UFO - 1978 - Obsession

UFO's Obsession was to be their last studio record with star guitarist Michael Schenker. It did indeed contain lots of prime metal cuts, but some of the material ultimately fell flat. "Only You Can Rock Me" kicks off the album with a fun and carefree feel, while the funky "Pack It Up (And Go)" contains some John Bonham-like drumming courtesy of Andy Parker. The opening momentum is carried on through the slow Zeppelin groove of "Ain't No Baby," but soon the band hits the skids. The group takes a crack at a power ballad, which ends up sounding like an Elton John throwaway ("Lookin' Out for No. 1") and a couple of blah, clichéd rockers ("Hot 'N' Ready" and "One More for the Rodeo"), both anchored by Pete Way's ultra-simplistic single-note basslines. But the album eventually gets back on track with the melodic rock of "Cherry" and "You Don't Fool Me," the latter containing some tasty, fiery guitar solos. UFO hinted at their talents with releases such as Obsession and Lights Out, but it was their next release, the live Strangers in the Night, where it all came together for them.

		1		Only You Can Rock Me	Mogg, Schenker, Way	4:08
		2		Pack It Up (And Go)	Mogg, Schenker, Way	3:14
		3		Arbory Hill	Schenker, Way	1:11
		4		Ain't No Baby	Mogg, Way	3:57
		5		Lookin' out for No. 1	Mogg, Way	4:34
		6		Hot 'N' Ready	Mogg, Schenker	3:15
		7		Cherry	Mogg, Way	3:34
		8		You Don't Fool Me	Mogg, Parker, Way	3:22
		9		Lookin' out for No. 1 (Reprise)	Way	1:14
		10		One More for the Rodeo	Mogg, Way	3:44
		11		Born to Lose	Mogg, Schenker, Way	3:31

¡Aquí!

Ponty, Jean Luc - 1978 - Cosmic Messenger

Cosmic Messenger is more elegant, European-flavored jazz-rock from the French virtuoso Jean-Luc Ponty, and pretty much in the same mold as his previous Atlantic albums but with gradually tightening control over every parameter of performance. Ponty's analog-delay special effects on the title track are spectacular, and the album is loaded more than ever with revolving electronic arpeggios as Ponty's own involvement with the ARP synthesizer grows. But there is still plenty of his fluid, slippery electric violin soloing to be heard within the tight structures of these pieces, and the tunes themselves are often pretty good. In addition, this fusion express finds its way into the funk on "The Art of Happiness," and there are some tricky rhythmic experiments on some tunes.

		1		Cosmic Messenger	Ponty	4:38
		2		The Art of Happiness	Ponty	4:33
		3		Don't Let the World Pass You By	Ponty	6:23
		4		I Only Feel Good with You	Ponty	3:05
		5		Puppets' Dance	Ponty	3:40
		6		Fake Paradise	Ponty	5:41
		7		Ethereal Mood	Ponty	4:03
		8		Egocentric Molecules	Ponty	5:44

¡Aquí!

Colon & Blades - 1978 - Siembra

The high point of Willie Colón's ongoing collaboration with Rubén Blades (and close to a career peak for both artists), Siembra exploded on the salsa scene in 1978 and has never been forgotten by fans. Beginning with a minute of playfully deceptive quasi-disco arrangements, Colón and his band slip into a devastating salsa groove for the opener, "Plástico," on which Blades first criticizes America's throwaway society and then brings all of Latin America together with a call to unity. Blades wrote all but one of the songs on Siembra, and shines on all of them; his extended high-tenor salsa scatting lifts "Buscando Guayaba," his tender side comes across on the love song "Dime," and he outlines a devastating life-in-el-Barrio exposé with "Pedro Navaja" (Peter the Knife). For the latter, Colón and Luis Ortiz's tight arrangement adds immeasurably to the song, using street noise and sirens, breaking into an ironic "I like to live in America!," and punching the statement home with a four-trombone line. Reflecting the tough times but optimistic attitude of el Barrio during the late '70s, Siembra joined Cosa Nuestra as one of Willie Colón's career landmarks.

		1		Plastico	Blades	6:41
		2		Buscando Guayaba	Blades	5:47
		3		Pedro Navaja	Blades	7:25
		4		Maria Lionza	Blades	5:31
		5		Ojos	Ortiz	4:54
		6		Dime	Blades	7:02
		7		Siembra	Blades	5:25

¡Aquí!