Welcome to another edition of From My Collection. Today, we go back in time to 1981. The NWOBHM has ushered in a new era and sound for heavy metal. While some 70s giants have fallen by the wayside, assuming dinosaur status, others are riding the wave of resurgence. One such band is UFO. When wiz kid guitarist Michael Schenker departed the band in 1978, many wondered if UFO could soldier on. After all, it was the departure of Ritchie Blackmore which served as the straw that broke Deep Purple’s back. Unlike Purple, UFO recruited Paul “Tonka” Chapman and soldiered on stronger than ever. Their George Martin produced 1980 album, No Place to Run, saw them return to their heavy roots after two albums scattered with pomp rock experimentation (Lights Out, Obsession). Their follow up album, The Wild, the Willing and the Innocent, upped the ante. It was UFO making a hard and heavy album, while fully conscious of the NWOBHM movement they were partially responsible for spawning. This week’s essay will dive into what makes this album so great and even entertain the argument of many UFO diehards: The Wild, the Willing and the Innocent is the band’s finest hour.
When Paul “Tonka” Chapman joined UFO in 1978, skepticism was at an all time high. After all, Michael Schenker had earned a spot in the hearts, ears, and basement walls of headbangers worldwide. He singlehandedly revolutionized heavy metal guitar playing, perfecting the gallop riff that would become the backbone of all traditional metal to come. His soloing was infamous as well. Alongside the more classically based stylings of Ritchie Blackmore and Uli Jon Roth, Schenker’s solos were some of the fastest laid down on tape pre-Eddie Van Halen. Could Chapman play these already legendary riffs and solos like Schenker? No…he could only play them like himself, which if you ask me, was equally as brilliant.
Chapman’s approach to the six string was even more chaotic than Schenker. There’s something about his playing that’s raw, primal, and aggressive, almost like a distant relative of the soon to be spawned speed and thrash metal subgenres. Take this live version of “Rock Bottom” for example. Chpaman is going off the rails like only he could. It’s absolutely glorious. His uncontrollable fire would propel UFO to new heights on No Place to Run and its follow up album, The Wild, the Willing and the Innocent.
The UFO of the 1980s was not a continuation of the UFO of the 1970s, but rather an evolution. The band’s first decade saw them sweaty, shirtless, and savage. The new decade showcased an older and wiser UFO, as demonstrated by the evolution of their music and lyrics. Phil Mogg’s once salacious odes to sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll had evolved into pseudo-poetic introspective pieces, exploring the harsh realities of urban night life. Mogg was clearly inspired by the storytelling approach of the then mega successful Bruce Springsteen. By combining these honest lyrics with a newfound metal attack in Chapman, The Wild, the Willing and the Innocent would rightfully gain cult status among the headbangers who doubted the band just a few short years earlier.
The album opens with the gritty “Chains, Chains”. On this hook laden opener, Mogg regales the story of a gambler named Jack and stripper named Jeannie. Neck deep in a life of vice and lust, Jack and Jeannie find love in each other…or so Jack thought. The song ends with Jack “dead on the floor” and Jeannie going back to dancing as she’d done since she was sixteen. The chorus is such a singalong that it’s easy to forget we’ve got a tragedy on our hands. Such an unfortunate tale has never had heavier riffage, courtesy of Chapman and new addition/secret weapon Neil Carter.
“Long Gone” continues this exploration of lawless living, albeit set to the tune of high speed metal. The music was written by Chapman and it shows. This song is fast, furious, and pulls no punches, fitting right in alongside the likes of Diamond Head and Tygers of Pan Tang. The title track reverts back to the urban grit of “Chains, Chains”. The ominous trifecta of acoustic guitars, strings, and piano that bookend the song add a layer of intensity to the already powerful riffs and intoxicating melodies. Closing out side A is one of my favorite UFO songs, “It’s Killing Me”. What can best be described as bluesy AOR, Mogg unleashes a passionate vocal performance over gentle verses and an anthemic chorus. I’ve always believed that if it were released as a single, it would’ve shot to the top of the rock charts just like Blue Öyster Cult’s “Burnin’ for You” did that same year.
As we flip over to side B, we’re greeted by the rough and ready “Makin’ Moves”. This hard and heavy headbanger continues the themes of lust and violence explored on side A, which begs the question: Is The Wild, the Willing and the Innocent a concept album? This analysis is sure shaping up to be in favor of it being labeled as such. One of two singles off the album, “Lonely Heart” showcases a profound Springsteen influence. Whereas on most of the album this influence is limited to Mogg’s lyrics, “Lonely Heart” incorporates the Boss’ musical aesthetics as well: a harmonious chorus, metallized heartland rock melodies, gripping piano, and even a saxophone solo!
“Couldn’t Get it Right” demonstrates a more streamlined approach. It was released as the album’s second single and it shows. This isn’t a knock at the song. “Couldn’t Get it Right” is a respectable, radio friendly hard rocker with riffs and melodies bordering on Cheap Trick-ian power pop. Even as the album’s “black sheep”, it stands tall as bastion of excellent rock n’ roll songwriting. Rounding this all too brief masterpiece out is the inexplicably haunting “Profession of Violence”. With such a blunt song title, you’d expect this to be a go for the throat rager, right? Wrong. “Profession of Violence” (titled “Profession Of” in American markets due to prude record labels) is a gentle piano ballad that goes toe to toe with the finest soft moments in the UFO catalog (i.e. “Love to Love”, “Try Me”, “Lookin’ Out for No. 1”). I’m not sure what gives me more chills: the lyrics, the piano, the string arrangement, Mogg’s vocals, or Chapman’s gripping guitar solo. If this song doesn’t bring a tear to your eye, I question if you’re human.
Is The Wild, the Willing and the Innocent the pinnacle of UFO’s career? The older I get, the more I’m inclined to believe such. Lights Out has been my personal favorite UFO album since middle school, and is arguably their most dynamic, but there’s something about The Wild, the Willing and the Innocent that resonates with me at this stage in life. Granted, I’m only 22, but I’ve come a long way from being the hormonal, pubescent 13 year old singing along to “Too Hot to Handle”. UFO had come a long way as well. Granted, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying those 70s UFO albums. To this day, they’re some of the finest hard rock and heavy metal records ever recorded. But with age comes maturity, and with maturity comes a choice: Will you be wild, willing or innocent? Choose wisely, or your fate may play out like one of these songs.