Just a couple of weeks after the remaster of UFO’s No Place to Run album with the live set, we have another one….This Time (no pun intended) we have a CD/DVD package of UFO live at the Oxford Apollo from 1985 on the Misdemeanor tour.
Now, writing this post as a long time UFO fan, Misdemeanor has always been something of an outlier in UFO’s catalogue.
After the implosion following the Making Contact tour it looked like game over. However we know Phil Mogg is made of stern stuff. He didn’t lie down and instead got on with the job of keeping things going somehow.
A new line-up would emerge consisting of Paul Gray, Jim Simpson, the return of prodigal son Paul Raymond after his foray with MSG (though he’d leave again during the US leg of the tour before coming back again eventually) and on guitar in came Tommy McClendon -a.k.a. Atomik Tommy M.
Apparently this was supposed to be a Mogg solo album though went out under the UFO name no doubt for marking purposes.
Also this was 1985. Lots of keyboards were the style at the time and the songs on Misdemeanor feature this. Paul Raymond had never been busier!
There is generally a more overall melodic style – though that being said Misdemeanor does have some bite amongst the melody which doesn’t always come through in the weak production of the studio album.
What I’ve never got on with is Atomik Tommy’s guitar. For me it doesn’t fit well. It’s speed for the sake of it. A harsh tone with no feeling and repetitive solos.
However…..we’re talking about the live stuff here and this show from Oxford.
UFO were always a live act. I saw them many, many times over the decades and bar a couple of blips they did not disappoint.
That mostly applies here. The set list is the bulk of the Misdemeanor album, a b-side and ends with two of the songs they “have to” play in Only You Can Rock Me and Doctor Doctor.
The Misdemeanor songs come over live as much stronger and energetic than the studio versions. Heaven’s Gate, Meanstreets and Night Run being the pick of them. This trio were, for me, the best on the album and that comes over here live. Check out Meanstreets.
Tommy’s riffing and shredding is nice and I find it more palatable. He looks like he’s settled in to his role and enjoying himself. However not so much on the more melodic and weaker The Only One.
As to Only You Can Rock Me and Doctor Doctor. They spoil both with elongated fiddling and noodling about through elongated mid-sections for no apparent reason which add nothing. For example somehow Doctor Doctor extends to ten minutes or so. Why?
Misdemeanor remains that outlier and what we have here is a vintage live show which isn’t quite UFO though not terrible.
Stick with Strangers in the Night for proper UFO live…..this Misdemeanor tour CD/DVD probably one for completists. I plead guilty as charged to that your Honour.
>> UFO MISDEMEANOR TOUR LIVE ON AMAZON <<
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