An excellent collection - five stars all the way

Flying (Early Years) (2004.) A UFO collection of the band's Decca Records material.



UFO was one of the greatest classic hard rock groups of the seventies, mostly due in part to a young, German guitar virtuoso named Michael Schenker. What many people don't realize, though, is that the band existed before Schenker's arrival. Before he defected from the Scorpions to join our beloved British space rockers, the band was much different than what it would become. In this time period, the group featured guitarist Mick Bolton. Since UFO's material (most of it) is not available in America, all of their albums are highly sought after by classic hard rock fans. And in 2004, the record company attempted to make the group's pre-Schenker material easier to get. Read on for my review of Flying: The Early Years.



To put it simply, this is the COMPLETE pre-Michael Schenker UFO period. You get the two studio albums that the band recorded in this era - UFO 1, the group's 1970 debut, and the follow-up effort from 1971, UFO 2 - Flying. In addition to the studio albums, you get some very hard to come by BBC sessions, as well as the live album that the band recorded prior to Mick Bolton's departure from the group. All of this material has been hard to come by for a very long time, and it's great to see that the record company has brought it all together. Admittingly, I don't like this material as much as the Schenker stuff - but that doesn't mean it doesn't rock.



Unfortunately, as good a set as this is, there is a problem - poor distribution in America. Unlike most other UFO CD released, I HAVE seen this one for sale in America, but so far, I have only seen one in a single retailer. This signifies that the package has been distributed poorly, and therefore, the band's genius is likely to remain underrated in the States. What a shame.



If you're a fan of classic hard rock, and you find this collection, I strongly recommend purchasing it. No UFO collection is complete without the material from this often overlooked era of the band's history.

Awesome collection

Flying (Early Years) (2004.) A UFO collection of the band's Decca Records material.



UFO was one of the greatest classic hard rock groups of the seventies, mostly due in part to a young, German guitar virtuoso named Michael Schenker. What many people don't realize, though, is that the band existed before Schenker's arrival. Before he defected from the Scorpions to join our beloved British space rockers, the band was much different than what it would become. In this time period, the group featured guitarist Mick Bolton. Since UFO's material (most of it) is not available in America, all of their albums are highly sought after by classic hard rock fans. And in 2004, the record company attempted to make the group's pre-Schenker material easier to get. Read on for my review of Flying: The Early Years.



To put it simply, this is the COMPLETE pre-Michael Schenker UFO period. You get the two studio albums that the band recorded in this era - UFO 1, the group's 1970 debut, and the follow-up effort from 1971, UFO 2 - Flying. In addition to the studio albums, you get some very hard to come by BBC sessions, as well as the live album that the band recorded prior to Mick Bolton's departure from the group. All of this material has been hard to come by for a very long time, and it's great to see that the record company has brought it all together. Admittingly, I don't like this material as much as the Schenker stuff - but that doesn't mean it doesn't rock.



Unfortunately, as good a set as this is, there is a problem - poor distribution in America. Unlike most other UFO CD released, I HAVE seen this one for sale in America, but so far, I have only seen one in a single retailer. This signifies that the package has been distributed poorly, and therefore, the band's genius is likely to remain underrated in the States. What a shame.



If you're a fan of classic hard rock, and you find this collection, I strongly recommend purchasing it. No UFO collection is complete without the material from this often overlooked era of the band's history.