Review: Paul Raymond Project, Fleece

There’s a case to be made that UFO have never received the credit they’re due, either for their songwriting or their debauchery – which makes the Gallaghers, Dohertys and Winehouses of this world seem like rank amateurs. At least the band’s music has never been more widely played. Just last month, Michael Schenker performed no fewer than seven UFO songs during his show at the Academy. In April, the current UFO line-up return to the same venue, enjoying renewed popularity and a creative purple patch after a decidedly dodgy decade or so from the mid-’80s. Given that keyboardist, rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist Paul Raymond isn’t even the second best known member of UFO, it came as little surprise to find him playing to what might best be described as a rather select audience of chaps of a certain age at the Fleece.

A sprightly 69-year-old, Raymond has been a professional musician for 50 years now (he once supported Gene Vincent, y’know). Perhaps even more remarkably, he’s sported the same haircut (a Ron Wood-lite) for much of that time. Raymond had promised a selection of material from all stages of his lengthy career, including, most enticingly, a bunch of UFO songs that the band don’t play anymore – unlike Schenker’s rather obvious run-through of the Strangers in the Night set list. He certainly didn’t disappoint, kicking off with Just Another Suicide from 1977’s Lights Out album. Singer Andy Dodds is no Phil Mogg, but it’s still a joy to hear this, as well as Take It or Leave It and Lettin’ Go from the George Martin-produced No Place to Run album. Raymond’s early ’80s sojourn with the Michael Schenker Group is mined for Never Trust a Stranger, with guitarist Dave Burn doing an impressive Schenker facsimile on his Flying V,  although he looks more like a nightclub bouncer than Mad Mickey. Even the ill-fated Waysted period, which saw Raymond join forces with UFO’s most dedicated recreationalist Pete Way (“He’s still alive . . . and breathing,” he reports), is revisited for the atypically poppy All Belongs to You, which underlines the melodic sensibility he brings to all his work.

His solo stuff is of decidedly variable quality, the best being Michael Caine (Dodds: “This song’s called Michael Caine.” Entire audience: “Not a lot of people know that!”) and his musically funky if lyrically clunky foray into social commentary, Terms & Conditions. Of course, he can’t ignore the crowd-pleasers forever, so we get UFO’s finest seven minutes, the melancholy Love to Love, and the inevitable Doctor Doctor (“I’ve been playing this song for 38 years now”). It’s safe to say that Raymond won’t be leaving the mothership any time soon, but he’s to be commended for easing us gently into a rockin’ 2015.