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Post by snakelady on Mar 9, 2017 8:57:32 GMT
We've just been talking about the Party album and while some really love it, for many of us it came as a disappointment following the success that had been Heavy Traffic. Somehow it reminded me of the 70s. Hello was the album that really made Quo big, that gave them their first #1. The songwriting on Hello was dominated by Francis with just two songs co-written by Alan (I don't count ROLD). So for the next album that was to be rectified - he wanted his share of recognition and money as well and Francis stepped back. While the Quo album is loved by parts of the fan base, the general appeal wasn't quite there .
Somehow I feel it was kind of similar with Heavy Traffic and TPAOY. Heavy Traffic was loved by fans and critics alike - and it was dominated by Rossi/Young songs. So the Party album was meant to show from the others, that they can do it as well. Well, again not quite, IMO ..
Maybe I'm reading far too much in it all though and I'm the only one to see any parallels. Explanations could be as simple as Rossi/Young had run out of ideas - or any number of reasons I can't even think of.
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Post by viking55 on Mar 9, 2017 10:30:44 GMT
I reckon sometimes the need to share the spoils, so to speak, got in the way. Especially on ITAN. Ricks ' Lonely' really deserved inclusion there !
Actually Rick dominated the single releases from 76-79 when you think about it. Great singles as well. Well nearly all...I thought ' Again and Again ' was such a poor follow up after a massive seller previously !
Redeemed with WYW though and that opening.
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Post by gogs on Mar 9, 2017 11:20:35 GMT
Taking this on a bit, I reckon you can hear roughly the same effect with A1/A2 and DS/FITLC. This takes authorship out of the debate, but leaves us with the follow up being not as good as the first. Clearly with the covers the band and the fans didn't want the second (or 3rd) album, but the band appear to be happy with the aquostic follow up. Are there any other such Quo pairings?
Generally I think most artists struggle with follow ups.
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Post by snakelady on Mar 9, 2017 14:34:16 GMT
You can continue with the next Quo albums: OTL an outstanding album album - then BFY not nearly .. I was rather disappointed with it - 4 great songs and the rest I skip. Then there's RAOTW that appealed to the masses and its follow up IYCSTH that lost them quite a few fans at the time. I remember the venue for the tour was half empty nearly. Personally though I've got to say that even if at the time it was a novelty and quite successful that out of the three cover albums I like Don't Stop the least. But then it did follow RTYD, the first great album for over a decade, so it being under par is probably merely consequent  . |
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Post by The Lord Flasheart on Mar 9, 2017 21:15:15 GMT
You can continue with the next Quo albums: OTL an outstanding album album - then BFY not nearly .. I was rather disappointed with it - 4 great songs and the rest I skip. Then there's RAOTW that appealed to the masses and its follow up IYCSTH that lost them quite a few fans at the time. I remember the venue for the tour was half empty nearly. Personally though I've got to say that even if at the time it was a novelty and quite successful that out of the three cover albums I like Don't Stop the least. But then it did follow RTYD, the first great album for over a decade, so it being under par is probably merely consequent . Forgot Thirsty Work did you. That one was not as brilliant album and again was sub par to RTYD. Then came Don't Stop again poor followed by UTI a massive improvement. Though another step back with FILTC. |
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mortified
Administrator 
This is no' gettin' the bairn a shirt
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Post by mortified on Mar 10, 2017 6:50:27 GMT
I have to confess, I find the albums from Dog Of Two Head through to Blue For You to be absolutely flawless. A run of six on the bounce. Unheard of (for me) from any artist I've ever liked.
Are we 100% sure about this whole share of the spoils thing? Where albums let the dominant writers of one sit back to allow others to take over? I think, especially in the 70's, it just was what it was. Francis had other, if minor, projects on the go back then and was involved in producing other artists.
Interestingly, for me at any rate, I think the run of studio albums of self-penned material from 1999 to date is the best and most consistent since the 70's. Again, a run of six from Under The Influence through to Bula Quo. Not flawless, no, but very good.
Back on topic, I find that the biggest follow-up disappointments were If You Can't Stand The Heat, Ain't Complaining and of course, the daddy of them all, Thirsty Work. But there haven't been all that many instances like that. Not in a 50-year career.
Sometimes our own liking of an album influences our perception of the next. I was like that with Just Supposin'. Loved it. Never Too Late, less so. But others disagree.
Of course, its less relevant nowadays. Albums generally are less important than filling concert halls. Which is why there is a greater gap between their releases. You used to get an album a year back in the day. And I dare say the young, artistic juices were flowing more freely.
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Post by snakelady on Mar 10, 2017 7:57:20 GMT
You can continue with the next Quo albums: OTL an outstanding album album - then BFY not nearly .. I was rather disappointed with it - 4 great songs and the rest I skip. Then there's RAOTW that appealed to the masses and its follow up IYCSTH that lost them quite a few fans at the time. I remember the venue for the tour was half empty nearly. Personally though I've got to say that even if at the time it was a novelty and quite successful that out of the three cover albums I like Don't Stop the least. But then it did follow RTYD, the first great album for over a decade, so it being under par is probably merely consequent . Forgot Thirsty Work did you. That one was not as brilliant album and again was sub par to RTYD. Then came Don't Stop again poor followed by UTI a massive improvement. Though another step back with FILTC. Must've erased that one from my mind  . So that were two bad albums in a row before the next good one. They had already broken the rule of alternating between good and not quite as good in the 80s though. Somehow they had opted for under par albums mainly ..  |
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Post by snakelady on Mar 10, 2017 8:21:54 GMT
mortified - I agree about the albums from UTI on (leaving out the covers albums). I consider them as good as the 70s albums (tin hat on). At least I know I prefer listening to them, maybe because they still sound fresher .. The 70s albums I've probably all heard too often. And you're right, there haven't been many albums I'd consider really bad. That's why I said good and not quite as good. Being picky here, though on a very high level. The main reason why the band doesn't record nearly as many albums as back in the 70s is, as you say, the numbers they sell. Makes it more of an artistic thing and less of an economic decision or even necessity. And in the CD age they've got to come up with a lot more songs per album. I haven't compared the sheer number of songs from back then with the number from recent albums and they will be less now - but not by such a large margin I'd assume. IMO when an album is really good the expectations towards the next one can be sky high so the probability to get disappointed is much higher as when you don't expect much. I remember during the 80s I lost faith for a while (didn't buy albums) and then it were little things - single songs - that saved records for me. AC was the one exception - I really liked that one and still do and in consequence the subsequent PR came as a huge disappointment. On the other hand - it would've had to follow 1982 to be considered an improvement by me. Generally speaking I don't find any Quo album flawless. I've got skip tracks on all of them, even on the holy 70s albums. It's just the number that differs and it doesn't mean I can't find the albums brilliant at the same time. Did I mention ? - I am picky when it comes to music .. .
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 10, 2017 13:52:47 GMT
Everything goes in cycles,my favourite teams in hockey or football rarely makes two good efforts in a row...
Quo did make some good albums long ago,but not flawless as someone pointed out .
IMHO the closest they ever got to do 2 super albums in a row was with the Dog and then the Piledriver album.
Personally I don't think the songwriting have anything to do with it....things goes in cycles period.
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.
. So that were two bad albums in a row before the next good one. 
sorry I mean 64 
