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Post by snakelady on Jan 17, 2018 7:53:19 GMT
I wasn't really following Quo anymore from NTL on, so wasn't aware of the EOTR tour and the new personnel at the time. I did buy the album though and it felt fresh to me. Well, I considered it better than all of its 80s predecessors which admittedly isn't saying much. Maybe it was helped by the fact that I've always liked ITAN, which I had heard in its original form just months earlier. I thought it a bit pointless for Quo to rerecord it and in a very similar style at that, but otherwise I didn't mind. Basically it was a typical Quo album for me - I liked quite a few tracks at the time and disliked some right from the start. If ever there was a weird song it was Speechless and I wasn't keen on Overdose either. I never saw the Rollin' Home video at the time, but think it's one of their very best and I wasn't aware the song was a single too. I do remember Dreamin' was released as a single (at least here), but as with most Quo singles of the time I considered it a featureless pop tune. Overall I've got to say I lost interest in the album within a few years and have stopped listening to it decades ago.
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Post by johns on Jan 17, 2018 9:13:47 GMT
To be honest I really like the album. It was much better than the 2 previous albums and sounded quite fresh at the time. Having said that time hasn't sat well with it as it sounds a bit dated in places, however there is plenty to like, with the title track being one of the best things they have ever done.
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mortified
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Post by mortified on Jan 17, 2018 9:25:22 GMT
I didn't realise that this album was so despised among many Quo fans till I went on the official message board about 15 years ago. When it was released I really liked it and listened to it constantly. I loved the extras that came with the singles as well. I know they're not on the original album but Lonely and Keep Me Guessing are still very good. Compared to the two previous albums, this was practically a classic! It hasn't stood the test of time well though. It is, as they say, of it's day. An 80's statement by Quo if ever there was one. The cover of Ian Hunter's Speechless was a really odd choice and it's the only one I started to skip from almost the very start. So that gets the vote. But I do still rate songs like Overdose although, like many other tracks on the album, it's a bit over-laden with synthesiser. That would haunt many of their recordings for quite a few years to come. This was Quo "re-branding" although I never really appreciated that until much later. The whole Rick and Francis, crossed guitar thing which they stood by for the best part of 30 years. The image they have now with the general public is the image they created then, not the one from the 70's. In retrospect, a half decent album but no more than that.
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mortified
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Post by mortified on Jan 17, 2018 9:26:35 GMT
To be honest I really like the album. It was much better than the 2 previous albums and sounded quite fresh at the time. Having said that time hasn't sat well with it as it sounds a bit dated in places, however there is plenty to like, with the title track being one of the best things they have ever done. You said in two lines what I took about 160 lines to say. The word "drone" isn't new. It was invented for me
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mortified
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Post by mortified on Jan 18, 2018 14:08:09 GMT
Am I right in thinking that there was never a video to go with the Red Sky single? Or have I just made that up?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2018 19:41:29 GMT
I’d long since stopped following Quo when this album came out and only bought it off iTunes in 2011 when I suddenly found them again. I do remember the ITAN video playing a lot in the pubs i used to go in and have to say I thought it was alright although I was shocked at seeing the new line up.
I like most of this album although as mortified has said it probably hasn’t stood the test of time too well.
Better than BTB with a number of decent songs that I play now and again.
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mortified
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Post by mortified on Jan 19, 2018 6:27:10 GMT
I have no idea if there was a "real" video going with either Red Sky or Dreamin'. What I meant were the Top of the Pops appearances at the time... Yeah, there was an official video for Dreamin' with a girl messing about with a saxophone. I can't seem to find it on You Tube though or I'd have put it up here.
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Post by smokie on Jan 19, 2018 9:20:46 GMT
I have no idea if there was a "real" video going with either Red Sky or Dreamin'. What I meant were the Top of the Pops appearances at the time... Yeah, there was an official video for Dreamin' with a girl messing about with a saxophone. I can't seem to find it on You Tube though or I'd have put it up here. If anyone can find that clip, my money is on @inna to do so
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mortified
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Post by mortified on Jan 19, 2018 9:46:59 GMT
Yeah, there was an official video for Dreamin' with a girl messing about with a saxophone. I can't seem to find it on You Tube though or I'd have put it up here. If anyone can find that clip, my money is on @inna to do so Found it! On some obscure Romanian site I also found it on the MTV website but a message came up saying it had been pulled for copyright reasons. Whatever that meant. ok.ru/video/228677192406
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mortified
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Post by mortified on Jan 19, 2018 9:48:12 GMT
Bvgger! It hasn't worked. That's weird We are destined not to see this video on here. @inna ? Well?
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Post by smokie on Jan 19, 2018 13:10:22 GMT
Firstly, I was just happy to have something new to listen to by the band again.
As disappointing as the last couple of releases had been, I always looked forward to a new release and that had dried up for a few years.
Thought the album design was interesting, even I knew it was mock up of the US troops raising the flag on Iwo Jima but I understood then and now if that may have upset some. Liked the "Quo's Back" too.
I had a habit of just about liking everything on first hearing and I was like this with this album too for a while. As time has passed, I'm sometimes not sure if it's a case of not liking a song now or is it an over familiarity but whatever it is, there's not much I'd listen to on this album now.
Liked Rollin' Home (the single and video) but detested the follow up Red Sky. I think John David has penned some genuinely good songs but in my opinion, this isn't one of them. My twin bro loves it though! Others I'd still listen to are In Your Eyes and Invitation (sorry Inna). There's others I still quite like but these I definitely listen to right now.
And the title track, I just love it. Always have from the very first listen. I used to listen to the local radio station and a presenter on it used to play the version by Bolland/Bolland and I liked that too but never bought it.
There's an anti war thing about that I really like which was lost in the re-recorded version for fairly obvious reasons.
Enjoyed the video too. The black and white and colour thing worked well I thought.
I have a lot of time for Rhino and I'd never ever call myself a fashion guru or expert but Rhino, socks and sandals is never ever a winning look
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mortified
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Post by mortified on Jan 19, 2018 14:33:07 GMT
I feel honoured that you have so much confidence in me, smokie and mortified . I'm not sure if this is the official video mortified was talking about, but I think it's the Romanian clip he found. Here's the link I found, hope it works (well, it does for me...): ok.ru/video/5565713095ok.ru/video/5565713095Here's another video clip of Dreamin'. It's sooo embarrassing, the lyrics, the way they prance around on stage, Francis' outfit... But doesn't Rick simply look gorgeous?! Thanks @inna . That is the site I found it on. I never thought of just putting the 'link' up. I tried to put up the video in the normal way. Which, of course, doesn't work. I quite like the official video. They've certainly made a lot worse! Anyway, it's funny looking back. It was only about 2 years but this was a million light years from the Quo I'd last seen at Milton Keynes! And yet, I didn't detect it, I just enjoyed it. My image had changed in those 2 years as well and I left the rock/metal look behind and became a lot more fashion conscious, although more Rick than Francis I must admit! Must have been a sign o' the times Francis's comments in the recent singles box set are interesting. And contradictory. He is quoted as saying (about Naughty Girl which ultimately was released as Dreamin'); " What 'Naughty Girl' does for me is emphasise the fact that we can be pop, country, rock, blues....whatever we want to be. There are two-part harmony guitars and it was us stretching out in a different direction, which is what I feel we should always be doing." (And about Dreamin'); " Were we wrong to go in that direction? Perhaps...." I don't personally think Dreamin' is all that different in terms of a composition for Quo. It's still a 12-bar shuffle. It just has a bit more going on and a more multi-layered production. But take End Of The Line for example. The track that immediately followed it. A song that does go in a different direction. Just not the one Francis probably wants? Cake and eat it perhaps?
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Post by gentlemanjoe on Jan 19, 2018 18:00:21 GMT
Is Dreamin' a shuffle?
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Post by gentlemanjoe on Jan 19, 2018 23:45:24 GMT
Well I am a musician, and Learning to play the blues guitar etc. in the late 70s and listening to early F.Mac and then when Quo went rock, the shuffle to me came from Ma Kellys's and DOTH then Piledriver.. Roadhouse Blues being the prime example if you were a drummer.
Spud was a brilliant shuffle drummer, his little fills were perfect for those songs.. He was a great rock drummer anall,
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mortified
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Post by mortified on Jan 20, 2018 8:02:17 GMT
(...) I don't personally think Dreamin' is all that different in terms of a composition for Quo. It's still a 12-bar shuffle. It just has a bit more going on and a more multi-layered production. But take End Of The Line for example. The track that immediately followed it. A song that does go in a different direction. Just not the one Francis probably wants? Cake and eat it perhaps? Hmm, I'm really not sure here, mortified . I've always thought shuffle is the rhythm you can hear in rock music, blues and also jazz. What category is Dreamin' in, then? Don't know about it being "multi-layered", either. But then I'm no musician. End of the Line is something completely different, I agree. It rocks, but in a different way again. You see, I've dug ITAN the album out, and I intend to give it a spin tomorrow. It might just be that some of the tracks I've more or less forgotten about will appeal to me now that I'm wiser and older... By 12-bar shuffle I mean the guitar that chugs along while Francis sings the verses. It's a shuffle in the usual Quo way only speeded up; played faster. Like, say, The Way It Goes or Can't Give You More or even Ring Of Change. Quo have done quite a number of songs like that over the years. I know what you mean though; that slow(ish) blues or even jazz groove with maybe even brushes on the drums By multi-layered I just mean there's a lot more going on with keyboards and (possibly fake) brass etc. If we stripped Dreamin' down to just guitars, bass and drums I think it would be really good. But this was 1986 I suppose the point I was trying to make was that although Francis says this was a completely different direction, I don't think it was.
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Post by quodlibet aka granny on Jan 20, 2018 18:50:21 GMT
Liked Rollin' Home (the single and video)
And the title track, I just love it. Always have from the very first listen.
There's an anti war thing about that I really like which was lost in the re-recorded version for fairly obvious reasons.
Enjoyed the video too. The black and white and colour thing worked well I thought.
Agreed.
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mortified
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Post by mortified on Jan 21, 2018 10:26:35 GMT
Loosely. Very....
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col
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Post by col on Jan 21, 2018 20:48:08 GMT
It was an album of it's time, and in it's time it was quite good, especially when compared to what else was around.
No, I don't play it a lot to be honest. If I'm in the mood, Red Sky, Overdose, End Of The Line and Save Me get played.
I have fond memories of both Overdose and Save Me from the days I used to travel half-way around Europe to see them.
Overdose had gone by the time they hit Brussels, which was also the last time I saw them do Save Me.
I never got Calling, In Your Eyes or Speechless and all the singles somewhat underwhelmed me, although Red Sky did grow on me.
Still a far better album than the previous two.
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Post by I Ain't Complaining on Jan 22, 2018 14:16:37 GMT
I feel honoured that you have so much confidence in me, smokie and mortified . I'm not sure if this is the official video mortified was talking about, but I think it's the Romanian clip he found. Here's the link I found, hope it works (well, it does for me...): ok.ru/video/5565713095Yes, this is the official video Inna, well done for finding it.
It's the last track on the Rocking Through the Years Video with all the promo videos on.
It's not a bad track, but this is cringeworthy Quo for me. Especially the video....and I can't believe they played it live!! I didn't start going until a few years later, but surely there were more suitable tracks on the album to play live than this! Or maybe they were trying to make a point!
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mortified
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Post by mortified on Jan 23, 2018 6:29:29 GMT
Embarrassing is a bit strong, @inna. You should've seen me! I know Rhino took a lot of stick for his appearance but look at the rest of them. The difference in Andy between that TOTP performance and Milton Keynes only 2 years earlier is quite amazing. It's like one of those makeover shows! :oo: But maybe that was the whole point. Maybe they felt a bit more free. " Old men in boys clothes had gone beyond a joke"? Rick remained as cool as ever, obviously.
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Post by snakelady on Jan 23, 2018 8:24:28 GMT
.. Rick remained as cool as ever, obviously. Nooo ! He looks ridiculous with that hat and sunglasses -like a Zucchero impersonator ! I do like Francis' jacket though ..
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mortified
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Post by mortified on Jan 23, 2018 9:27:57 GMT
I think you're being a bit harsh on Rick. His hat is WAY better than that spaghetti western nonsense His shades are quite splendid. It's funny about that Zucchero bloke. I kept seeing him on TV every time I went on holiday and hadn't a clue who he was. I still don't! I think the UK passed him by. Francis's jacket was just about passable in 1986. His bottom half looks like a poor man's Shakin' Stevens. But I forgive them all. We all wore daft stuff and had stupid hair back then. Well I did. I just assume everyone else did as well
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mortified
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Post by mortified on Jan 24, 2018 6:43:31 GMT
@inna, you have a real bee in your bonnet about this one The song, the dress code (apart from Rick ) and maybe just 1986 in general. Take a look at the audience. Quo were not alone! These were foppish, peacock strutting times Just as a bit of trivia to deflect from your embarrassment, did you know that the CD single containing the "wet mix" of Dreamin' was only released in Germany and was Quo's first ever CD single? You did? Oh well, never mind then
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Post by snakelady on Jan 24, 2018 8:19:02 GMT
Thankfully mid-80s Quo completely escaped me, including any peacock looks and wet mixes. What's that supposed to mean anyway .. ? Wish I had never seen (if only in decades later) that video with Francis wearing that canary yellow suit. Now that was embarrassing !
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mortified
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Post by mortified on Jan 24, 2018 8:37:09 GMT
Thankfully mid-80s Quo completely escaped me, including any peacock looks and wet mixes. What's that supposed to mean anyway .. ? Wish I had never seen (if only in decades later) that video with Francis wearing that canary yellow suit. Now that was embarrassing ! That, if I remember correctly, was at the time of his first solo album. He was even wearing it on the front cover of FTMO at the time. And it was very YELLOW!
I have no idea what 'wet mix' means but I dare say it was someone trying to be witty given the name of the song. If anyone loves it, the 'wet mix' is 1 minute 32 seconds longer and has all manner of production twiddling to extend it. Again, a feature of the 80's not just Quo. I must admit, I have no negative thoughts about that period, musically or otherwise. I think I'd lost my perm and gone for a fetching combination of spikes, highlights and earrings. And very high trousers with braces as I recall. I must have looked like something out of Billy Smart's Circus Happy days
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