U F O Obsession CD - Import

Digitally remastered reissue of the British metal group's 1978 album for Chrysalis. Features the original cover art & all 11 of the cuts that first appeared on it. 1999 release.

UFO: Phil Mogg (vocals); Michael Schenker (guitar); Paul Raymond (keyboards, guitar); Pete Way (bass); Andy Parker (drums).
Recorded at C.P. McGregor's and Western Avenue, Los Angeles, California and The West 3rd Carrier Station, Beverly Hills, California.
UFO's Obsession was to be their last studio record with star guitarist Michael Schenker. It did indeed contain lots of prime metal cuts, but some of the material ultimately fell flat. "Only You Can Rock Me" kicks off the album with a fun and carefree feel, while the funky "Pack It Up (And Go)" contains some John Bonham-like drumming courtesy of Andy Parker. The opening momentum is carried on through the slow Zeppelin groove of "Ain't No Baby," but soon the band hits the skids. The group takes a crack at a power ballad, which ends up sounding like an Elton John throwaway ("Lookin' Out for No. 1") and a couple of blah, clichéd rockers ("Hot 'N' Ready" and "One More for the Rodeo"), both anchored by Pete Way's ultra-simplistic single-note basslines. But the album eventually gets back on track with the melodic rock of "Cherry" and "You Don't Fool Me," the latter containing some tasty, fiery guitar solos. UFO hinted at their talents with releases such as Obsession and Lights Out, but it was their next release, the live Strangers in the Night, where it all came together for them. ~ Greg Prato
UFO had finally fulfilled their potential with 1977's exceptional hard rock tour de force, LIGHTS OUT, and released another prime slice of heavy metal just one year later, OBSESSION. While most '70s Euro-metal bands such as Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, etc., dealt largely with doom and gloom, UFO proved to have more in common with such US melodic hard rockers as Van Halen.
OBSESSION proved to be UFO's most successful studio album ever, on the strength of such hard rocking highlights as "Only You Can Rock Me" and "Ain't No Baby." Even though guitarist Michael Schenker again pushes the songs to the limit here with his superb playing, OBSESSION would prove to be his final studio album with UFO. After just one more release, the classic live set STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT, Schenker left to briefly rejoin the Scorpions, before launching the Michael Schenker Group.

Q (11/94, p.150) - 3 Stars - Good - "...established them at the end of the `70s, using a mix of heads down riffs and inventive rock..."