Phenomenon was released in 1974, and it was the first UFO album to feature Michael Schenker. This album features a lot of fan favorites; including "Rock Bottom," "Doctor Doctor," "Oh My," and "Queen Of The Deep," but I feel that this album was top to bottom amazing, and it features some great ballads. The first song on the album "Oh My" is an aggressive hard rocker that has a cool riff, and a great chorus. The next song is a masterpiece in my opinion, and it is called "Crystal Light." It features some amazing acoustic guitar playing from Michael Schenker, a great chorus that has a slight country feel to it, and flawless vocals from the brilliant Phil Mogg. The next song is a classic that has been loved by so many people, and it is called "Doctor Doctor." The opening guitar riff is very soft and mysterious, then it transitions into a heavy riff that is instantly recognizable. Phil Mogg's vocals are amazing, because they have an aggressive drive to them, and they show so much passion. Pete Way's bass playing is awesome, because he is practically playing the riff just like Michael, and this is one of his parts that inspired bass players like Steve Harris. The next song "Space Child" is a very neat song, because it has a very soft Eric Clapton feel to it. Phil's vocals are awesome on this song because they are sort of mellow, but emotional at the same time. The song also starts with a very cool electric riff by Michael Schenker that transitions perfectly into the folky acoustic riff. The next song "Rock Bottom" features a classic riff that has been loved by the rock world for decades. It also features some amazing drumming by Andy Parker, and I find that Phil Mogg's aggressiveness to his vocals makes it one of his best performances. Michael's guitar solo is simply amazing, and it is also very long too. The next song "Too Young To Know" is neat because it almost has a Lynryd Skynrd feel to it, and it has a great Southern Rock riff to it. I also love Phil Mogg's vocals a lot, because they have an amazing tone to them. The song is a little more experimental than some others on the album, and I like it a lot. The next song "Time On My Hands," is a very emotional ballad type of a song, and it features some great acoustic playing, great drumming, and awesome vocals. It is a very peaceful song, and I like it a lot. The next song is the only cover of the album, and it is "Built For Comfort" by Wille Dixon. I love this version of the song, because it has so much attitude, whether it is with the vocals, the guitar, or even the drumming. I think it is an example of how great of a cover band UFO has been these last few decades. The next song on the album is an instrumental called "Lipstick Traces." I love this song so much, because it has so much emotion, and it is so relaxing to listen to. It is also one of my favorite songs on the album. The last song on the album is also my favorite, and it is called "Queen Of The Deep." I love this song because it starts out soft, but then it starts this vicious riff that you can't help but bang your head on. The end of the song even manages to get heavier, because Michael gives every last ounce of playing that he has in the final riff. I also feel that I should mention Andy Parker's drumming in the song, because he puts some truly amazing fills in that give such a cool contribution to the song's heaviness.
Phenomenon may not be the best UFO album of all time, but it is definitely essential to any fan of rock music. The guitar playing is top notch, the vocals are mind blowing, and the rhythm section is very special too. I recommend this album to anyone, and I hope you check it out if you haven't already.
No comments:
Post a Comment