Boot From The Dead

Album review

After splitting from UFO in the early '80s, bassist Pete Way launched Waysted, which turned out to be an almost sonic carbon copy of his former band. But with UFO experiencing a sharp decline in popularity around this time, it wasn't the best time to launch another UFO-esque band, and Waysted disappeared after only a pair of studio sets. The early 21st century brought a renewed interest in '80s-era metal, however, and over 20 years after the release of their debut, Vices, Waysted reunited for a live gig at the Mean Fiddler in London during February 2005 (opening for the Quireboys). Despite the extended hiatus, the resulting live EP, Boot from the Dead, shows that the group sounds exactly the same all these years later. What you get is four live tracks, including such AC/DC-like rockers as "Toy with Passion" and "Love Loaded," as well as a pair of newly recorded studio covers of early-'80s UFO standouts: "The Wild, the Willing & the Innocent" and "No Place to Run" (both of which feature another UFO alumni, Paul Raymond). Since the group issued a full-length live set only a few years before (2000's You Won't Get Out Alive) and since this doesn't feature the best sonic quality (hence its title), Boot from the Dead will only be of interest to die-hard Waysted and UFO fans.

© Greg Prato /TiVo