When studying the history of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal music, England’s UFO is one of the most important chapters to learn in a student’s lesson plan. Formed back in 1968, UFO style and sound were pinnacle in the transition to Heavy Metal’s rise in the ‘70s. In fact, their 1974 album Phenomenon is nothing less than vital to the movement with songs like “Doctor Doctor” and “Rock Bottom.” Truly pioneers and influential on acts that followed as part of what is referred to as New Wave of British Heavy Metal (including Iron Maiden, Saxon, and even Def Leppard), UFO honestly deserve higher praise than they have been given.
With a career that has spanned 56 years, UFO has released 22 studio albums, but also been synonymous with nothing less than memorable live performances. A band whose live shows only exemplify their worth to the history of Rock-n-Roll, anyone who has seen UFO during the early days, or even as recently as their farewell tour in 2022, know they put on a live Rock show that sticks with you. Unfortunately, the touring years of UFO are all but done; because in September of 2022, amidst what was to be their farewell tour, Lead Singer Phil Mogg suffered a heart attack. Sad news, Mogg is still recovering… so the future is still a bit uncertain for UFO.
All this in mind, the UFO live experience is not completely absent, because through the years many of their performances were captured on to tape and archived. Releasing fourteen of these in total as albums, as a point of reference, their 1979 release of Strangers in the Night still sounds amazing to this day. One of the most broadly beloved live records from UFO, and in more generally Heavy Rock music, the band recently partnered with Cleopatra Records to release a mass of their live albums.
A partnership that allows fans to own remastered, reissued editions of a slew of live records, it should be noted a list of them had previously been released as part of box sets on various small labels over the past twenty years. Something fans might want to know, in case they do not want to repurchase something they may already own, what should be noted with Cleopatra Records’ releases is that they are digitally remastered and packaged with new artwork and rare photos for both the CD and vinyl presses. Beyond this, in many cases, several vinyl colors are available for each of the releases. So, if you are a diehard fan, perhaps even a re-purchase of these UFO releases is not such a bad idea.
In total, the latest crop of UFO releases from Cleopatra Records began in August of 2023 with Hollywood ’76 and Live in Vienna 1998. From here, One Night Lights Out ’77 came in September of 2023, Hot ‘N’ Ready In Texas 1979, Lights Out In Babenhausen 1993, Makin’ Moves In Chicago 1981 all throughout October of 2023, Live At The Oxford Apollo 1985, Lights Out Chicago (1980), and Too Hot In Tokyo 1994 in November of 2023, before California At The Edge 1995 along with Landing In St. Louis – Live 1982! emerged in December of 2023. As mentioned, all of these have been released to CD as digipaks, or as double vinyl sets, giving you a couple options to mull over here.
Each set offers a well put together package, as well as interesting details in the notes that give you a snapshot of that particular period in time of UFO’s history, and thus amplifying the significance of each live recording. This leads us to the sound quality… which ranges from very good to excellent. In addition, you not only get to revisit live recordings from different eras of UFO, but also get to revisit the different lineups of the band; including performances with Michael Schenker, as well as the late Keyboardist/Guitarist Paul Raymond, Bassist Peter Way and Guitarist Paul Chapman.
Overall, there is nothing to dislike about what Cleopatra Records has put together for their 2023 release of some highly memorable UFO live albums. The packaging is solid, the remasterings are sharp, and the extra photographs are a welcomed addition to the entire presentation. All available for sale in various places (including online retailers or local record shops), you really cannot go wrong with either the CD or vinyl copies… but your purchase option really just depends on your personal preference.
And for those wondering about the future of UFO, Mogg is successfully recovering, doing well, and far from packing it in. For those unaware, prior to his music career, Mogg was junior boxing champion in North London… so it is safe to say he has a fighting spirit in his bones. Giving you some inspiration, only time will tell what happens next in the world of UFO. However, it is clear that Mogg is working on some new studio records, but what they are, is yet to be determined.
In the meantime, you can seek out copies of these latest Cleopatra Records releases on vinyl or CD as we approach UFO’s remastered/deluxe edition release of the 1977 studio album Lights Out on February 2, 2024. So, never give up the ghost, take each day as it comes, and dig into a treasure chest of UFO music, because Cryptic Rock gives the scope of Cleopatra Records live album releases in 2023 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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