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$ign of 4
Dancing with St. Peter
Review by Greg Olma
This CD started off as a Phil Mogg solo album but for whatever reason, he decided to make it a band effort. Joining Phil on this release is Jeff Kollman, who played guitar on the last Mogg/Way album Chocolate Box. His playing is less UFO-ish on this release. This may be due in part to the fact that he had a hand in writing all of the songs on the record. This is the type of album you would expect from Phil; full of lyrical landscapes sung in a soulful tone. His voice is so distinctive that he will never be able to shake off the UFO connection, no matter how different the music is. If you like UFO, you will find this disc enjoyable.
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| Track by Track Review
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Overload
A great sounding '70s guitar intro starts off this track. It slowly builds into a heavier rocker. This cut would have fit nicely on any of the Chapman-era UFO albums. Jeff Kollman really shows what he can do when given some room to play.
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Driven
Lyrically, this is the best cut on the album. Phil has become quite the wordsmith over the years. He can fit any song into any melody. This track also has that distinctive UFO keyboard sound where they play rhythm along with the guitar. |
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Dancing with St. Peter
This is a unique cut that starts off with some drum work that sounds like it was taken off of Asia's "Arena" track. It is a bit of a ballad. It's definitely the kind of music that you would expect on a solo release because it doesn't sound anything like UFO.
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Song Keeps A Coming
This is one of the heaviest songs on the album. Phil puts in an aggressive vocal and in places, is almost unrecognizable. This has to be one of the heaviest tracks that Phil has ever been associated with. Jeff adds a nice solo to this cut also.
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Clap Hands
This track starts off with some moody vocals from Phil. There are some special effects used to mask the Mogg vocal sound. Although it starts off very mellow and moody, this cut progresses into quite a rocker. It's definitely a song not to be missed.
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Beautiful Friend
This is an acoustic ballad that is perfect for solo releases - no UFO connection here. Phil gives a good performance but the song is really nothing special.
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Bad on Bad
Jeff Kollman really shines on this cut by putting in his most pronounced performance. This track is similar to "Driven" in structure. Mellow verses lead into heavier choruses. Of the two, "Driven" is the better song. |
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Afterglow
If Stevie Ray Vaughan had played with Phil Mogg, this is the kind of song they would come up with (aside from the chorus). The chorus doesn't quite fit but I have to give the track extra points for being different. This is why they invented solo releases. |
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Falling Down
This is a strutting rocker and would have fit on the first Badlands record. I can't figure out why this song is so late on the CD. I would have had this as the second track. It demands to be heard and I would be afraid some people wouldn't get this far into the disc. Jeff Kollman lets rip on this track putting in a great solo. Who else but Phil Mogg could use the words "chicken bone" in a rock tune and make it sound cool. |
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Las Meadows Sanctum Divine
I can picture Glenn Hughes singing this track. It has a bit of that '70s sounding funk in it. This is another great song that fits well on this solo release. If Phil only did UFO albums, then we would never get to hear cool numbers like this.
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Seems to Me
A little bit of acoustic guitar is added to this ballad. Pick up your lighters and sway with your girl because this is slow dance material. It is a great way to end the album - kind of like the last song at prom.
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