Misdemeanor

The second of two mid-'80s UFO releases featuring only one key member from the group's glory days, Misdemeanor is no improvement over the wilted Making Contact. With Pete Way and Michael Schenker off on their own for years, vocalist Phil Mogg struggled mightily to maintain the UFO name to no avail in the early '80s — he even disbanded the group briefly before assembling this attempt at a comeback. The final major-label recording for UFO after a long relationship with Chrysalis Records, Misdemeanor boasts better production and better material, but the disc still flounders in '80s commercial rock convention. Mogg is in fine voice and there are a few sweet-sounding guitar moments, but this record practically defines middle of the road. In fact, it's hard to imagine that Chrysalis and Mogg felt they had a chance to attract enough radio attention to make a recording with such pop overtones worthwhile. Maybe that was the plan, but it's hard to believe that there really was any realistic plan for this album at all. — Vincent Jeffries.