Moggs Motel – ‘Moggs Motel’

Heavy Melodic Rock

SPV

Release Date – September 6th 2024

Review By Smudge Smith

What can you say about Phil Mogg? The words that come to my mind are survivor, underrated and underestimated. People rarely mention how much of an integral part of UFO he was. He was the one constant with a most recognisable voice and a most underrated lyricist. Just listen to ‘The Wild, The Willing And The Innocent’ for living proof of what a great wordsmith he is. Listen to this new one too because it contains some of the best songs he’s written in recent years. Let’s face it he could have opened his contacts book and had a load of ‘names’ pitch up and play ‘rock-by-numbers’ but not Mr Mogg. He’s assembled a crack unit of people like him – underrated and underestimated.

Kicking off with a tense intro which develops into the solid groove of ‘Apple Pie’ the band sound fresh and hungry bolstering Mogg’s catchier than COV-ID melody. ‘Sunny Side Of Heaven’ continues that fabulous energy with Tommy Gentry’s superb riffage and the female co-vocal from Zoe Devlin adding some colour. Rain fall and thunder introduces the darker ‘Face Of An Angel’ before some acoustic strumming and the band ease back on a bluesy stop start rocker all propelled by Tony Newton’s throbbing bassline then we get the dramatic ‘I Thought I Knew You’ where Mogg’s lyrics tell the story of being fucked over – I’m sure you can relate.

Now for something different ‘Princess Bride’ – synth strings and a superb lead break hands over to a mean chunky riff with the synth strings playing the riff, adding power underneath. Mogg’s performance is quite stunning and again both Zoe Devlin and Neil Carter help on the vocals here and there. The drama and darkness continue on the cinematic ‘Other People’s Lives’ then we get a heavy rockin’ stomp on ‘Tinker, Tailor’ before the moody ‘Weather’. ‘Harry’s Place’ is a short instrumental that could have been in one of those 60’s spy spoofs with Neil Carter blowing his flue as Tony Newton and Joe Lazarus hold down a jazzy rhythm before it oozes into another cinematic rocker ‘The Wrong House’. Final cut ‘Shane’ is a moody ballad and probably the most personal song Mogg has written and sung.

UFO are my band and controversially I prefer the Tonka Chapman era, and this has shades of those records. The songs tell stories with vivid images and characters that arrive with punchy rhythms, melodic riffs and those inimitable vocals – nobody sounds like Phil Mogg. It’s not UFO and it’s not supposed to be but there will be comparisons, but Mogg and the band have stretched into some very different territory to make something unique. Great songs, great production and great performances make this a great album which has shot to the top of 2024 list.

Track List –

1 – Apple Pie

2 – Sunny Side Of Heaven

3 – Face Of An Angel

4 – I Thought I Knew You

5 – Princess Bride

6 – Other People’s Lives

7 – Tinker, Tailor

8 – Weather

9 – Harry’s Place

10 – The Wrong House

11 – Shane

12 – Storyville