UFO "Showtime" (2005)

Few hard rock bands have had a ride quite like UFO's. Founded in England in 1969 by singer Phil Mogg and bassist Pete Way, the band took its name from a legendary London club and quickly built a following with early albums like "UFO 1," "Flying" and "UFO Live." Their real breakthrough came in the mid-seventies, when a young German guitarist named Michael Schenker joined the fold, and a run of classic albums - "Phenomenon," "Force It" and "No Heavy Petting" - turned them into an international force with songs like "Doctor Doctor" and "Rock Bottom." Then, in 1979, came "Strangers In The Night," widely regarded as one of the greatest live albums ever made and one of the best-selling of its kind. The years that followed brought plenty of lineup changes, but UFO kept coming back. The classic lineup reunited for "Walk On Water" in the nineties, and the band followed it with strong studio albums like "Covenant" and "Sharks," cementing their reputation as one of rock's most reliable live acts. By the time of 2004's acclaimed "You Are Here," UFO had assembled what many considered their strongest lineup in years: Mogg and Way, longtime keyboardist and guitarist Paul Raymond, drummer Jason Bonham and the exceptional guitarist Vinnie Moore, whose fluid, melodic playing honored the band's legacy while adding his own fire. "Showtime" captures that lineup in concert, and it's a powerful reminder of what made UFO such a dominant force for so many years. Mogg's voice remains as distinctive as ever, Way is a whirlwind of energy, and Moore breathes fresh life into the band's classic riffs and solos. The setlist reaches across decades of music, from seventies staples to newer material, and it all sounds remarkably vital. Bands don't survive this many ups and downs without real commitment to the music, and UFO's staying power is proof of exactly that.