UFO enter a period of reconciliation around one of their more divisive album releases.

Release Date: 29th August 2025

Label: HNE / Cherry Red Records

Format: CD + DVD

An audio-visual document of the UFO gig at the Oxford Apollo in 1985, promoting the Misdemeanor album. History tells us that the guitar heroes in the classic Schenker era and short but sweet Chapman period had come to an abrupt end. 1983’s Making Contact album and tour saw the ailing horse well flogged – yes, I bought the album and saw the tour and after being brought up on Strangers In The Night, it felt like a pale imitation. Sad to believe the shining UFO star had gone out.

FROM THE ASHES…

In the wake, singer Phil Mogg re-recruited and what allegedly started life as a solo work, became UFO. The name and legacy still sold, and sold out Hammersmith Odeon on the subsequent tour. The new look, Mogg led, Misdemeanor album focussed on a more keyboard driven sound, typical of the Eighties, not always in their favour it must be said in the opinion of the fans. The A/MOR stylings, a thin production and ‘too synthy’ criticisms could be chipped away in the raw atmosphere of the live setting, so here’s the chance to judge.

The new look outfit that stumbled into becoming the next incarnation of UFO featured Paul Gray on bass, Jim Simpson on drums, Paul Raymond from the classic Strangers In The Night’era line-up of the band – back in the fold after a stint with The Michael Schenker Group – handling rhythm guitar and keyboards, plus Atomik Tommy ‘M’ on lead guitar.

WOT – NO ‘STRANGERS’??

The set is basically Misdemeanor. An ‘interesting’ change from the usual reliance that would see UFO turning to the classic Strangers In The Night set pieces. It’s UFO in name and not quite as it was. What Roger Waters would have called ‘a clever forgery’

Atomik Tommy shreds like his life depends on it from a couple of minutes into the Heaven’s Gate opener and throughout and ol’ Moggy appears to be in decent vocal shape as a few glimmers of the old magic break through. The melodic Hard Rock of The Chase (shredtastic solo as standard once more) stirs the blood

The radio friendly singles This Time (heavy on the bass in the mix and guitar histrionics) and Night Run (more in the melodic Hard Rock with keyboard textures vein of yore) are strategically placed and the mid set break down comes with Name Of Love and the Only One. Any attempt to hold a candle to Love To Love is extinguished; the need to showcase the new unit as a separate entity is a brave move.

CLASSICS

The only UFO classics that make the tape are Only You Can Rock Me and Doctor Doctor. Some might no be so convinced about the mid song breakdown in the former and the extended meandering in the latter (a little like the more indulgent Led Zep moments they were prone to). Keen too make the most of the name but give enough to show that the glories of the past to make way for the new format. As the song goes, “we’re the boys, we got nothing to lose.” A period that wound its way some distance from the solid tree trunk, but at least the kettle was kept luke warm if not boiling. A story, as they say, tbc.

Here’s the boys with a classic UFO tune from the tour:

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