongside old time UFO members, Phil Mogg & Paul Raymond.
Pete Way due to bad health, was sadly not involved in the writing or recording of The Visitor.
I guess the bass parts were completed by Raymond & Moore, since no one specifically is credited on the album’s sleeve notes / press release. Although this was simply a promo disc in cardboard sleeve, so there may be a name in the albums liner notes. I’ve heard Barry Sparks seems to have been helping out very well on tour dates currently.
So, how is the album overall then you’re asking?
It’s not a killer at first, it’s a grower for sure, perhaps has the edge on The Monkey Puzzle, but not quite there with You Are Here, which I thought was a great release.
It’s not so bad though, really & I think it’s credit to the original members & Vinnie Moore in recapturing style elements of all periods of UFO. Schenker, Chapman, Tommy M & Archer.
This really did take a little getting into as well, but now I feel it slots well into the UFO catalogue.
Opener Saving Me starts with some almost melancholy slide style guitar before the band & Mogg kick in & drive it like the bluesy rocker it is. Some seriously great playing from Vinnie Moore here, right from start. Not a bad at all.
On The Waterfront next adds the UFO element that seems – For the most part - to be greatly missing in the last few albums by the band & that is Raymonds keyboards, so much a trademark of classic UFO. I love this track & there’s especially a moment late in the song, with the timing changes about 3 minutes in. It’s a great touch.
On the first few plays of this album, I thought it perhaps too bluesy for me compared to previous UFO releases, but Helldriver next is a great rocking track, cue Parker’s cowbell added for the first time in a while on a UFO track.
Perhaps more akin to the Chapman era UFO, of course though Moore has his own magic touch & much as I loved a lot of the Chapman stuff, I’m really enjoying Moore’s “UFO” style recently & I think Parker is back to his best here.
Stop Breakin’ Down starts kind of akin to the No Place to Run sound, before getting the band into an American radio friendly style track … This could get attention with radio play here for sure. Raymond’s keys present again, in this very well layered track.
Back to the southern blues vibe in Rock Ready, with some slide work from Moore on this steady rocker.
As Living Proof starts, I start to think of Alice Cooper’s Goes To Hell, but it’s more than that, as it gets into a kind of funky low down blues jam, done the UFO way & certainly not like the previously mentioned character at all!
I think in Can’t Buy a Thrill it harks back to the writing style of say Wild, Willing … / Making Contact era, catchy hooks here. Seriously folks, US plugs over here could work well with this material, even if Moore’s solo here is a little “out there” when it hits, but it’s a good steady track & some synth effect sounds scattered here & there too.
The ballad Forsaken breaks things up a little & shows the emotion in Moggs voice. His is one of those that’s certainly done well over the distance UFO have traveled & is on top form throughout here. Some Fender Rhodes style keys in there, almost reminds me of The Faces!
A seriously blues driven rocker, even with honky tonk style piano too is great next with Villains & Thieves, that builds & has a great solo from Moore before getting back into the main vibe again.
Sure this is the current UFO line up & I need to get used to it & I’ve said here that much of this sound is like Chapman era UFO & I think that’s more so with the writing, as without doubt Moore’s soloing style has a lot more in common with Schenker than Chapman, that’s why I personally think this line up has a great vibe & blend in general.
Closing track - on my copy anyway! – Stranger In Town is actually possibly my favorite track here with the kind of interplay between the guitars & keys that wouldn’t go amiss on say a classic Purple track.
Will UFO fans like it? Well, many still long for the Schenker line up to return, but I think with a few listens most old UFO fans will enjoy this.
Regular rock fans … Go & get yourselves of piece of modern day UFO, it’s a good album no doubt on that but it’s more of a grower than an instant success. Certainly for me it has been.
4/5 for me, I still think they’ve got another cracker within the band to give us though!
This is the umm, bloody hell, they’ve released that many albums …?! Yes, they have & without going into too many details of exactly how many studio, semi-studio & live albums UFO have released or how many line up changes they’ve had, I will say it’s great that this is Vinnie Moore’s 3rd studio release with UFO. Well, they did re-record some old tracks on the Showtime Live + Studio, CD / DVD sets too … I hope he sticks around a while longer!
I almost wish I could say the same of Jason Bonham, but to be honest, it’s kind of good to see Andy Parker back in the fold, so to speak alongside old time UFO members, Phil Mogg & Paul Raymond.
Pete Way due to bad health, was sadly not involved in the writing or recording of The Visitor.
I guess the bass parts were completed by Raymond & Moore, since no one specifically is credited on the album’s sleeve notes / press release. Although this was simply a promo disc in cardboard sleeve, so there may be a name in the albums liner notes. I’ve heard Barry Sparks seems to have been helping out very well on tour dates currently.
So, how is the album overall then you’re asking?
It’s not a killer at first, it’s a grower for sure, perhaps has the edge on The Monkey Puzzle, but not quite there with You Are Here, which I thought was a great release.
It’s not so bad though, really & I think it’s credit to the original members & Vinnie Moore in recapturing style elements of all periods of UFO. Schenker, Chapman, Tommy M & Archer.
This really did take a little getting into as well, but now I feel it slots well into the UFO catalogue.
Opener Saving Me starts with some almost melancholy slide style guitar before the band & Mogg kick in & drive it like the bluesy rocker it is. Some seriously great playing from Vinnie Moore here, right from start. Not a bad at all.
On The Waterfront next adds the UFO element that seems – For the most part - to be greatly missing in the last few albums by the band & that is Raymonds keyboards, so much a trademark of classic UFO. I love this track & there’s especially a moment late in the song, with the timing changes about 3 minutes in. It’s a great touch.
On the first few plays of this album, I thought it perhaps too bluesy for me compared to previous UFO releases, but Helldriver next is a great rocking track, cue Parker’s cowbell added for the first time in a while on a UFO track.
Perhaps more akin to the Chapman era UFO, of course though Moore has his own magic touch & much as I loved a lot of the Chapman stuff, I’m really enjoying Moore’s “UFO” style recently & I think Parker is back to his best here.
Stop Breakin’ Down starts kind of akin to the No Place to Run sound, before getting the band into an American radio friendly style track … This could get attention with radio play here for sure. Raymond’s keys present again, in this very well layered track.
Back to the southern blues vibe in Rock Ready, with some slide work from Moore on this steady rocker.
As Living Proof starts, I start to think of Alice Cooper’s Goes To Hell, but it’s more than that, as it gets into a kind of funky low down blues jam, done the UFO way & certainly not like the previously mentioned character at all!
I think in Can’t Buy a Thrill it harks back to the writing style of say Wild, Willing … / Making Contact era, catchy hooks here. Seriously folks, US plugs over here could work well with this material, even if Moore’s solo here is a little “out there” when it hits, but it’s a good steady track & some synth effect sounds scattered here & there too.
The ballad Forsaken breaks things up a little & shows the emotion in Moggs voice. His is one of those that’s certainly done well over the distance UFO have traveled & is on top form throughout here. Some Fender Rhodes style keys in there, almost reminds me of The Faces!
A seriously blues driven rocker, even with honky tonk style piano too is great next with Villains & Thieves, that builds & has a great solo from Moore before getting back into the main vibe again.
Sure this is the current UFO line up & I need to get used to it & I’ve said here that much of this sound is like Chapman era UFO & I think that’s more so with the writing, as without doubt Moore’s soloing style has a lot more in common with Schenker than Chapman, that’s why I personally think this line up has a great vibe & blend in general.
Closing track - on my copy anyway! – Stranger In Town is actually possibly my favorite track here with the kind of interplay between the guitars & keys that wouldn’t go amiss on say a classic Purple track.
Will UFO fans like it? Well, many still long for the Schenker line up to return, but I think with a few listens most old UFO fans will enjoy this.
Regular rock fans … Go & get yourselves of piece of modern day UFO, it’s a good album no doubt on that but it’s more of a grower than an instant success. Certainly for me it has been.
4/5 for me, I still think they’ve got another cracker within the band to give us though!
