Phenomenon (2008 Expanded Version)

UFO

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 12, 2008)
• Original Release Date: February 12, 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Caroline
• ASIN: B000TNF7OC
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #10,062 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

2008 digitally remastered and expanded edition of this classic album featuring six bonus tracks. UFO are the hard-edged British Rock band formed by Pete Way, Phil Mogg and Andy Parker joined by guitar great Michael Schenker. 1974's Phenomenon was the band's third release and the first to feature Schenker. It also remains one of their most successful releases to date. Bonus tracks include two demos produced by Dave Edmunds ('Sixteen' and 'Oh My'), two German-only single sides ('Giver Her The Gun' and 'Sweet Little Thing') one unreleased studio track ('Sixteen') and a BBC1 Live recording of 'Doctor Doctor'. EMI.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Phenomenon is Phenomenal, February 15, 2008

By	lonesome crow (ca,) - See all my reviews

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It's too bad it took them this long to re release these classics with unreleased tracks, but better late than never. Finally the hard to find single of "Give her the Gun", and "sweet little thing" (the first single featuring Michael Schenker, and first release on Chrysalis) along with the song "Sixteen" ( a remake of their 1972 single "Galactic Love"). also including in this set are the demos of Oh My and Sixteen (featuring Bernie Mardsden on guitar) and a BBC recording of Doctor, Doctor (previously released on UFO BBC live , released in 2000, and now out of print. If you can a copy at a reasonable price do get it.) I was also impressed with rare photos which included a band shoot with Bernie , and some photos sessions as a five piece , with both Michael and his later replacment in the years to come Paul Chapman. This release (as well as the reissue of "Force It" and "No Heavy Petting") is a must buy For hardcore UFO fans, and for newcomers looking for something new to discover.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Buy, April 1, 2008

By	Wild Colonial Boy (England) - See all my reviews

The earliest and probably the best buy of the three albums re-issued this year in my humble opinion. This is due to the package of bonus material which you may not have in your collection and which is stronger than the extra bits on "Force It" and "No Heavy Pettin". Again the music has not suffered and benefits from a more powerful upto date mix. One of the six must have 70's albums from the classic UFO line up. You won't regret owning another copy!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Maybe 'IRO' instead of 'UFO.', March 7, 2008

By	M. G. Kimmel (St. Louis, MO) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

That would stand for 'Identified Rockin' Object.' From the first time I heard 'Lights Out,' I was a UFO fan. I wouldn't say exactly a diehard fan, but they were right up there. After hearing Lights Out, I did a little retro-scouting for the other UFO recordings and Phenomenon was probably the second UFO LP I owned.

They had been a very good band - in my estimation - all along. Since my familiarity started with 'Lights out,' there were two components that WERE UFO. Without one or the other, they were good, but only waving at the greatness they could achieve.

Original vocalist Phil Mogg is one of those components. His voice and just the way he phrases lyrics very quickly become an inextricable and extremely identifiable feature of UFO without which... Well, I can't imagine that part.

The other component wasn't an original member, but I think it was this release where Michael Schenker joined the band and quickly became an immediately recognizable and quite important part of UFO.

(That being said, Vinnie Moore ain't no slouch, either, and the new UFO stuff is picking up where the old UFO stuff left off.)

Anyway, this is all a roundabout way to get to the main point, which is that Phenomenon is a great recording. All songs are solid, and ANY release featuring the two songs 'Doctor Doctor' and 'Rock Bottom' is destined for greatness!

These reissues are a fantastic way for folks who may not have been around during the time of any particular artists' heyday to become quickly innoculated. The 'bonus tracks' generally included are just that - a true bonus. The CD release of Phenomenon is no different in that respect.

The only part that surprised me was that there are two bonus tracks here ('Sixteen' and 'Oh My') that were produced by Dave Edmunds. There's another artist who's been around for a while. And for an idea of whether or not he knows what he's doing, just take a listen to 'I Hear You Knockin' from the mid-sixties (I believe) all the way up to "I Knew The Bride" and a few subsequent quality releases that just don't seem to attract any critical attention despite how deserving they are.

Maybe it shouldn't be such a surprise though. The same 'malady' seems to afflict UFO. This release (Phenomenon) will show you exactly why they deserve an expanded spot in your music library, but they've slipped back into semi-obscurity as far as much of the press is concerned.

Getting this CD reminded me of how much I like the band, so I checked into them a bit further. I had no idea that not only did they release another CD in September of 2007 (Monkey Puzzle), but they're expected to start touring again in April of 2008.

Grab Phenomenon and you'll be checking to see when UFO is coming near enough to you to catch them live. Either of these (buying 'Phenomenon' or catching a live UFO show) will be acts I promise you won't regret.