Although
Michael Schenker is not involved,
UFO's 2006 release
The Monkey Puzzle sees four-fifths of the classic lineup back in place -- singer
Phil Mogg, bassist
Pete Way, guitarist/keyboardist
Paul Raymond, and drummer
Andy Parker are all back on board. However, the group has hired certainly no slouch to replace
Schenker on the six-string:
Vinnie Moore. While they've taken numerous stabs over the years at replicating the magic of when
Schenker is present -- with varying results -- tracks such as "Who's Fooling Who" and "Down by the River" contain the classic
UFO sound, and certainly wouldn't have sounded out of place on
Lights Out or
Obsession. Elsewhere,
Mogg sings in a much more gravelly style than what he's accustomed to, especially on the
Zeppelin-esque "Heavenly Body." Some fans will never accept
UFO sans
Schenker. But for those who do,
The Monkey Puzzle is certainly one of
UFO's stronger non-
Schenker studio efforts. ~ Greg Prato