Review
Beginning with a blessing from UFO super fan Eddie Trunk (who was supportive enough to write the foreword), rock scribe Neil Daniels pieces together an interesting read about one of rock and roll’s most underrated bands.
The title of the book, a reference to UFO’s 13th album of the same name, is slightly misleading. You would expect every page to be about televisions being tossed out hotel windows or cars being driven into the swimming pools. We find out that UFO’s core — vocalist Phil Mogg and bassist Pete Way — could drink as much as any rock star of the ’70s and ’80s but they weren’t exactly Keith Moon, or even Nikki Sixx. There are no especially ‘dangerous’ tales revealed. The juiciest bit was about Mogg beating up Ritchie Blackmore’s loyal roadie. However, it wasn’t exactly a rock antic. It was self-defense. The roadie had it coming.
As a reader I’m rather grateful that Daniels doesn’t go down the Hammer of the Gods path. Daniels chooses to reveal more about what’s important: UFO’s music. We learn the difficulties and creative nuances of each studio recording. And Daniels takes great pain in interviewing every producer and hired gun he can in UFO’s long career. Most of Daniel’s interviews aren’t with UFOs core members. Instead, he references those interviews from Kerrang! to Hit Parader. But as many rock scribes know, the best details are given from those who surround the inner circle. The ones who don’t need to put a spin on things. The ones who remember things with greater clarity.
As a UFO fan for many years, I enjoyed the book from cover to cover. I will keep it in the bookshelf for future reference. That’s just about the highest compliment I can give any rock biography.
