![]() The first three pre-Schenker albums are dispensed with quickly and then time is spent on all of his albums with the band. Martin currently resides in Toronto and can be reached through or A good if brief overview of Michael Schenker's first stint with the band. Additionally, Martin is the writer of the original metal genre chart used in Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey and throughout the Metal Evolution episodes. Additionally, Martin has been a regular contractor to Banger Films, having worked for two years as researcher on the award-winning documentary Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage, on the writing and research team for the 11-episode Metal Evolution and on the ten-episode Rock Icons, both for VH1 Classic. He was Editor-In-Chief of the now retired Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles, Canada’s foremost metal publication for 14 years, and has also contributed to Revolver, Guitar World, Goldmine, Record Collector,, and, with many record label band bios and liner notes to his credit as well. Additionally, Martin has penned approximately 85 books on hard rock, heavy metal, classic rock and record collecting. In and around Popoff’s famed meticulous analysis of the catalogue, look for lots of tour talk, revealing nightmares surrounding the band’s business, and warnings about how the twin demons of drugs and alcohol can slow a band’s progress on the way to the top.Īt approximately 7900 (with over 7000 appearing in his books), Martin has unofficially written more record reviews than anybody in the history of music writing across all genres. Utilizing his celebrated one album per chapter method, Popoff analyzes the complete catalogue from this golden period of the band-1, 2: Flying, Live, Phenomenon, Force It, No Heavy Petting, Lights Out, Obsession and Strangers in the Night-bringing you the stories of hits such as 'Doctor Doctor', 'Rock Bottom', 'Shoot Shoot', 'Let It Roll', 'Lights Out', 'Love to Love', 'Too Hot to Handle' and 'Only You Can Rock Me'. Popoff brings to the project new interviews with all the members of the classic lineup (plus the likes of producer Ron Nevison and graphic artist Aubrey Powell), along with a substantial amount of new research to offer what is now the only book to focus on the seventies era of the band. Almost completely overlooked stateside, Lights Out is a lost gem.Having written the first book ever on UFO, 2005’s long out-of-print Shoot Out the Lights, Martin Popoff, author of seventy rock books, has now greatly expanded and rewritten the early years material from that title. Lights Out hold up well its subtleties are worth mentioning because the band always makes it a point to rock hard, and the playing is always on. Expressive and bluesy with a tone nearing perfection, even the more pedestrian tunes are made worthwhile due to a Schenker solo. Then, of course, there’s the matter of Michael Schenker‘s deservedly lauded lead guitar. Not enough can be said either about UFO‘s stand-out individual performances, particularly Phil Mogg‘s street-level vocals, which no doubt greatly influenced Joe Elliot and Paul Di’Anno. “Gettin’ Ready” and an oddball Love cover, “Alone Again Or,” also showcase the band’s sensitive ambiguities, never compromising the group’s overarching hard edge. On Lights Out, all three of these traits come together in powerful fashion, most notably on the space rocker-cum-ballad “Love to Love,” where a ridiculously heavy intro gives way to flourishing poetics. ![]() Within a Euro-blues framework, the classic lineup that lasted from Phenomenon through Strangers in the Night incorporated challenging dynamics, epic balladry, and a more than occasional sensitivity. Despite a few generic moments, Lights Out is probably the best studio document of what elevated UFO above the ’70s hard rock fray.
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