Force It

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Force It
Force It cover.jpg
Studio album by
UFO
ReleasedJuly 1975
RecordedMorgan Studios and Wessex Sound Studios, London
GenreHeavy metal
Length38:11
LabelChrysalis
ProducerLeo Lyons
UFO chronology
Phenomenon
(1974) 		Force It
(1975) 		No Heavy Petting
(1976)
Singles from Force It
  1. "Shoot Shoot (Europe)"
    Released: 1975
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic4/5 stars [1]
Christgau's Record GuideB–[2]

Force It is the fourth studio album by the British rock band UFO, released in 1975. It became their first album to chart in the United States.

The album was produced by Ten Years After bass player Leo Lyons. Another Ten Years After member, Chick Churchill, played Fender Rhodes electric piano keyboard, the first use of that instrument on a UFO record. The use of the electric piano was a relatively new sound for the hard rock genre as the heavier sounding Hammond Organ was the more common keyboard for the genre. The lighter sounding electric piano gave a contrast to the music that was not typically found in Hard Rock music. It should also be noted that the band was starting to explore the genre of progressive rock by using odd time signatures as exemplified in the track "This Kids" with showcases a complex 11/8 metering.

Six of the songs from the album would later be featured on UFO's breakthrough live album "Strangers in the Night" which gave credence to the importance of Force It in the UFO catalog.

The CD reissue was remastered at Sound Recording Technology, Cambridge in 1994.

Album cover[]

The somewhat controversial original cover was designed by Hipgnosis, as were almost all other UFO albums of the 1970s. The nudity on the cover verged on breaching decency standards and the genders of the couple in the bathtub were not known for several years. The models were later revealed to be Genesis P-Orridge and Cosey Fanni Tutti, both later of the influential industrial band Throbbing Gristle.[3] The artwork was softened for the initial US release, making the couple in the bathtub transparent. The cover is a pun — there are multiple taps (British English) or "faucets" (US English) in the picture, which is a play on the album's title.

Critical reception[]

Reviewing the LP in Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981), Robert Christgau wrote: "Heavy metal that's not hard to take? What? Well, the whole first side moves to [sic] smartly you could almost mistake it for rock and roll."[2] Eduardo Rivadavia, reviewer for AllMusic, wrote: "One of the band's best albums, Force It will not disappoint lovers of '70s English hard rock."

Track listing[]

All tracks are written by Michael Schenker and Phil Mogg, except where noted.

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Let It Roll" 3:57
2."Shoot Shoot"Schenker, Mogg, Pete Way, Andy Parker3:40
3."High Flyer" 4:08
4."Love Lost Love" 3:21
5."Out in the Street"Way, Mogg5:18
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."Mother Mary"Schenker, Mogg, Way, Parker3:49
7."Too Much of Nothing"Way4:02
8."Dance Your Life Away" 3:35
9."This Kid's" (including "Between the Walls", written by Schenker) 6:13
2007 CD reissue bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
10."A Million Miles" (previously unreleased)4:49
11."Mother Mary" (live)4:04
12."Out in the Street" (live)5:12
13."Shoot Shoot" (live)3:48
14."Let It Roll" (live)4:59
15."This Kid's" (live)4:19

Personnel[]

UFO
Additional musicians
Production

Charts[]

Chart (1975) Peak
Position
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[5] 35
US Billboard 200[6] 71

References[]

  1. ^ Rivadavia, Eduardo. "UFO Force It review". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2011-07-20.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: U". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 17, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  3. ^ Jensen, K. Thor (27 April 2011). "Awesome Borderline Pornographic Album Covers". UGO.com. UGO Networks. Archived from the original on 29 August 2011. Retrieved 2011-07-20.
  4. ^ Saulnier, Jason (23 January 2009). "Michael Schenker Interview". Music Legends. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
  5. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – UFO – Force It" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
  6. ^ "Billboard 200 - October 4, 1975". Billboard. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
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