The only constant since PRP began in 1987 has been the presence of UFO keyboard player/guitarist Paul Raymond, who is clearly aiming this album unashamedly at fans of that band, its cover a Hipgnosis rip-off that also borrows from UFO’s logo.
But as illustrated by the three bonus cuts (demos written for UFO and reworked on their last two albums under different titles), Raymond is still a big part of that band. And even though his voice is no match for Phil Mogg’s, Raymond can carry a tune and make Deeper Shade Of Blue and Bright Lights sound like vintage UFO.
If that isn’t enough, Michael Schenker guests on a rocked-up cover of the Holland-Dozier-Holland classic Reach Out (I’ll Be There). Sadly, though, the epic soul grandeur of the Four Tops’ original has been crushed and no Metal Mickey solo could possibly save it. Elsewhere, much is only so-so, but the title-track offers wry reflections on the global financial crisis, where piano love ballad We Will Be Strong echoes Queen at their campest.
