Mike Mettler

Staying power. That’s UFO in a nutshell — the pioneering British hard rock band that’s been flying high on an international scale ever since their formation in London in 1968. Best known for FM favorites like “Too Hot to Handle,” “Lights Out,” “Only You Can Rock Me,” and “Doctor Doctor,” the band soldiered on throughout occasional lineup changes over the decades, with the one constant on all UFO releases being lead singer Phil Mogg. In a recent phone interview with AP editor Mike Mettler, Mogg discussed how pleased he is with Chrysalis’ recent 180g 3LP reissue of UFO’s best-selling 1977 album Lights Out, how the band changed their approach in the studio for the Lights Out recording sessions, and why his creative sensibilities meshed so well with UFO’s album-art design team at Hipgnosis.. . .

We do love it when a pressing vinyl matter comes to fruition — or, in this case, the actual pressing of vinyl. Back in Q2 2022, we reported on the imminent opening of Fidelity Record Pressing in Oxnard, California, and we’re now happy to report that they’ve been up and running since January 2024. Read on to see how they’re doing what they do. . .

Sometimes, musicians come together at a specific moment in time and capture lightning in a pop bottle. Such was the case with Tinted Windows, the unfortunately short-lived post-punk power-pop foursome that came together in 2009 and was comprised of the late, great bassist/composer Adam Schlesinger (Fountains of Wayne), guitarist James Iha (The Smashing Pumpkins), lead vocalist Taylor Hanson (Hanson), and drummer Bun E. Carlos (Cheap Trick). In honor of the self-titled album’s 15th anniversary, BMG is releasing Tinted Windows on vinyl for the first time on April 20, 2024, as a Record Store Day Exclusive in a limited edition of 1,800 copies. In a recent Zoom interview with AP editor Mike Mettler, Hanson discussed how rewarding it’s been to finally have Tinted Windows available on vinyl, how the “bliss” of record listening is inevitably intertwined with the vinyl experience, and how the very existence of music helps further the tenets of human connection. . .

Now that we’ve all pretty much returned to our respective home listening labs after having an exhilarating four-day AXPONA experience at the Schaumburg Convention Center just outside of Chicago last week, we’re ready to do some deeper-dive show coverage here on AP, starting with this Luxman PD-191A turntable and Acoustic Sounds Atlantic 75 listening session combo. . .