UFO has long been a highly respected metal band. From their emergence in the late ’60s through a period of high charting albums, UFO delivered with the best of them, and became influential in their unfolding journey to other emerging bands. It’s surprising that their success wasn’t higher given the admission of influence by other bands who experienced better success as a result. Nevertheless, for some (like my brother Mark), UFO was THE band of the time. Today, their 1979 live set, Strangers In The Night (covering shows at the infamous International Amphitheatre in Chicago (now defunct), and The Gardens in Louisville, is considered as one of the great live albums of all time.
On November 20, Chrysalis Records will revisit Strangers In The Night with an 8CD set that will provide the full concerts of both shows that were cherry-picked for the original set, then add four extra shows from that US Obsession tour that include stops at Columbus, OH, Cleveland, OH, Kenosha, WI, and Youngstown, OH. Now THAT’S exciting, especially for UFO fans. This is a concept that I have long championed for great live albums (especially for Wishbone Ash‘s exemplary Live Dates, which I’ve begged for, and have presented to various labels for years [read here]).
Strangers In The Night will be reissued with new remixing of four shows. The original album itself will be remastered. The 8CDs Box is, to recap, the original album, and then six full shows. A 2LP set of the original Strangers In The Night album with the 2020 remaster will be made available.
The box will include an essential 24-page booklet with new notes, and interviews with Mogg, Parker, and Schenker. Live In Youngstown is also an RSD vinyl 2LP 180g-weight vinyl set planned for October.
Strangers In The Night (Deluxe Edition) – UFO
CD1 Original Album 2020 Remaster)
01 Natural Thing
02 Out In The Street
03 Only You Can Rock Me
04 Doctor Doctor
05 Mother Mary
06 This Kid’s
07 Love To Love
CD2 (Original Album 202 Remaster)
01 Lights Out
02 Rock Bottom
03 Too Hot To Handle
04 I’m A Loser
05 Let It Roll
06 Shoot Shoot
CD3 (Chicago International Amphitheater – October 13, 1978)
01 Hot ‘N’ Ready
02 Pack It Up (And Go)
03 Cherry
04 Let It Roll
05 Love To Love
06 Only You Can Rock Me
07 Ain’t No Baby
08 Out In The Street
09 Doctor Doctor
10 Lights Out
11 Rock Bottom
12 Too Hot To Handle
13 Shoot Shoot
CD4 (Kenosha Ice Arena (WI) – October 14, 1978)
01 Hot ‘N’ Ready
02 Pack It Up (And Go)
03 Cherry
04 Let It Roll
05 Love To Love
06 Only You Can Rock Me
07 Ain’t No Baby
08 Out In The Street
09 Doctor Doctor
10 Lights Out
11 Rock Bottom
12 Too Hot To Handle
CD5 (Youngstown, OH – October 15, 1978)
01 Intro / Hot ‘N’ Ready
02 Pack It Up (And Go)
03 Cherry
04 Let It Roll
05 Love To Love
06 Natural Thing
07 Out On The Street
08 Only You Can Rock Me
09 On With The Action
10 Doctor Doctor
11 Lights Out
12 Rock Bottom
13 Too Hot To Handle
14 Shoot Shoot
CD6 (Public Auditorium [Cleveland, OH] – October 16, 1978)
01 Hot ‘N’ Ready
02 Pack It Up (And Go)
03 Cherry
04 Let It Roll
05 Love To Love
06 Natural Thing
07 Out In The Street
08 Only You Can Rock Me
09 On With The Action
10 Doctor Doctor
11 I’m A Loser
12 Lights Out
13 Rock Bottom
14 Too Hot To Handle
15 Shoot Shoot
CD7 (Columbus, OH – October 17, 1978)
01 Hot ‘N’ Ready
02 Pack It Up (And Go)
03 Cherry
04 Let It Roll
05 Love To Love
06 Natural Thing
07 Out In The Street
08 Too Hot To Handle
09 I’m A Loser
10 On With The Action
11 Doctor Doctor
12 Lights Out
13 Rock Bottom
14 Shoot Shoot
CD8 (The Louisville Gardens [KY] – October 18, 1978)
01 Hot ‘N’ Ready
02 Pack It Up (And Go)
03 Cherry
04 Let It Roll
05 Love To Love
06 Natural Thing
07 Out In The Street
08 Only You Can Rock Me
09 On With The Action
10 Doctor Doctor
11 I’m A Loser
12 Lights Out
13 Rock Bottom
14 Too Hot To Handle
15 Shoot Shoot
I wasn’t much of a UFO fan when this album came out but I instantly fell in love with this album the first time I heard it. I have listened to it several times a year over time and consider it THE career defining UFO album that overshadows all else in their catalog (similar to Little Feat’s “Waiting For Columbus” and Peter Frampton’s “Comes Alive”). I guess it will depend on how much it costs as to whether I will pick this up or not. I doubt it will make me appreciate that album anymore than I already do, but this is on my all-time top 100 albums list so I really want it.
Must admit i am a fan of their music especially with Michael Schenker in the band. I did enjoy some of their studio albums especially Lights Out, Obsession, Force It, No Heavy Petting with a little more keyboards in the mix. Their 1995 comeback album was a good release, Walk On Water. Then i guess after that did they loose some of their fire? One album i did enjoy was the The Wild The Willing & The Innocent, after that i guess i lost interest. Their live album Strangers In The Night is a classic live album. Late 70’s & early 80’s were the live releases Thin Lizzy Live & Dangerous, Ten Years After Recorded Live, Lynyrd Skynyrd One More For/From The Road, Humble Pie Performance Rockin The Fillmore, Peter Frampton Comes Alive, Deep Purple Made In Japan, & the legendary UFO live album. Were some of these albums a little self indulgent? With a number of studio
tracks we now get a lot of extended live versions of some of their famous tracks. A little over the top?