The cover artwork stuck inside my mind like a silver bullet. What the hell is U.F.O. for the broader area of Rock/Hard/Heavy music? I love this band, as much as I like other contemporaries (don't wanna mention names). Still, if you ask me why I will sweat my ass off to come up with a pretty satisfactory answer. On the other hand, names like Phil Mogg, Michael Schenker or Pete Way will easily light the way to the mystic path of the U.F.O. alien rape. Holy shit, it's the Phenomenons we're talkin' 'bout!
Enough with the kind words: Alien blah blah blah is a compilation of tracks from bands/projects a U.F.O. member has participated in (or so I assumed...). Yeah, it's perfectly clear that Mr. Pete Way pulls the strings in this collection since he's in almost every track, one way or another. A so-and-so live version of U.F.O.'s Too Hot To Handle from his most recent solo tour itinerary, three Waysted tunes - featuring the latest Back From The Dead Japanese version's The Wild, The Willing & The Innocent bonus track with none other than Paul Chapman on guitar - and two solo albums' tracks (Paradise and Crazy) are some of Way's contributions to this album. Still, it's The Plot collaboration of Way and Schenker (with Racer X credited Jeff Martin behind the drum kit) that is certainly interesting.
Additionaly: Paul Raymond Project (the keyboardist surrounded by excellent U.S./Japanese musicians) offers a mediocre version of the legendary Lights Out anthem - even with Phil Mogg on vocals - plus one more tune, while Snowblind's Hold On (featuring Andy Simmons, known for his guitar work in Paul Raymond's Man On A Mission 1999 album) is a good AOR cut. Also, John Sloman - ex-Uriah Heep vocalist, also featured in U.F.O.'s The Wild, The Willing & The Innocent (1981) album - delivers Joe Public from his 2003 Dark Matter solo effort while Bernie Marsden's Alaska are also included on the bill with S.O.S.; Marsden was the short term replacement for Mick Bolton in U.F.O. without officially releasing anything with the band.
Phew... OK, there are some great and some average songs in this compilation. My point is (apart from any other objection anyone could raise): where is b>MSG? Were Alaska and Snowblind more bonded to the legacy of U.F.O.? Thus, I cannot praise this compilation for its entirety, since I cannot - furthermore - value the scope of this release. Therefore, even if unrated, I don't think there's any serious reason to purchase this relation. Except, of course, if you're the dying U.F.O. alien...