With the relative success of 1980’s No Place To Run, UFO followed up with 1981’s The Wild, The Willing And The Innocent. This time, however, instead of bringing in super producer George Martin to guide the way, as he did on No Place To Run, the band decided to produce the next record themselves. Having found their stride with guitarist Paul Chapman and the addition of keyboardist and guitarist Neil Carter (who is credited but didn’t play on the record), UFO molded the eight songs comprising The Wild, The Willing And The Innocent, with its Springsteen-inspired title, to align with the more melodic, mainstream hard rock sound of the early 80s, an transitional period later known as the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) with frontrunners like Def Leppard and Iron Maiden leading the way.
The Wild, The Willing And The Innocent, remastered and reissued as a deluxe triple LP and double CD set, offers listeners a tight collection without the extended crash-and-burn guitar histrionics of the 70s. That doesn’t stop the heavy and catchy riff that drives “Chains Chains.” The difference is the economy of the arrangement with a simple solo to stretch out the chorus with little time to supplement to the allotted three minutes. The formula seems to apply to most of the record.
“Long Gone” takes it a little further with its tight turnarounds starting and stopping for over five minutes becoming the longest song on the album. The added strings add a bit more sophistication than most UFO fans are used to. Maybe it’s thrown in to prepare listeners for the title track that follows. Filled with all the makings of powerful epic rocker “The Wild, The Willing And The Innocent” turns on the axis of Chapman’s opening lead before its blossoms into a fine fabric on which singer Phil Moog can dispel his melodic magic with biting consequences.
The record continues to go deeper with headier themes. “It’s Killing Me” leans inward with a steady, mid-tempo stance, while “Makin’ Moves” pulls off the shades with a reliable hook and little to hide. “Lonely Heart” could almost cut the rug with classics like “Love To Love,” even though the competent sax work (Carter’s lone, last-minute contribution) might twist some of the more heavier disciple’s panties into a knot.
“Couldn’t Get It Right” is a nifty riff that fits into your pocket without asking for change, while “Profession Of Violence” finishes off the record in grand style that reeks of pretentious ambitions. Drowning in orchestration at the outset, it morphs into a showcase for Chapman to stretch out and show the naysayers there is life in UFO after Michael Schenker. By the song’s end, there’s little reason to disagree. That’s more based on the album as a whole than its individual parts.
Original 7” edits of “Couldn’t Get It Right” and “Lonely Heart,” plus an alternative mix of “It’s Killing Me” are included on the reissue, along with a brand-new mix of the previously unreleased Live at the Hammersmith Odeon, recorded on January 29th, 1981. It’s a rare treat to hear UFO’s live takes of “Long Gone,” “Chains Chains” “Lonely Heart,” and “Mystery Train,” largely misplaced years later in favor of songs from the Schenker era, which fill out rest of the set here. That’s where it might get tricky for those brought up on Strangers In The Night, UFO’s highest charting record that’s often cited as one of the greatest live albums of the 70s.
With drummer Andy Parker and bassist Pete Way setting up the foundations, there’s little deviation from what always worked for UFO on the concert stage. Chapman has no problem angling Schenker’s parts on songs like “Rock Bottom,” albeit with a little less of a salt-and-vinegar snarl and more of a blues slinging approach. And that seems to work when it comes tom the mechanics. Moog struggles vocally here and there, and that, along with a rather sundry delivery of “Doctor Doctor” may be what’s most off the mark. “Shoot Shoot,” the third song on this collection with a one-word-twice title, certainly helps in cleaning up the damage. Really, any live material from UFO from this period in their wayward journey manages to conjure up the best of memories. Perhaps the same could be said, without saying much more, for everything about The Wild, The Willing And The Innocent.
~ Shawn Perry
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The Wild, The Willing And The Innocent
