Phenomenon - UFO***

Too Young To Know/Crystal Light/Doctor Doctor/Space Child/Rock Bottom/Oh My/Time On My Hands/Built For Comfort/Lipstick Traces/Queen Of The Deep

Phenomenon was the album in which UFO discarded their space-rock sound to embrace hard rock material. The impetus for this change was the recruitment of former Scorpions guitarist Michael Schenker.

“Solid hard rock guitar runs throughout with some real toe tappers. They were pretty much a second tier Deep Purple at this point, without the keyboards. They truly rock and this record should be played loud to fully appreciate it.”

“In 1973 Michael Schenker quit the Scorpions and joined UFO, a psychedelic space rock band. He was said to be one of the most promising guitarist in the world but he wasn’t a big fan of the space rock from UFO. So the band took some time, wrote some songs and changed their style.”

“After blowing amps with their spacey, stoner rock and metallic boogie, UFO initiated their hard rolling ride with Phenomenon, thanks largely to the acquisition of guitarist Michael Schenker. The young, German born guitarist promptly pumped new life into the high flyers with his stealth fretboard work.”

“Rock Bottom, revealed Michael Schenker to be a prodigy of the highest order. It's a ground-breaking metallic hard-rock number that has stood the test of time Other than this wonderful track, the rest can be a bit tedious.”

“This is where it all begins for UFO. German axemeister Michael Schenker propels the band to an entirely new level with the now classic boogie Doctor Doctor and the tour de force Rock Bottom, the extended solo still perhaps his finest moment. The rest of the album contains some gentler, but still enthralling tunes.”

“This was the band's first record with wunderkind Michael Schenker, fresh out of The Scorpions and heading for the stars. Phenomenon was a gigantic leap forward for the group in every respect. UFO went from being a tired space-rock combo into a lean, mean metal machine virtually overnight. Spearheaded by Schenker's fiery guitar and Phil Mogg's nimble hard rock phrasing and assured songwriting, UFO were on a roll. The runaway best cut is Rock Bottom which, as well as boasting one of the best rock choruses, comes complete with a one of the defining rock guitar solos in rock.”