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U.F.O.
NEW 'SHARKS' STUDIO ALBUM ON SPV 2ND SEPTEMBER Despite the much documented inter - band strife during their last world tour, U.F.O.'s three key members, Michael Schenker, Phil Mogg and Pete Way made up again in Spring 2002 to add another chapter to U.F.O.'S long-standing and colourful career. 'Sharks', the band's brand new album, set for release on SPV on September 2nd, is once again the result of the not always entirely unproblematic but always fruitful cooperation between this volatile trio and drummer Aynsley Dunbar. As a result it's an excellent, fresh, exciting, traditional melodic hard rock album! Phil Mogg describes the eleven new tracks as "A new and important step for the band, following the stylistic direction of 'Walk On Water' and 'Covenant', but with a stronger emphasis on beefy grooves. Some tracks refer to the days of 'Lights Out'. The track 'Fighting Man' for example, has a similar flair as 'Too Hot To Handle' did way back then, while I consider 'Serenity' another U.F.O. classic." 'Sharks' was produced in San Francisco by Mike Varney and engineer Steve Fontana, the same team behind the successful predecessor, 'Covenant'. The album title implies an ironic dig at the laws of the market. "In a way, musicians are always surrounded by sharks who are just waiting to eat us alive," Mogg grins mischievously. "We're not really serious about the title but consider it a humorous term, given the context. After all, we're very happy with the way things have been going, which is why the numbers on 'Sharks' sound so optimistic." And it seems likely that U.F.O. will embark on another tour with the new album, which, as experience has shown, may not be unproblematic. But Mogg has thought up a scheme to avoid allowing the difficulties of the past to flare up again. "We definitely toured too much in the wake of 'Covenant', which caused unnecessary problems that wouldn't have occurred with more prudent planning. This time we will go about things more carefully and make sure that the 'Sharks' tour doesn't turn out as long and exhausting." Asked when the fans can expect a tour, he replies; "Probably when the days get colder again. For some reason it always seems to be winter when this band goes on the road." Shark
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U.F.O.
Biography Pete Way and Phil Mogg formed UFO, the massively successful multi-million selling metal monster band, in 1969, with drummer Andy Parker. Their breakthrough came after German guitar maestro Schenker jumped the Scorpions' ship to join the UFO camp in 1973. The albums "Phenomenon" (1974), "Force It" (1975), and "No Heavy Pettin" all charted high and sold bucket loads worldwide. The subsequent two studio albums , "Lights Out" (1977) and "Obsession" (1978) spawned huge hit singles such as "Lights Out", "Too Hot To Handle" and "Only You Can Rock Me" and rank among the most successful UFO recordings of all time. 1979 saw the release of the live "Strangers In The Night", widely regarded as one of the best live rock albums of all time, but by this time Michael Schenker had quit to form his own hugely successful Michael Schenker Group. During the following fifteen years UFO went through various line-up changes but still notched up respectable chart positions and sales with their "Wild The Willing and The Innocent", (1981), "Mechanix" (1982) and "Making Contact" (1983) albums. In 1982 Pete Way left the group to form Waysted, who released two albums ("Vice" and "Waysted"), sold out several UK tours and starred on a famously riotous tour of the States with Mottley Crue and Ozzy Osbourne. After "Making Contact" UFO undertook a farewell UK tour in 1983, and then in 1985 Phil Mogg assembled a new line up of UFO, who recorded "Misdemeanour" that year, "Ain't Misbehavin" (1988) and "High Stakes and Dangerous Men", (with Pete Way back on board) in 1992. Then, in the Autumn of 1993, the original classic line up reformed and sold out a number of trial dates in Germany and America before recording "Walk On Water" (1995), their first album together for fifteen years, which even sceptics acknowledged amply demonstrated the band's rekindled enthusiasm. There followed a period when Schenker restarted the Michael Schenker Group and Mogg and Way, meanwhile, recorded their second Mogg/Way album 'Chocolate Box'. U.F.O. got back together at the end of the Nineties to write and record 'Covenant', which was released in August 2000. "'Covenant', featuring ex-Whitesnake/Journey/Zappa man Aynsley Dunbar on drums, is very much an heir to its predecessor. There are some great tunes. With its piledriving riff, 'Midnight Train' is sleek and purposeful, the unusually angular 'Miss The Lights' is deceptively commercial, 'Fool's Gold' and 'Serenade' display the band's softer side, while 'Cowboy Joe' allows Schenker to run riot. Producer Mike Varney has not only succeeded in bringing the best out of the guitarist, but also capturing a wonderfully proficient band performance. A fine return to form" wrote Dave Ling in Classic Rock Magazine's September 2000 issue. U.F.O. lined up a major city concert hall tour of the UK in November and December 2000, which was famously cut short after the band imploded once more in public, onstage at the Manchester Apollo on November 24th. And so to 2002 and 'Sharks', an album that will take every hard rock lover by surprise, not just because it is there at all, but because it is simply that good! 17th
July 2002. |