When UFO came back in 1985 with “Misdemeanor” they were in no man’s land. The album went mainly unnoticed. It wasn’t even released in the United States, but was available as an import. The radio completely ignored, yet the band managed to do a tour, playing small venues, and not attracting much attention. The glory days seemed to be pretty much behind them at that point.
This set combines a live CD and a DVD from one of those stops in Oxford, England. As a unit, the band was functioning, the new songs were catchy, and their new guitarist, Atomik Tommy M, did a great job with the tracks. The live set actually concentrates on majority of the tracks from “Misdemeanor,” and it’s something that would hardly be imaginable today.
While not making a big splash back in 1985, “Misdemeanor” is actually quite good, and in a way a connector between two big UFO phases. Now the band is no more, but they music lives on, and such releases definitely keep it breathing. While not in its prime, this line up managed to get themselves on the Knebworth bill in 1985, supporting the reunited Deep Purple.
This set was available before as a DVD, now it is a combined release. You can listen, or you can view and listen. For collector’s this is great, and certainly check off another mark on the long UFO live history. The quality of this release is amazing, and definitely done with love and the appreciation for the music and UFO’s extensive history.
Mark Kadzielawa
