Throughout the 1970s, former Scorpions guitarist Michael Schenker was absolutely the "wunderkind" of European rock. But after a string of highly successful albums, Schenker left the band in 1978. This left UFO without what many considered to be their not-so secret weapon. Most consider the post-Schenker era to be utter crap, but I beg to disagree. Recorded in 1979 by the George Martin (do I really need to tell you what he did?), the album has many highs and a few lows. Opening "Alpha Centauri" shows off the skills of relatively new guitarist/keyboardist Paul Raymond. The instrumental track harkens back to the "space rock" days of early UFO. Fun and cheesy. Next is "Letting Go", a tale of trying to overcome the many vices of the rock n roll lifestyle as well as the toll that playing rock music can have on a person. Anyone familiar with the lifestyle of bassist/"mascot" "Pete Way" knows that this is definitely a very personal song for him. A great rollicking song and one of UFO's more famous tunes. Next is the blues cover, "Mystery Train". Originally written by "Junior Parker" and "Sam Phillips", the song updates the blues classic by adding some heavy riffing and some great bluesy vocals by Phil Mogg. Cool. Next is "This Fire Burns Tonight". The songs reminds one of "Bad Company" and shows why UFO are often lumped into the same category of "boogie/dad rock" as Bad Company and Foghat, despite being quite progressive and heavy at times. "Gone In The Night" closes "Side 1" and shows the direction that the new partnership of Phil Mogg and new guitarist Paul Chapman would take later in the 80s. A little too poppy for me, reminds me of a British "Springsteen", lacking the tough grit of the New Jersey native. Not a bad song, but way too "AOR" for me from UFO.
Side 2 begins with the end of 1970's UFO. "Young Blood" is an almost Cheap Trick-esque "cock-rocker", with a great deal of bravado and peacock-swagger. Chapman may not be Schenker, but his solos and leads in the song are quite raw and metallic, reminding one of both Schenker and Cheap Trick axeman "Rick Nielsen" at the same time. A great late 70's rocker. The title-track "No Place to Run" shows the beginnings of the "power-ballads" that would overtake UFO on its next albums. The song did not stand out to me, far too generic among very similar songs by contemporaries of that time. The story had been heard a thousand times before, a man caught on the "wrong side of the tracks" struggles to survive. Next. "Take It Or Leave It" again shows the influence of Springsteen permeating UFO. Honky-tonk piano and gentle acoustics sound odd against Chapman's distorted guitar. One would expect better production from George Martin, and I would argue that this is one the worst sounding albums that he has produced (but even bad George Martin is basically good). "Money Money" is one of the highlights of the album, and the Iron Maiden connection between the two bands can really be heard in the galloping rhythm. The song is somewhat restrained in terms of heaviness, but it does not detract from the impact of the song. A great UFO classic. The last song is one of my favorite UFO songs and my personal pick for the best song on the album. "Anyways" shows that Pete Way was more than just a pretty face/drunk, he is quite a talented bassist. The song only features Mogg and Way's bass as an introduction, only to kick into a heavy riff from Chapman. The solos blister white hot, the bass thunders, and Mogg screams. Easily one of the best UFO songs ever written. Great.
"No Place to Run" represents the end of classic UFO. Although some gems can certainly be found among later albums such as "The Wild, the Willing and the Innocent, Mechanix, and even Making Contact, this is the band's last truly great album. For fans of hard-rock, "No Place to Run" will surely satisfy most of your rock and roll needs.
Rating-8/10
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