Phil Mogg kept UFO flying through the good times and bad for over fifty years. However Phil’s well known serious health issues a couple of years or so ago saw UFO permanently grounded.
Phil’s made of stern stuff and thankfully we haven’t seen the last of him yet. Now aged 76 years old he’s back with a new solo album – Moggs Motel.
This is one of those times when something you’ve been looking forward to for some time with eager anticipation turns out to be more than worth the wait.
It does not disappoint on any level and his right up there with anything Phil did with classic UFO, without being a UFO clone.
His unmistakeably smooth voice and lyrical word play is the constant. Each of the dozen cuts are strong, muscular, powerful, swaggering and slightly bluesy hard rock. All very classy stuff indeed.
The band he’s put together to accompany him here to open the motel is strong and tight. Old UFO band mate Neil Cater checks in on guitar, keyboards some vocals and a bit of flute (yes, flute…..), Tommy Gentry provides the crisp riffing, big chords and scorching solos whilst Tony Newton and Joe Lazarus on bass and drums respectively lock together as if super glue has been used.
Musically this is a treat from start to finish. Make no mistake. Not a duff note anywhere.
Take the opening slice of Apple Pie for example. A strong number if ever there was one. Punchy and solid as it throbs along with Phil’s cool vocal and melody in the big chorus, the superb solo with Lazarus behind it all drumming away to set the pace.
Sunny Side of Heaven comes in strong too as another strong upbeat measured rocker which is instantly memorable. Check out the video:
Face of an Angel goes more in to a strong bluesy groove with a huge bass line and more fretwork histrionics apparent in the stunning solo.
I Thought I Knew you as a menacing side to it then The Princess Bride mixes in some strings and synths to bring some atmospherics in to the equation.
Tinker Tailor stomps along nicely before Weather goes moody then the short instrumental of Harry’s Place has that flue by Neil and some jazzy stuff.
The Wrong House is majestic as is the slower and moodily brooding closer of Storyville.
Such a fine, fine album from a bloke who has been there, done it all, suffered serious health issues recently yet bounces back with a most strong album of classic hard rock – an album which will surely be on many top 10 lists by year end.
Welcome back Phil. May the motel be open for business for a long while yet.
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