The latest of EMI's ongoing budget box sets should be of particular interest for fans of early hard rock group UFO: a vault-vacuuming set of the band's early material for Chrysalis Records.
UFO are now a respectable name among rock and metal fans, but the band's early experimental material for Beacon Records only earned them modest success in other parts of Europe and Asia. When the band added 18-year-old former Scorpions guitarist Michael Schenker to the group, however, a cleaner but no less heavy sound was built. And chart success came with it: the band's critical and commercial acclaim was highest with 1977's Lights Out. The band would stay with Chrysalis with alternating band members throughout the '80s (Schenker left to form his own eponymous group), but the music continues to live on among classic rock fans.
EMI's The Chrysalis Years compilation does a good job of showing off that influence, compiling the band's first six albums for the label (from 1974's Phenomenon to 1979's live Strangers in the Night) as well as a great amount of bonus material, including single edits and unreleased live cuts (including BBC sessions and a whole unreleased show from 1974). While all the bonus tracks on the label's 2007-2008 reissues aren't included, it's a hell of a primer for the new fan who wants a lot of material - and a considerable bargain, given its modest packaging.
The Chrysalis Years came out this past Monday in the U.K., and you can order it here. The full track list is after the jump. (Thanks to reader George for the tip!)
UFO, The Chrysalis Years (EMI 50999 028805 2 5 (U.K.), 2011)
Disc 1: Phenomenon and bonus material
- Give Her the Gun
- Sweet Little Thing
- Oh My
- Crystal Light
- Doctor Doctor
- Space Child
- Rock Bottom
- Too Young to Know
- Time on My Hands
- Built for Comfort
- Lipstick Traces
- Queen of the Deep
- Doctor Doctor (Single Edit)
- Rock Bottom (Bob Harris Session - 10/28/1974)
- Time on My Hands (Bob Harris Session - 10/28/1974)
- Give Her the Gun (Bob Harris Session - 10/28/1974)
Disc 2: Live at the Electric Ballroom, Atlanta - 11/5/1974 and Force It
- Oh My
- Doctor Doctor
- Built for Comfort
- Give Her the Gun
- Cold Turkey
- Space Child
- Rock Bottom
- Prince Kujuku
- Let It Roll
- Shoot Shoot
- High Flyer
- Love Lost Love
- Out in the Street
Disc 3: more Force It, More Heavy Petting and Obsession
- Mother Mary
- Too Much of Nothing
- Dance Your Life Away
- This Kid’s (Including ‘Between the Walls’)
- Natural Thing
- I’m a Loser
- Can You Roll Her
- Belladonna
- Reasons Love
- Highway Lady
- On with the Action
- A Fool in Love
- Martian Landscape
- Too Hot to Handle
- Just Another Suicide
- Try Me
- Lights Out
Disc 4: more Lights Out, Obsession and bonus material
- Gettin’ Ready
- Alone Again
- Electric Phase
- Love to Love
- Try Me (Single Remix)
- Too Hot to Handle (John Peel Session - 6/27/1977)
- Lights Out (John Peel Session - 6/27/1977)
- Try Me (John Peel Session - 6/27/1977)
- Only You Can Rock Me
- Pack It Up (and Go)
- Arbory Hill
- Ain’t No Baby
- Lookin’ Out for No. 1
- Hot ‘N’ Ready
- Cherry
- You Don’t Fool Me
- Lookin’ Out for No. 1 (Reprise)
- One More for the Rodeo
- Born to Lose
- Only You Can Rock Me (Single Version)
Disc 5: Strangers in the Night and bonus material
- Natural Thing (Live)
- Out in the Street (Live)
- Only You Can Rock Me (Live)
- Doctor Doctor (Live)
- Mother Mary (Live)
- This Kid’s (Live)
- Love to Love (Live)
- Lights Out (Live)
- Rock Bottom (Live)
- Too Hot to Handle (Live)
- I’m a Loser (Live)
- Let It Roll (Live)
- Shoot Shoot (Live)
- Doctor Doctor (Live) (Single Edit)
- On with the Action (Live)
Disc 1, Tracks 1-2 released as Chrysalis single CHS-2024 (U.K.), 1973
Disc 1, Tracks 3-12 released as Phenomenon - Chrysalis LP CHR-1059, 1974
Disc 1, Track 13 was A-side of Chrysalis single CHS-2040 (U.K.), 1974
Disc 1, Tracks 14-16, Disc 2, Tracks 1-8 and Disc 4, Tracks 6-8 previously unreleased
Disc 2, Tracks 9-13 and Disc 3, Tracks 1-4 released as Force It - Chrysalis LP CHR-1074, 1975
Disc 3, Tracks 5-13 released as No Heavy Petting - Chrysalis LP CHR-1103, 1976
Disc 3, Tracks 14-17 and Disc 4, Tracks 1-4 released as Lights Out - Chrysalis LP CHR-1127, 1977
Disc 4, Track 5 was A-side of Chrysalis single CHS-2178 (U.K.), 1977
Disc 4, Track 9-19 released as Obsession - Chrysalis LP CDL-1182 (U.K.)/CHR-1182 (U.S.), 1978
Disc 4, Track 20 was A-side of Chrysalis single CHS-2241 (U.K.), 1978
Disc 5, Tracks 1-13 released as Strangers in the Night - Chrysalis LP CJT-5 (U.K.)/CH2-1209 (U.S.), 1979
Disc 5, Tracks 14-15 released on Chrysalis single CHS-2287 (U.K.), 1979
George says
Thanks Mike for posting! Amazon just sent me confirmation that my boxset has been shipped so I hope to have it by this time next week. I was surfing iTunes and I discovered that the Bob Harris and John Peel BBC sessions are available as Digital EPs from iTunes.
From some of the reviews I have read from Amazon, the boxset does include a booklet full of rare photos as well as a new interview with singer Phil Mogg. I have the 2007-2008 remasters which are great and full of great bonus tracks, but to get this 5 disc set at a great price for a few more unreleased tracks is great too. UFO's 1978 album Obsession is one of my favorite albums ever!
But here is a bit of interesting trivia for readers. Before Michael Schenker formed his own group after leaving UFO, he also auditioned for Aerosmith after Joe Perry quit (it is humorously documented in the Aerosmith Autobiography Walk This Way) and Ozzy Osbourne wanted him in his band after the tragic death of Randy Rhoads.
Bill B says
FYI,,, this will be coming out in the US on Aug 9th. $18 pre-order on Amazon.
If you can wait.
George says
Just got it in the mail today from Amazon.uk.co and this looks awesome! The artwork is like the 2008 reissues and the liner notes are a compilation from those releases. I can't wait to play it a little later to hear all the bonus cuts not included in reissues. The previously unreleased live concert from 1974 seems like it just might be the icing on the cake.