UFO – The Wild, The Willing and the Innocent (2 x CD / 3 x LP)

What does it sound like?:

Speaking with a similar nerdy friend, we hit upon discussion of UFO:
“Strangers In The Night is indeed one of the best Live albums out there, but did they ever have such a complete studio album?”
“Umm … maybe Phenomenon?”

UFO on stage and UFO in the studio were 2 different beasts, and I’m not convinced they ever managed a truly great studio album.
But (other than Phenomenon mentioned above), this one comes very close.
Buoyed by the critical and commercial response to Strangers In The Night, Chrysalis spotted an opportunity and paired UFO with George Martin for No Place To Run.
Even with the Chrysalis marketing machine at full chat (including various coloured vinyl singles, alternative album covers), and George Martin’s AIR Studios at their disposal, the album felt a bit flat, and the rougher edges cleaned up.
Coming into The Wild, The Willing and the Innocent, UFO dispensed with a producer and took the job on themselves. A blessing because they now had the freedom to create the sounds they wanted, and a curse (as Paul Chapman noted) as the quality control went out of the window, and they ended up with too many takes in various studios, and the final album cost about twice as much as the budget.
But what did finally come out is perhaps the second best studio album they produced. If George Martin had cleaned up the edges on the previous album, it was here that they succeeded in combining their full-on rock sound with cleaned up edges, and a few nods towards Springsteen (aided and abetted by new keyboardist Neil Carter’s saxophone).
The album is given a 2026 Remaster from original Analogue Tapes, and someone has done something right because there is a solid bottom (provided by Andy Parker (drums) and Pete Way (bass)) that gives a platform to the attitude and melody in the tracks, and Phi Mogg giving his all on vocals (did he ever do anything less?). And it is that full sound that is perhaps missing from previous and future outings.
The pick of the tracks for me is “Profession of Violence”
(which interestingly, is probably the “least UFO type” track in this set)
This is the second album featuring Paul Chapman, and whilst his guitar work is unlikely to appease Schenker purists, he has found his place in the songs and in the band.
The Deluxe Edition is also shipped with a remastered and cleaned up live set from Hammersmith Odeon in 1981, and adds further weight to the belief that UFO’s natural home is on stage.

What does it all *mean*?

If you’re not convinced by my argument for the album’s place in the UFO catalogue, then do search this set out for the live set.

Goes well with…

Meeting unknown people under cover of darkness

Release Date:

01 May 2026

Might suit people who like…

The less bombastic end of Heavy Rock

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