Rock Bottom

UFO, 1974. Solo by Michael Schenker.

Schenker's extended solo is a staple of hard rock guitar.

Michael Schenker built Rock Bottom as a vehicle for improvisation, with a freeform middle section framed by the main riff. On the 1974 studio take the solo is compact but already dramatic, and on the live album Strangers in the Night it grows past eleven minutes. Schenker's strength is structure: his solos have a real beginning, middle and end rather than a string of licks. His Flying V, Marshall and wah became a model for hard rock guitar tone. Listen for how he develops one idea into the next, so the solo feels like a story unfolding rather than a run of fast passages.

Rock Bottom by UFO is ranked #76 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Michael Schenker and the song was released in 1974. It appears on 8 lists, placing as high as #4 (Planet Rock).

The story of Rock Bottom

Rock Bottom comes from Phenomenon, UFO's third studio album and their first for Chrysalis, which also gave the band their first US release. It was also the first record with Michael Schenker, the young German guitarist who had left the Scorpions to replace Mick Bolton. His arrival pulled UFO away from their spacey, blues-based early sound and toward the tight, riff-driven hard rock that would define their classic era.

Schenker has described the song as a continuation of Lonesome Crow, the title track he had recorded with the Scorpions: he wanted a piece that left room for him to improvise and go exploring. It started in rehearsals as a single riff, and the band kept attaching new riffs until it became a full song. According to Songfacts, when Schenker first played the main riff, Phil Mogg immediately recognized it as the one.

Mogg's dark lyric has murky origins. Songfacts notes a shared image of cold, clay lips with the traditional ballad The Unquiet Grave, while Mogg said in 2008 that a horror film had inspired the words, though he could not recall which one. The track was produced by Leo Lyons, bassist of Ten Years After, at Morgan Studios in London, with Hipgnosis designing the album's artwork.

Phenomenon was released in May 1974, and Rock Bottom quickly became the band's concert showpiece, even appearing as an edited single. Later reissues added a single edit, a double-tracked vocal take and a live version from Atlanta's Electric Ballroom in November 1974. The song's full potential, however, is usually heard on the 1979 live album Strangers in the Night, where it stretches past eleven minutes.

The solo

Michael Schenker built Rock Bottom specifically as a vehicle for improvisation, with a freeform middle section wrapped by the main riff. On the 1974 studio take the solo is a compact but already dramatic flight, but the song grew enormously in concert. On Strangers in the Night, recorded on UFO's October 1978 US tour, it runs past eleven minutes, and Guitar World credits Schenker with constructing a solo that has a real beginning, middle and end rather than a string of licks, while keyboardist Paul Raymond adds a racing effect near the close. Schenker's gear in that era was a Gibson Flying V, a 50-watt Marshall stack and a wah pedal. He still calls the song a work in progress, keeping the most memorable parts of the solo live and leaving space for fresh ideas.

Legacy

Rock Bottom is regarded as UFO's definitive guitar showcase and one of the key performances of Michael Schenker's career. The Strangers in the Night version is the one most fans know: Classic Rock ranked that album No. 2 among live rock albums, Kerrang! included it in its greatest heavy metal albums, and Slash called it his favorite live record. Schenker has kept the song in his sets for decades, and in 2024 he re-recorded it with Kai Hansen for My Years with UFO.

Top 10 facts about Rock Bottom

Phenomenon was Michael Schenker's first album with UFO after he joined from the Scorpions, replacing Mick Bolton.
Wikipedia
Schenker called Rock Bottom a continuation of the Scorpions' Lonesome Crow, written so he could improvise.
Wikipedia
The song began as a single rehearsal riff to which the band kept adding more riffs.
Wikipedia
When Schenker played the riff, Phil Mogg reportedly reacted at once, recognizing it as a keeper.
Songfacts
Mogg said in 2008 that a horror film inspired the lyric, though he could not remember which film.
Songfacts
The album was produced by Ten Years After bassist Leo Lyons at Morgan Studios in London.
Wikipedia
On Strangers in the Night, Schenker used a Gibson Flying V, a 50-watt Marshall stack and a wah pedal.
Guitar World
Strangers in the Night was recorded October 13–18, 1978 at shows including Chicago's International Amphitheatre and Louisville Gardens.
Wikipedia
The Strangers in the Night version of Rock Bottom runs 11:08, with expanded editions ranging from about 10 to 14 minutes.
Wikipedia
Schenker says he still treats the song as a work in progress, keeping key solo passages and leaving space for new ideas.
Wikipedia

Live versions

Electric Ballroom, Atlanta (1974) Recorded November 5, 1974 and added as an eight-minute bonus to the deluxe Phenomenon reissue.
Strangers in the Night (1979) The definitive 11-minute version from the October 1978 US tour, a cornerstone of classic live rock.
Live on Earth (Vienna) (2003) Recorded January 29, 1998 for Rockpalast in Vienna with Mogg, Schenker and Pete Way in the lineup.

Notable covers

Ancient Cult (2015) Included on the band's EP Goddess of Solitude.
Michael Schenker featuring Kai Hansen (2024) Re-recorded for Schenker's all-star album My Years with UFO.
Coast to Coast (2024) Vancouver UFO/Schenker tribute band's 11-minute live recording from the Surrey Arts Centre.

In our lists

Deep Cuts — #38
One and Only — #8
The 25 Greatest Hard Rock Guitar Solos — #15
Most Divisive — #13

Sources

What guitar was used on the Rock Bottom solo?

A gibson flying v through a Marshall amp, with wah, according to widely reported accounts.

Where does Rock Bottom rank among the greatest guitar solos?

#76 in the GreatestSolos consensus of 79 published lists; it appears on 8 of them.

Who played the guitar solo on Rock Bottom by UFO?

Michael Schenker, who co-wrote the song with singer Phil Mogg.

What album is Rock Bottom on?

It first appeared on UFO's 1974 album Phenomenon; the most famous version is on the 1979 live album Strangers in the Night.

What guitar did Michael Schenker use on Rock Bottom?

In the Strangers in the Night era he played a Gibson Flying V through a 50-watt Marshall stack with a wah pedal.

How long is Rock Bottom live?

The Strangers in the Night version runs 11:08, compared with about six and a half minutes on the studio album.

What is Rock Bottom by UFO about?

Phil Mogg's lyric is a dark, desperate one; he has said a horror film inspired it, and it shares imagery with the ballad The Unquiet Grave.