UFO – Showtime

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SPV
Produced by Tommy Newton

I’ve never been a UFO fan. Every album that’s come out I’ve never thought much of and there’s only been about four songs I’ve heard that I’ve liked (the classic Doctor Doctor obviously being one of them). I have always rather liked Phil Mogg’s voice, though. So there was always potential, in my eyes, meaning every new release was worth a listen, just in case. My persistent belief paid off.

Showtime is a double live album and double live DVD recorded in Wilhelmshaven, Germany in May of this year. It features the You Are Here lineup of long-time members Phil Mogg (vocals), Pete Way (bass) and Paul Raymond (keyboards) with new members Jason Bonham (drums) and American guitar virtuoso Vinnie Moore. The lead guitar spot vacated (for the 217th time) by German hero Michael Schenker is a difficult spot to fill, but Moore’s intricate playing style allows him to step into such a position and make it his own.

Featuring classic cuts like Mother Mary, Shoot Shoot, Lights Out, Too Hot To Handle and Rock Bottom alongside new tracks Baby Blue, Mr. Freeze, When Daylight Goes To Town and The Wild One and assorted other songs from the back catalogue from Let It Roll (1975) through to Fighting Man from 2002s Sharks the refreshed lineup are able to inject new found energy into the songs to form a coherent set that shows no sign that there’s thirty years between some of the songs.

While the live CD version of this release is excellent (the sound quality is so good that the snare drums deliver an incredibly precise snap that at no point drowns out any other aspect of the band), the DVD (and I don’t say this often) is better. In marked contrast to most other SPV DVD releases of late, the editing of the live concert that makes up disc one of the DVD set (and indeed the double CD) is superb. Perhaps they should have used editor Andrea Guggenberger for the recent Mob Rules DVD. What makes the difference more than anything is the length of time spent on each shot. Recent DVD releases from SPV have suffered from changing shot too quickly, making watching the show a very dizzying experience. This one has no such problem, lingering on each shot just long enough for you to actually see what the shot is and allowing you to actually follow the concert.

Add to this the excellent picture and sound quality, the nice compact venue (the Pumpwerk) which adds a great small-club-rock-show atmosphere to proceedings, and the top-drawer performance from the band, Mogg in particular, and you have the perfect classic rock DVD. But it’s not over yet. Disc two features a superb in-studio performance recorded at Peppermint Park Studios in Hannover on May 24th of this year, featuring six tracks that are rarely played in concert. Elsewhere we have the usual collection of interview, back stage and making of footage, credits, biography, discography, photo gallery etc etc.

Unfortunately there isn’t a comprehensive four-disc package of this out yet. The DVD and CD sets are separate, but perhaps in the future this will be rectified. Either way, it’s well worth owning both.

“ excellent ”

Tracklist:
DVD1 – Mother Mary / When Daylight Goes To Town / Let It Roll / Out On The Streets / This Kidds / wild One / Fighting Man / Only You Can Rock Me / Baby Blue / Mr Freeze / Love To Love / Too Hot To Handle / Lights Out / Rock Bottom / Doctor, Doctor / Shoot Shoot
Bonus Features: Making Of DVD / Slideshow / Discography
DVD2 – Pack It Up And Go / Try Me / Love To Love / Slipping Away / Cherry / Profession Of Violence / Making Of Studio Songs / Rockboat / USA 2004 / History (Interviews) / Bonus Statements (Interviews) / Credits
CD tracklist identical to main concert feature on DVD1. CD1 ends with Only You Can Rock Me.

Written by Andy Lye
More: Hard Rock, Live DVDs, UFO