UFO - Obsession

Wowzers, it is really coming down, or should i say across, out there. Glad i'm in here. 


Obsession is the last original run UFO album with Michael Schenker on Guitars. Michael is of course Rudolph's little brother. I'm not gonna play over/under rated with Scorpions and UFO like most people do, i'm just gonna point out NWBHM bands weren't dropping the name Scorpions in their "influenced by" sections. 

Christgau didn't like this one, so i'm sure it will be great. He liked their earlier albums, but called this "exhibitionism." I assume he's referring to the macho late 70s when every early 70s Hard Rock band was forced to grow moustaches and give Disco an ill-advised whirl before breaking up. 

I think we'll pair it with the Harland Williams classic Rocket Man and do this what we like to call "the right way." The chimp will steal my sleep pod and i'll be forced to stare at the wall for the entire trip to Mars, i mean playlipsis, and when everybody else wakes back up i'll get in trouble for whatever wacky shenanigans i got up to. No countdown, just blast off... 

... oh yeah, guitar heaven. The solos are obnoxiously fantastic. The album is a bit of a triple-split personality between Hard Rock, Prog, and Heavy Metal. It's a bit disconcerting to jump back and forth that way, but as for what they actually do in each genre i've got no complaints at all. I'll explain, Hard Rock means catchy Pop Songs, Heavy Metal means chainsaws and power chord based riffage, Prog means random orchestral interludes, piano ballads and string sections, and actual melodies. 

What's with the ball bearings? Well, it is a Hipgnosis design, so Stormy Storm the Pig Inflator, and Sleazy McCartilage are either involved or in the next office doing something much worse. Maybe they wanted it to look like some kind of Mercury based alien life-form infestation, i don't know. 

What i do know is there isn't a dud on this thing. No, it doesn't add up to much in the way i tend to appreciate albums, but that is kinda what the late 70s were when you think about it. No rules, just Rock. It does rock, and you simply can't honestly tell me Schenker doesn't go out with a bang. His tone is absolutely disgusting, even the softer clean stuff and occasional acoustics play in counterpoint with a distorted part that sounds like 400 grit sandpaper on a fence post. 

But back to my original point, which is that this is clearly meant to be a variety album, and in that regard it's incredible. Usually a band doesn't quite get one of the styles right, but this is top notch across the board. So, final verdict, get the ball bearings out of your ears and check out the eclectic stylings of one of the top underappreciated transition bands from 70s Hard Rock to 80s British Heavy Metal. 

Look at that, i behaved, didn't even use our food supply to paint a mural or nothin'. 

By the way, best coincidence ever, the lyric "i turned around to the janitor, asked him 'just how long you been dead?'" Is totally hiding in there. You're welcome.

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