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<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nOriginally released via Zero Records in Japan back in 1995 \u2018Walk On Water\u2019<\/a> marked the reunification of what many fans refer to as the \u201cclassic\u201d UFO line up of singer Phil Mogg, bassist Pete Way, drummer Andy Parker, keyboardist\/guitarist Paul Raymond along with the mercurial talents of guitarist Michael Schenker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bringing back producer Ron Nevison to the fold (he had worked with the line up on their influential \u2018Lights Out\u2019 and \u2018Obsession\u2019 albums) to help re-capture the magic of the band is perhaps the secret behind why \u2018Walk On Water\u2019 worked so well and the two Mike Varney produced albums that followed it perhaps didn\u2019t. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s a real vibrancy to Schenker\u2019s playing throughout \u2018Walk On Water\u2019s\u2019 eight new studio tracks the guitarist dishing out some fine crunchy riffage over which Mogg\u2019s vocals truly soar, especially on songs like \u2018Venus\u2019 and \u2018Pushed To the Limit\u2019 both of which would figure in the resulting tour in support of the record (sadly though not the splendid Way\/Mogg penned rocker \u2018Knock Knock\u2019).<\/p>\n\n\n A tour which is captured on \u2018Werewolves Of London\u2019<\/a>, a semi-official 2CD set originally released via Zoom Club Records in 2008, and according to the original sleeve notes, sourced via Pete Way, probably for a couple of Special Brews and a curry, knowing the man. Recorded at Wolverhampton Civic Hall on February 10th<\/sup> 1996 (jeez I was 31 the day before) whilst the band at this point had replaced Andy Parker with Simon Wright (as the former found it impossible to tour due to family commitments) they still sound bang on the button across the 15 track set list. A set list that would feature the usual crowd pleasers such as \u2018Natural Thing\u2019, \u2018Love To Love\u2019, \u2018Only You Can Rock Me\u2019 and \u2018Rock Bottom\u2019 alongside three \u2018Walk On Water\u2019 tunes (\u2018A Self Made Man\u2019 in addition to the two I\u2019ve already mentioned), whilst for the UFO purists out there there\u2019s a sublime \u2018Electric Phase\u2019 along with a stunning \u2018One More For The Rodeo\u2019 to really get excited about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For what is essentially a straight from the mixing desk recording (something Paul Raymond confirmed within the original CD\u2019s sleeve notes) this a fantastic (albeit slightly flawed) live recording, in fact it\u2019s one that I would rank up there alongside \u2018Strangers In The Night\u2019 just because it isn\u2019t as perfect as that record. Once again Schenker sounds absolutely spellbinding in his six string delivery with the finely tuned Mogg as always as cryptic\/succinct with his between song banter. Then again, we surely wouldn\u2019t want it any other way, would we?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Listening to both releases once again all these years on, and whilst its great to hear the guys back together and writing some cracking new material on \u2018Walk On Water\u2019, I can\u2019t help but think there\u2019s a little something missing from the record when compared to those \u00a0aforementioned late 70s UFO albums, and the fact the original CD came with two bonus re-recorded versions of \u2018Doctor Doctor\u2019 and \u2018Lights Out\u2019 (along with a spoken word track \u2018Message For Japan\u2019 not included in this reissue), probably spoke volumes for what would happen over the next couple of years as the band once again struggled to function as a working unit. Something you can just sense is already happening within the grooves of \u2018Werewolves of London\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With both title’s having been out of print for some years it\u2019s now Cleopatra\u2019s turn to give both titles an all-new audience both on CD, and now for the first time ever on glorious looking (and eye wateringly expensive) coloured vinyl pressings. \u2018Walk On Water\u2019s\u2019 eight track album complemented by the re-recorded bonus tracks as an additional 7\u201d EP, complete with all new cover art, whilst \u2018Werewolves Of London\u2019 gets a kind of \u2018Strangers In The Night\u2019 cover art makeover and comes complete with a 17″ x 22″ poster of the band!<\/p>\n\n\n\n The flame of the \u2019Walk On Water\u2019 era of UFO certainly burned brightly, and yeah, oh so briefly it looked like the five guys might finally attain the levels of success they so justly deserved for all their hard work and stellar back catalogue, but UFO being UFO it just wasn\u2019t to be, as once again the band started to slowly unravel, in some cases in truly spectacular fashion. Relive the magic (and not the misadventures) of those years via these quality reissues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n http:\/\/www.ufo-music.info\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n