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Rating: Me: “Do you remember the UFO?”
Someone: “Of course, but I don't believe in them!”
Me: “Don't talk nonsense, I'm talking about the English rock band!”
Someone: “Oh right! The ones who had Michael Schenker as their guitarist!”
Me: “Another nonsense, or rather, that’s true but that’s not all there is to the UFOs!”
Exactly, because there was both a pre-Schenker and a post-Schenker period. Today I want to talk about the period before the arrival of the six-string phenomenon, and specifically about “Ufo 2: Flying”. It was released in 1971, and features a cover depicting an alien-man chased by two flying saucers, consistent with all the band’s unique covers. The album has veins ranging from prog to hard rock, at times it's also psychedelic and I imagine many will think: “here's the usual psychedelic album of those years, if I have to listen to something psychedelic, I'll put on a Pink Floyd CD”, but it’s not exactly like that.
The sound of this album is very peculiar, it's called space-rock and the first time I thought: “what the hell is this space-rock?”, because to be honest, until discovering UFO I didn't even know there was a genre called that. To understand exactly what I’m getting into I have to wait until track number two “Star Storm”, a piece of almost 19 minutes that has the merit of changing a lot as the minutes pass, thus managing not to be boring. In fact, there comes a point (about halfway through the song) where you fall into a sort of trance, thanks to these sounds that I would define precisely as “space,” or even better “UFO-like.”
The other standout track of the album is the title-track, the fifth and last track, also with a not-so-radio-friendly duration since we're talking about almost half an hour. “Flying” nonetheless is not a song like the previous one that leads to a tourniquet and heated spoon (to return to the “trance” discourse), but it is slightly more pressing in rhythm thanks to the many dialogues that occur between Phil Mogg on vocals and Mick Bolton on lead guitar. Phil is in better shape than ever, fantastic and seductive voice, while Mick on guitar is phenomenal, not exactly a master of technique but still managing to amaze with his creativity in accompanying the entire piece for over 26 minutes with riffs, arpeggios, and solos. To better convey the idea, I'll say it's a very Sabbath-like piece.
The other three missing tracks are: "Silver Bird", "Prince Kajuku", and "The Coming of Prince Kajuku", with obviously shorter durations compared to the other two and also with different rhythms, much more consistent with the hard-rock of the era. From what can be inferred, it’s not an album you can play in the car to go shopping ten kilometers away, but instead, it is certainly quite demanding given the duration and the compactness of the two main tracks, but I don't think you'll regret using 60 minutes of your life for this after listening.
Try to believe...
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Silver Bird (06:56)
Andy Parker; Mick Bolton; Pete Way; Phil Mogg
This morning as I walked, I gazed out across my land
Lying there all still lying there upon the sand
A big silver bird had planted itself into the ground
And being the kind of person who isn't very easily alarmed
Decided to take a walk to see just what I could find
Walked around the walls, tapping to find me a door
Looking for a windows to see if I could find out more
Big silver bird let me inside your plane
Want to fly so high fly me high, away
All of a sudden the door slid back and someone was there
A strange kind of being spoke to me in my tongue
"Step inside, we?ll take you away in our plane
We?ll fly you so high, You?ll never have the chance to complain
To leave this earth, never even (???) ...
Stepping inside I fixed myself into a seat
Holding on, Lord, I heard them engines start to beat
Big silver bird let me inside your plane
Want to fly so high, fly me high away
(Instrumental)
03 Prince Kajuku (03:58)
Catch a falling star put it in your pocket
Take hold of the moonbeams, hang them around your neck
Prince kajuku's coming feathers in his hair
Tapping on his juju stick, take you down there
Prince kajuku holds you never lets you go
Feel his power around you when your weakness shows
Take a starry circle hold it in your hand
Never let kajuku take (guide) you to his land
Long space jam
Catch a falling star put it in your pocket
Take hold of the moonbeams hang them round your neck
Kajuku, kajuku, walking down the street
Tapping on his juju stick, take you down there
07 Follow You Home (06:24)
Pete Way
If you want me to do everything girl just for you
Change your mind telling me lies
Come and see you in the morning come and see u in the morning
Time after time, told me lies these are things girl which I despise
If I go wrong in your eyes, leave you girl in the morning,
Leave you girl in the morning
(instrumental)
As time goes by wish you had never treated me so bad
You know you're only going to want me back
Far away in the morning far away in the morning
If you want me to do everything girl just for you
Change your mind telling me lies
Come and see you in the morning, come and see you in the morning
Follow you home in the morning, Follow you home in the morning
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