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Fun Fact: After a little thinking and a little research, I realized that the Sonny James record that came up was a
greatest hits compilation, so we've moved on to a double live album by a prehistoric hard rock band.
Filed between: Bonnie Tyler and Uriah Heep
SIDE I:
My Overall Rating of the Tracks Separately:
HIGHLY Recommended (3.5/4 stars)
Key Track:
Out in the Street wins. However, props to the Styxish rocker Only You Can Rock Me and the super-chunky and nasty Doctor Doctor.
Sounds like: big, anthemic music. It's a great way to kick of a live record.
SIDE II:
My Overall Rating of the Tracks Separately:
HIGHLY Recommended (3.5/4 stars)
Key Track:
Mother Mary. Again, props as well to the power ballad Love to Love.
Sounds like: well-executed, authentic hard rock. Sammy Hagar was definitely somewhere taking notes.
SIDE III:
My Overall Rating of the Tracks Separately:
Above Average (2.5/4 stars)
Key Track:
Lights out. This one's pretty easy 'cause there are only two songs on SIDE III.
Sounds like: seventies self-gratification and self-aggrandizing. Two songs! And this was clearly how they ended their regular set.
SIDE IV:
My Overall Rating of the Tracks Separately:
Average (2/4 stars)
Key Track:
[meh]
Sounds like: standard seventies rock fare, which makes sense because this side is the encore showcasing UFO's approximation of hits.
So, is it an album? Yes. I'm not a huge UFO fan, but the live recordings bring out a much thicker sound than they get in the studio. "Strangers in the Night" shows how live records can be used to great effect. To be honest, sides I and II make me want to delve into a deeper exploration. Of course, sides III and IV remind me that UFO often slips into a somewhat generic mold which I find to be a little tedious, so maybe not.
Up next, another double live album, but in a very different vein. This time it's "Waiting for Columbus" by Little Feat.
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