The Dividing Point For The Band: What I Think Of The Atomik Tommy M Era.

When Paul Chapman left UFO; the band needed someone that was an amazing replacement to a great guitar player.  The replacement they picked was Tommy McClendon.  I think that Tommy was a very skilled guitar player, and he came up with some killer riffs.  This era of the band had almost a completely different lineup.  The only founding member was Phil Mogg.  Paul Raymond came back in, but he wasn't original.  The other members were Paul Gray on bass, and Jim Simpson on drums.  I don't think that this was bad, because it gave a completely different sound to the band.  I think that they transitioned very well in to the 80's.  the problem that I do have with this era is that the band got much more pop.  While it isn't a huge deal, I liked when the band was more raw.  The keys were a huge part of this era, and they were really the lead instrument.  

I think that some of the songs are still killer rock tunes.  My personal favorite of the era is "Mean Streets."  This has a brutal intro riff, and it is definitely the most rocking of the era.  Some other great songs are "Night Run," "One Heart," "Blue," and "Dream The Dream."  I think that these are all great songs, and in my opinion this era was very good.  While it isn't anything like the Michael Schenker or Paul Chapman eras for me, I think that it was a great example that the band could still kick butt in their lowest times.  I definitely recommend check the Tommy McClendon albums, because I think they are awesome.