UFO - Rockpalast, Hardrock Legends Vol.1 (2010)

The fine Germans at MIG (Made In Germany) bring you a classic Rockpalast (Rock Palace) UFO performance. Rockpalast is a world renowned German television series that began airing performances on their show in 1974 on the German television station Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR). The recordings are available in CD and DVD format. UFO’s rocking performance was filmed on November 29, 1980 at Westfalenhalle in Dortmund. The band consisted of Phil Moog (vocals), Pete Way (bass), Andy Parker (drums), Paul Chapman (guitar) and Neil Carter (guitar, keyboards). “Lettin’ Go” from No Place To Run, (their first post-Schenker album) gets the show off to a good start. Next up was “Long Gone,” which Moog announced it as a new song. It was featured on their next release, The Wild, the Willing and the Innocent in January 1981.
They mostly played their Schenker-era material, delving into hits “Lights Out,” “Too Hot To Handle,” “Only You Can Rock Me,” “Cherry,” “Love To Love,” “Rock Bottom” and “Doctor Doctor.” The band also did a spectacular rendition of Elvis Presley’s version of “Mystery Train.” The acoustic beginning gets the fans clapping their hands in unison before they explode into their trademark blues-based rock.
“Love To Love” was a moving number. With its soft keyboard orchestration and Moog’s powerful, bluesy delivery and Chapman’s lead guitar work, makes this song one of the highlights of the show.
There was some cheerful banter between Moog and the audience, mostly the fans yelling for “Rock Bottom.” Moog seemed a little annoyed after the third time. But the fans finally got their wish for the first song of their encore. The band were right on the money on the classic UFO number, while Chapman let loose some blistering guitar leads. The band closed with “Doctor Doctor” to a resounding response from the German crowd.
On this night, UFO proved they still had it, even without Schenker, and they delivered a solid, hard rocking performance. I guess the die-hard Schenker fans won’t like this era of the band as much, but they did put out some good records after his departure. If you’re a major UFO fan, this DVD/CD is definitely worth the purchase. ~about

Tracks:
01. Lettin' Go
02. Long Gone
03. Cherry
04. Only You Can Rock Me
05. No Place To Run
06. Makin' Moves
07. Love To Love
08. Mystery Train
09. Too Hot To Handle
10. Lights Out
11. Rock Bottom
12. Doctor Doctor

Personnel:
- Bass – Pete Way
- Drums – Andy Parker
- Lead Guitar – Paul Chapman
- Lead Vocals – Phil Mogg
- Rhythm Guitar, Keyboards – Neil Carter


Big thx to YWM1957