Obsession [Import, Original recording remastered]

UFO | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 26, 2000)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import, Original recording remastered
• Label: Toshiba EMI Japan
• ASIN: B00004SAIT
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #561,185 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Only You Can Rock Me

2. Pack It Up (And Go)

3. Arbory Hill

4. Ain't No Baby

5. Lookin' Out For No 1

6. Hot'N'Ready

7. Cherry

8. You Don't Fool Me

9. Lookin' Out For No 1 (Reprise)

10. One More For The Rodeo

11. Born To Lose

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the finest hard rock albums ever!, January 11, 2002

By 

Just Bill (Grand Rapids, MI United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Obsession (Audio CD)

Obsession is almost too good to be true.

I bought the remastered Japanese import from Amazon and I'm listening to it today for the first time. I'm blown away.

Not only is the production and digital remastering incredible, but the song selection is as mesmerizing and magical as you'll find anywhere. This is, without a doubt, one of the finest hard rock albums ever recorded!

Growing up, I was more familiar with Lights Out (1977), Force It (1975) and Phenomenon (1974). I listened to those albums on occasion, but lost track of UFO shortly after Lights Out.

For the record, Lights Out contains one of my all-time favorite tracks ("Love to Love") but no less than FIVE of UFO's best songs call Obsession home: "Only You Can Rock Me," "Lookin' Out For No. 1," "Hot 'n' Ready," "Cherry," and "Born to Lose" -- and not a single track of the other six is a dud. Virtually this entire CD could be called a "greatest hits" package!

Originally released in 1978, and featuring one of the most recognizable and bizarre Hipgnosis covers of all time, Obsession was arguably UFO's high-water mark. Guitarist Michael Schenker bailed after Obsession and second bannana guitarist Paul Raymond filled in for No Place to Run (1980), which was the beginning of the end of the classic UFO line-up and sound.

Obsession is a feast for the ears, with lots of blistering, squeaking guitar, classic Phil Mogg vocals, crisp drumming from Andy Parker, solid songwriting and bass playing from Pete Way and some great contributions from Paul Raymond.

Although this is undoubtedly a total band effort, it's probably Michael Schenker that shines brightest on Obsession -- which is something I hate to admit given his surly personality and widely reported dismal treatment of his band mates.

Schenker's playing runs the gamut, from pleasant, almost Medieval acoustic licks ("Arbory Hill") to take-no-prisoners riffing on "Pack It Up," "Ain't No Baby" and "Hot 'n' Ready."

"Ain't No Baby," another of my favorite tracks, is a rock-solid track that begins slowly and sweetly...then kicks into high gear with a growling, bottom-heavy riff and some truly remarkable and melodic background vocals on the chorus. Brilliant.

Obsession is UFO at their absolute best. No fan of melodic hard rock should be without this album. I can't believe I was without it for nearly 25 years!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars UFO's Finest Work!, October 28, 2004

By 

Christopher Fryer (United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Obsession (Audio CD)

This album is good from start to finish. Not one bad apple in the bunch. Schenker's guitar tone is fantastic! My favorites are Only You Can Rock Me, Arbory Hill, Looking Out For No.1, Hot N Ready, You Don't Fool Me, and One More For The Rodeo. I like the lyric to I Ain't No Baby ("Stay Away, FOREVER"). Cool cover prompting Schenker to ask his bandmates "Why am I the only one without balls?". This would be Schenker's final studio album w/ UFO until the rocking Walk On Water in 1995. Lights Out is another classic UFO album you should get if you don't have it!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good rock for your head, April 21, 2005

By 

P. M. White "surfzilla" (El Aay) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Obsession (Audio CD)

Michael Schenker is a master of electric guitar solo phraseology. He soars, he swoops, he glides, he crashes, then he blasts off from the ashes. Phil Mogg has a voice that'll stick it's finger in your face, Paul Raymond is The Man of a Thousand Noises, and Way and Parker are monstrous through the bass cones; but it's Schenker who makes you open all your windows and jump out on the lawn and air-guitar yourself into a frenzy. Rockers, ballads, and anthems, all killer, no filler.