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Force It

 
Album Review: Force It
 

  • Artist: UFO
  • Rating: StarStarStarHalf Star
  • Release Date: 1975
  • Total Time: 38:11
  • Type: Lyrics are included with the album
  • Genre: Rock

Review

Michael Schenker and Phil Mogg really started to find their groove as a songwriting team with their second album together (and fourth UFO release overall), Force It. In fact, the last remaining folk and space rock tendencies that had stolen much of Phenomenon's thunder are summarily abandoned here, as the group launches itself wholeheartedly toward the hard rock direction that would make them stars. The first step is taken by Schenker, of course, who confidently establishes the aggressive, biting guitar tone that would define all the releases of the band's glory years. "Let It Roll" and "Shoot Shoot" kick off the album in rousing fashion, and while holding them under a microscope might reveal them as rather disposable slabs of hard rock, they would remain concert favorites for the band nonetheless. The punchy single "Love Lost Love" sounds tailor-made for the American market and acoustic ballad "High Flyer" is quite good, despite taking a dip in energy. But things only really start to gell on the album's second half. Schenker and Mogg wheel out their most mature composition yet with the piano-led "Out in the Street," whose softer sections truly highlight Mogg's highly disciplined, understated vocal style and make the guitar player's more restrained soloing all the more memorable. Schenker is soon back in charge, however, on the stuttering riffs and blistering fretboard work of "Mother Mary" and the downright vicious stop-start strut of "This Kids" -- both UFO anthems. One of the band's best albums, Force It will not disappoint lovers of '70s English hard rock. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Let It Roll Michael Schenker, Phil Mogg, Miggs UFO (3:57)
Shoot Shoot Michael Schenker, Phil Mogg, Gregg Parker, Pete Way UFO (3:40)
High Flyer Michael Schenker, Phil Mogg UFO (4:08)
Love Lost Love Michael Schenker, Phil Mogg UFO (3:21)
Out in the Street Phil Mogg, Pete Way UFO (5:18)
Mother Mary Michael Schenker, Phil Mogg, Gregg Parker, Pete Way UFO (3:49)
Too Much of Nothing Pete Way UFO (4:02)
Dance Your Life Away Michael Schenker, Phil Mogg UFO (3:35)
This Kid's/Between the Walls Michael Schenker, Phil Mogg UFO (6:13)

Credits

Michael Schenker (Guitar), UFO (Main Performer), Chick Churchill (Keyboards), Chick Churchill (Guest Appearance), Mike Bobak (Engineer), Arun Chakraverty (Mastering), Leo Lyons (Producer), Phil Mogg (Vocals), Andy Parker (Drums), Pete Way (Bass), Pete Way (Guitar (Bass)), Hipgnosis [Design Group] (Photography), Hipgnosis [Design Group] (Cover Design), Dave Ling (Liner Notes), Mike Thompson (Engineer), Kuni Takeuchi (Translation), Mike Thompson (Engineer)
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Wikipedia: Force It
Top
Force It
Force It cover
Studio album by UFO
Released July 1975
Recorded Morgan Studios, London
Genre Hard rock, Heavy metal
Length 38:11 / 65:26 (2007 Reissue)
Label Chrysalis Records
Producer Leo Lyons
Professional reviews
UFO chronology
Phenomenon
(1974)
Force It
(1975)
No Heavy Petting
(1976)

Force It is was the fourth album by UFO released in 1975. It became their first album to chart in the United States. The album title is a play on faucet.

The album was produced by Ten Years After bass player Leo Lyons. Another Ten Years After member, Chick Churchill played on keyboards; it was the first use of the keys on recordings of UFO).

The CD reissue is remastered at Sound Recording Technology, Cambridge 1994.

Contents

Album cover

The somewhat controversial original cover was designed by Hipgnosis, as were almost all other UFO albums of the 1970s. For years, the genders of the couple in the bath were unknown, and the nudity was on the verge of decency standards. (The models were actually Genesis P Orridge and girlfriend Cosey Fanni Tutti, both later of the band Throbbing Gristle.)[citation needed] The artwork was softened for the initial US release, making the loving couple in the bathtub transparent.

Track listing

Side one

  1. "Let It Roll" (Schenker, Mogg) – 3:57
  2. "Shoot Shoot" (Schenker, Mogg, Way, Parker) – 3:40
  3. "High Flyer" (Schenker, Mogg) – 4:08
  4. "Love Lost Love" (Schenker, Mogg) – 3:21
  5. "Out in the Street" (Way, Mogg) – 5:18

Side two

  1. "Mother Mary" (Schenker, Mogg, Way, Parker) – 3:49
  2. "Too Much of Nothing" (Way) – 4:02
  3. "Dance Your Life Away" (Schenker, Mogg) – 3:35
  4. "This Kid's/Between the Walls" (Schenker, Mogg) – 6:13

2007 CD reissue Bonus Tracks

  1. "A Million Miles" [Previously Unreleased] - 4:49
  2. "Mother Mary" [Live] - 4:04
  3. "Out in the Street" [Live] - 5:12
  4. "Shoot Shoot" [Live] - 3:48
  5. "Let It Roll" [Live] - 4:59
  6. "This Kid's" [Live] - 4:19

Singles

  • "Shoot Shoot" / "Love Lost Love" (1975) - #48 UK
  • "High Flyer" / "Let It Roll" (1975)

Personnel

Guest on keyboards - Chick Churchill

Charts

Billboard (North America)

Year Chart Position
1975 Pop Albums 71

 
 

 

Copyrights:

Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Force It" Read more

 

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