4.5 stars - Another UFO classic

Force It (1975.) UFO's fourth album.



1974 was the year in which UFO changed their musical sound drastically, and for the better. Former Scorpions lead guitarist Michael Schenker took over Mick Bolton's place as the band's lead guitarist, and instantly the band found a new sound that was nothing short of excellent. Their first album with the new guitarist, Phenomenon, was their strongest one at its time of release. It was followed up by the 1975 album, Force It. Read on for my review.



If you liked Phenomenon, you're gonna like Force It. The album's stylings are similar to those of the previous album's, but the tracks are different enough that you're not gonna get that feeling of deja vu you get when listening to some artists. Several hits came form this album, including the classic rocker Shoot Shoot, the proto-power ballads Out In The Street and Mother Mary, and the awkwardly-entitled rocker This Kid's (Including Between The Walls.) All four of these tracks are known as big hits and excellent songs, but they're far from being the only excellent tracks this album has to offer. For instance, there's the mostly acoustic track, High Flyer, which really must be heard to be appreciated (the song really reminds me of the America song Lonely People, but the sound here is still uniquely UFO's.) And who could forget the gritty, down-to-earth heavy rocker Let It Roll, which kicks off the album? Love Lost Love, Too Much Of Nothing, and Dance Your Life Away are also excellent rockers. There isn't a single track on this album that I don't like, but at the same time, I don't really think the Schenker incarnation of UFO had found their true sound yet, hence the four-and-a-half star rating. But DO NOT let minor imperfections keep you from buying this album (I'm a tough critic, after all.) You MUST buy it if you're a fan.



If you're wanting to buy UFO albums, you have a few choices on which issues to get (sadly though, they aren't sold most American stores.) There are the Russian twofers, the British twofers, the onefers with bonus tracks, and the plain old onefers that don't have any bonus tracks at all. I recommend the British twofer - you'll get this and another UFO masterpiece, Phenomenon, on one disc.



Force It is a great UFO album that is more than worthy of a place in the collection of any fan of classic hard rock and heavy metal. It's a shame the band's popularity isn't up to that of other classic rock acts of the day, because UFO really is a considerably better band than most of them. I'm gonna shut up now, before I start rambling. Get out and buy this album.

My 2nd Favorite UFO Album

In the mid 1970's UFO had a string of 4 brilliant studio albums... those being "Force It" (1975), "No Heavy Petting" (1976), "Lights Out" (1977) and "Obsession" (1978). Not to mention the incredible live album ("Strangers In The Night") released just after "Obsession" in the same year. Five first-rate albums in four years... amazing! All are now considered classic, some more so than others. I personally pick "Lights Out" as my favorite because it's solid all the way through and my all-time 2 favorite UFO songs come from the album ("Love To Love" and the ripping title track). "Force It" is a close 2nd place though... this album is just as solid. "Strangers In The Night" (live) featured 5 of its 15 tracks from "Force It" ("Shoot Shoot", "Mother Mary", "This Kids", "Let It Roll", and "Out In The Street"). The other two tracks from "Force It" that can not go without mention are "Too Much Of Nothing" (a great rocker), and the ballad "High Flyer" (with a great Schenker solo). Mogg, Schenker, and drummer Parker all continue to shine on "Force It". Great album from a very underrated band.

Try explaining THIS cover to your parents

I'm not sure what's going on on the cover, but inside is some impressive rock and roll and that's what counts. Picking up where Phenomenon left off, Force It takes a big step forward toward the classic sounds of No Heavy Petting, Lights Out and Obsession with five instantly recognizable UFO classics, Let It Roll, Shoot Shoot, Out In The Street, Mother Mary and This Kids. A great album, well worth the import price, but you're on you own if you leave it where your parents can see it. I'd just as soon not think about it.