Having pretty much conquered Europe and America, by 1978, UFO had very little to prove, and their seventh album, Obsession, showed the band stretching artistic wings further than ever. Always a class act, the addition of teenage guitar prodigy Michael Schenker in 1973 pushed them to another level as Phenomenon kicked off a fruitful partnership for all parties. This and the following four albums cemented their place in the annals of rock ‘n’ roll.
UFO – Obsession 2024 Remaster – Deluxe Edition (Chrysalis Records)
Release Date: 22 November 2024
Words: Paul Monkhouse
Times had been turbulent, though. The stresses and strains of the constant cycle of recording and touring eventually taking their toll. Schenker quit the band, but not before this gem and the untouchable Strangers In The Night live album were recorded.
Met with somewhat mixed reviews at the time, Obsession has justly been reevaluated since. Its quality of writing and performance shines through. The risks taken now identify the band as one not content to rest on laurels.
What could have been a straight-ahead rock album in other hands had textures and dynamics that set the band apart from a lot of their contemporaries.
Certainly, there was hard rocking material like opening classic Only You Can Rock Me, the bruising Pack Up And Go, and the throbbing Hot ‘n’ Ready, but so much more was in there. UFO certainly had balls of steel and the juxtaposition of lovely pastoral interlude Arbory Hill after the punchy start shows a band either wilfully perverse or one that was not to be held captive by expectations.
Elsewhere, Looking Out For No 1 had more in common with the extravagance of Queen and Elton John than crunching riffing, the orchestral opening, piano and vocals building into its sweeping and epic form.
Similarly, future staple of their set Cherry had elements of The Who and the mix of muscle and melody was something that informed every aspect of the album. Listening back to it now, there is plenty of pleasure to be found in the lovely little arrangements and production touches. The bass playing in Ain’t No Baby and the snap of the drums in You Don’t Fool Me, along with the many colours brought by the keys.
The band had obviously hit a great groove and the chemistry between Andy Parker, Paul Raymond and Pete Way was plain for all to see, the distinctive voice of Phil Mogg sounding better than ever. Whatever was going on in the background, it didn’t stop Schenker from bringing his A game and his fretwork throughout is dazzling, the soloing at times breathtaking.
All these factors added up to one of the high points of UFO’s career and something that would only be eclipsed by the indispensable live album that would come soon after the guitarist had moved on.
This deluxe set features a number of extra tracks, with the single edit of Only You Can Rock Me, an alternate take of Cherry, along with studio versions of Mother Mary and This Kid’s, each worthy of inclusion in their own right.
Also included is a second disc taken from a show at the Agora Ballroom in Cleveland during October 1978. Released as part of the expanded Strangers In The Night, the fifteen-song set sparks with a feral energy, the band’s tight but loose feel sharpened by long hours on the road.
Worth the price of admission itself, it is rewarding to hear the whole show as it happened from start to finish with no nips or tucks and puts the listener firmly in the centre of the action.
With Phil Mogg back in action with the rather splendid Mogg’s Motel and Schenker soon to release his My Years With UFO album, it seems like a peak time to revisit the London outfit’s oeuvre.
A brilliant addition to any music lover’s collection, Obsession certainly earns its title.
UFO ‘Obsession’ (2024 Remaster – Deluxe Edition) is released on double CD and 3LP on 22 November 2024 on Chrysalis Records. Order link: https://UFO.lnk.to/OBSPR
The classic 1978 UFO album Obsession has been newly remastered from the original production tape transfers at AIR Mastering and will be reissued on stunning 3LP tri-fold sleeve 180gm vinyl and 2CD Digipak formats. Also included is a 2024 mix of the UFO Live At The Agora Ballroom, Cleveland show recorded on 16 October 1978.
