UFO Pictures

Fricke’s Picks: UFO

In June 1973, the British hard-rock quartet UFO landed in Germany for a tour — as a trio, because their guitarist suddenly quit. UFO had already gone through two other guitarists since forming in 1969. But it was fourth time lucky when singer Phil Mogg, bassist Pete Way and drummer Andy Parker borrowed local teenage dynamo Michael Schenker, then in Scorpions, for the German dates. Schenker soon joined UFO full time, flanking Mogg’s tough-glam bray with meaty, melodic riffing, and charging the band’s boogie locomotion with lethal, articulate soloing on a run of albums — 1974’s Phenomenon, 1975’s Force It and 1976’s No Heavy Petting, all reissued with bonus tracks (Chrysalis/EMI) — that became holy text for the spandex boys just around the bend, including Def Leppard, Iron Maiden and Guns n’ Roses. UFO were, at the start, better jammers than composers (ballads were essentially breathers between cannonballs), and Phenomenon opens tentatively: “Oh My” sounds like it reads. But that album’s heavy-Yardbirds assaults, “Doctor Doctor” and “Rock Bottom,” are two of UFO’s — and Schenker’s — best moments on record. By Force It, the writing was sharper (”Let It Roll,” “Shoot Shoot”) and bolder (”Out in the Street”). No Heavy Petting came with keyboards and a poised mix of crunch and radio-wise pop that paid off in later FM hits like “Lights Out” and “Only You Can Rock Me.” Those two songs are on The Best of UFO (1974-1983) (Capitol), out soon to coincide with a U.S. tour by the current lineup of UFO (which will not include Schenker, who has been in and out of the band a few times since 1979). That set has everything for the novice, but the reissues — with seventeen extra tracks spread over them, including period demos, outtakes and hot, live juice — are the real phenomenon.

Published: 2008-04-09 Provider: Rolling Stone Keywords: Rock News, Fricke's Picks

Pearl Jam Begin Work on Ninth Studio Album

Pearl Jam have begun work on early demos for their ninth studio album ­— which will be their first with producer Brendan O’Brien since 1998’s Yield, according to guitarist Mike McCready. “It’s really in its infant stages right now,” McCready tells Rolling Stone. “We have about five ideas that have been worked on.” The band, whose last album was 2006’s well-received Pearl Jam, isn’t sure yet about the direction of the new release. “Brendan is another set of ears that we respect, and he’s going to give us a different way to go but I don’t know what that is yet,” McCready says. The band has already had one session with O’Brien, and will probably resume work on the album in July after finishing their June U.S. tour. Meanwhile, McCready is continuing his charity work for his cause of choice: raising awareness about Crohn’s disease, the digestive ailment he’s suffered from since he was 21. He’s leading a May 3rd benefit concert at the Seattle club Showbox at the Market, raising money for the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America. McCready will perform twice,­ first with Rick and Chris Friel from his pre-Pearl Jam band Shadow, and then with Flight to Mars, his tribute band to British rockers UFO (the band’s guitarist, Michael Schenker, was a big influence). During the Shadow set, McCready expects his old friend Duff McKagan to jump on stage. “He wants to sing [the Stooges‘] ‘I Wannna Be Your Dog,’” McCready says. “I’m just stoked he wanted to be part of it.” [Photo: Getty]

Published: 2008-05-02 Provider: Rolling Stone Keywords: Rock News, In the Studio