A List Of My Favorite UFO Songs

1.  Love To Love- this song is my favorite song of all time.  A lot of people say "Stairway To Heaven" is the greatest song ever made, but I think this song surpassed it by far.  It has so much magic.  The intro is brilliant, and it is so complex and intense.  The vocals by Phil Mogg are very endearing and fantastic.  Words can't describe the insanity of Michael Schenker's guitar solo at the end of the song, and it's probably the best solo ever played.

2.  Shoot Shoot-  "Shoot Shoot" is such an uplifting and rocking song.  It is definitely the best song on Force It.  It has so many cool things about it. The first thing is the main riff.  It's so simple, as it is only A and D chords, but it has such a cool sound, and it really pumps you up.  The second thing I love about this song is the vocals.  Phil does such an amazing job of really giving an aggressive performance, and it's one of his best.  The third thing I love about this song is the riff after the chorus. It is definitely one of the best riffs I have ever heard. It is single note, and it is so much fun to play to. The solo is also fantastic, and so is the bridge(where Phil's best vocals of the song are).

3.  Lonely Heart-  "Lonely Heart" is truly a magical song.  It is almost like a power pop song. I have No clue why it wasn't a huge radio hit. The song has all of the hooks and more to qualify it as a hit. The guitar is fantastic, the vocals are extraordinary, the saxophone is such a creative twist for the band, and it is just an all around amazing song.  The piano intro that starts out the song is such a great start, because as you know it ends up changing a lot later in the song.  Phil Mogg really gives every thing in this song. He really kicks a bunch of butt. Paul Chapman does a lot of amazing work on this song.  He makes a great riff, with chord progressions that just sound so perfect. His guitar solo is marvelous.  He hits some of the most amazing bends I have ever heard, and every note counts for sure.  The saxophone is fantastic, and watching Neil Carter play it on the promo video makes it 100 times better too. It just blends so well with the guitar. It almost reminds me of the bagpipes on "It's A Long Way To the Top If You Want To Rock and Roll" by ACDC.

4.  Lights Out(SITN Version)- this version of the classic "Lights Out" is one of the most amazing live performances ever. It has so much raw energy, and it will rock your world. The best way to listen to this is to search for a video on YouTube of it. There is one on the top of my blog.  It is so amazing, because you get to watch Pete, Michael, Paul, Phil, and Andy rock out with one of their best performances ever.  Pete goes crazy on the stage, and so does Phil.  But musically why I love this version of the song so much is because it has more of an aggressive tone to the riff. It just fills the room more, and they put more balls into it.  The other reason I love this version so much is the solos. Michael takes the guitar solo from the original, and he amps it up like 100 notches better.  He does unbelievable things.  Also, the line "Lights Out in Chicago" has now become a classic.

5.  Anyday-  "Anyday" was featured on the first Paul Chapman album No Place To Run, and it is definitely the best song.  It is so intense, and so insane, and it is just a rocking example of craziness.  The song has one of the coolest bass parts ever, because it is really the leading part of the song.  It makes such a great suspense in the beginning, and it makes it so you're completely shocked from what happens after.  The guitar riff kicks in, and all goes crazy.  The riff is literally three chords, but it makes such a great statement for the song.  But the standout thing in the chorus is Phil's vocals.  This is probably his most aggressive performance ever.  He screams at points, and it just makes me so pumped.  This song definitely shows that Paul Chapman is a master of guitar.  He does things that not many musicians would think of.  The first thing that is really neat is that in the second chorus, he does a solo over Phil's vocals, and it matches his singing perfectly. It is so cool, because it adds so much.  The second thing is his other two guitar solos. He is just insane on them.  The bends he does, and the licks he comes up with have influenced me so much as a guitarist.  The second solo is especially awesome, because he does some really quick picking and stuff really high on the neck, and it is just so exciting.

6.  Rock Bottom(SITN version)-  "Rock Bottom" has always been the most famous UFO song ever.  But the thing is that the studio version is good, but not nearly as great as this amazing version on the last album in the 70's to feature Schenker.   His guitar solo on this version has influenced so many guitarists around the world, and it is the reason why I put this song on the list.  He didn't care about being perfect when he played this. He just did his thing, and put on one of the most amazing performances ever.  There are allegedly a couple mistakes in the solo according to Schenker, but I don't see them as bad, because they just make everything so much more raw and amazing. The solo literally makes my jaw drop it so amazing.  There is the part where the tempo of the solo speeds up, and he just goes all out. This is what guitarists need to do. He set the benchmark of what a great guitar solo needs to be.  This is definitely one of the greatest solos ever.

7.  This Kid's(SITN version)-  this is another of the greatest tracks on this amazing live album.  It has so much more energy than the original.  I don't know what they did with the tone of their instruments that night, but everything had a thicker and more ballsy sound, and it is so much better than the original.  Phil also does a much better vocal performance, because he puts more backbone into it, and it's so much more aggressive.  The highlight of this song though is the guitar solo again.  I love the chords in the background of the solo, because it gives almost like a jailhouse sound to it. The solo is so gritty, and Schenker hits every note perfectly.  It is one of those solos that you can just remember note for note without even listening to the song.  This is such a great life track, and you should definitely check it out.

8.  Lipstick Traces- this song was from the first Schenker album Phenomenon, and it is just a beautiful ballad.  There are no words, but you can just hear the instruments sing.  Michael plays a beautiful electric part over his emotional acoustic guitar part. It is just so perfect, because it gives you goosebumps, and you feel everything that happens.  This is definitely the band's best instrumental.

9.  Hot N' Ready- this song was featured on Obsession, and it is one of the band's funkiest songs. It features amazing riffs, vocals, solos, and bass playing.  The music is just fantastic.  The intro is one of the best from UFO, and all of the rhythm is just perfect.  Phil's vocals are so catchy, and you just have to love them.

10.  Cherry- this song was one the previous album I mentioned, and it is so neat because it starts out really mellow, but then it rocks out. The bass riff is perfect, and so are Phil's vocals.  The best part of the song is the bridge, because everything meets it's climax, and it's a perfect introduction into it's guitar solo.

11.  One Heart- Misdemeanor was an album that some people liked, and some people didn't. I think it's a fantastic release. My favorite song on the album is "One Heart." The reason I love this song so much is the great sound that's sort of poppy, but it also pretty rocking. The intro riff is pretty awesome, because it sounds a little like "Owner Of A Lonely Heart," and it really rocks. The drumming is pretty fantastic too. I also love the chorus too, because Phil's vocals are amazing!

4 comments:

  1. I will post more songs, and this page will be one that is frequently updated, so make sure you keep checking it out.

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  2. Ryan a personal favourite and much overlooked song is dreaming from mechanix - best played loud - great lyrics, excellent vocals and backing vocals from Neil, superb drum sound , Petes bass understated but totally driving the song Paul's solo and keyboards work well and Phil is superb

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  3. UFO great band Michael still my favorite all time player. i was happy to see Metallica Hammett agree. rock bottom and angel of death by slayer are the best guitar songs Ever written. i happen to think the studio solo of R.B. is 100 times better than any other version. Ive spent years myself learning to get it right.

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  4. Seen UFO many years ago at the Agora Ballroom / Tomorrow Club in eastern Ohio. M Schenker crushed "To Hot To Handle" My all time favorite tune!!

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