SHOOT
OUT THE LIGHTS isn't
a biography - Martin even prefaces the book by calling for a biography
to be written - it's more an account of how the band evolved with the
making of each album, and their thoughts along the way. It's written in
a conversational real-time style, and is therefore very comfortable to
read in a 'you are here - with us!' kinda way.
Martin has always had a genuine love for UFO and their music, so his interviews
with the boys throughout the years have taken the form of an extended
conversation. The way the transcripts are woven together it's as if we
are sitting in on a 'UFO family reunion' in a pub, where members past
and present are all gathered together talking about the good old days.
Blimey, there are times when you almost feel as if Pete is buying a round!
But even with the 'get-together in a pub' analogy, there's still the feeling
that Michael is sitting at a separate table - socially always the outsider.
If that's always how it was, then the transcripts mirror that exactly.
It's good to hear the different angles on things, where the accounts of
an event are different from each band-member, depending on how they perceived
it at the time and also in retrospect. Real memories from real people,
rather than rehashes of prepared statements. It's real!
There are some very funny Wayisms, all reproduced verbatim in Pete's typical
disjointed going-off-at-a-tangent style.
The book also goes into quite a bit of detail about the band-members'
other projects, covering MSG, Heavy Metal Kids etc., and particularly
Waysted from their start in the early 80s, right through to the present
day.
