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Post by snakelady on May 13, 2018 6:24:48 GMT
Quo was back ! Finally - at least IMO, so there isn't a lot of negative stuff I can say about the album. There's a few Quo by numbers tunes on it like Making Waves and the cover that is Not Fade Away was superfluous, but there were merely two songs I skipped more often than not when I bought the album - Shine On and Round and Round (less so Keep Them Coming) - and in the meantime I quite like Shine on. As we vote original perception though, that'll be two votes (merely) from me, which still makes it one of Quo's best albums. Basically it was the start of my second life as a Quo fan. I found the official mb around the time too and having read about the positive experiences from others finally returned to seeing them live again too with the HT tour. The Quo fever had well and truly grabbed me again !
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Post by coldwarkid on May 13, 2018 11:56:36 GMT
Absolutely awful, Under The Influence, Thirsty Work and Bula Quo are the three Quo albums I listened to once and have never listened to again. UTI and TW in particular seemed to demonstrate the complete lack of musical direction and spark the band were suffering from in this period. Insipid songs and even blander production.
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mortified
Administrator
This is no' gettin' the bairn a shirt
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Post by mortified on May 14, 2018 5:58:29 GMT
Almost a return to some kind form for me. Not perfect by any means but a step in the right direction. Certainly in places. For a start, Rick was contributing again. That helped. Bernie was still around, though, which counteracted that positivity. At the time, I thought Shine On was one of the best things they'd recorded in decades. I still think it's one of their very best tracks to this day. Dark and brooding then blistering; how I like my Quo. During the 1998 winter tour, they played the new album over the speakers before the band came on. I think they managed to get through about half a dozen songs and I remember sis and I suddenly realising it was Quo they were playing but not songs that we recognised. So we surmised that a new album was coming. Even on first listen it sounded like what it was - the best they'd done since 1991. I've always pretty much skipped 5 tracks; Round And Round, Little White Lies, Little Me And You, Blessed Are The Meek (which is just plain awful ) and Not Fade Away. As snakelady says, a bit superfluous that last one but from the Don't Stop recording sessions I believe. I have to say that Little White Lies has grown on me but it's still hardly a classic. I'm sure the writing sentiments are very laudable. The melody, unfortunately, is a bit dull. The album was unquestionably a sign of promise. A promise fulfilled further down the line I have to say.
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Post by snakelady on May 14, 2018 6:12:16 GMT
That's typical, mortified - we agree on Round and Round, but I love Little White Lies, Little Me And You and Blessed Are The Meek. They're among my favourites including the title song. The song that had to grow on me (beside Shine On) is 20 Wild Horses. I actually think LWL is one of the best songs Rick has ever written. And absolutely nothing to complain about Bernie's songwriting for this album IMO. OK, the chorus to Roll The Dice is as unimaginative as it get's, but who's to say it wasn't Francis' fault ?
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mortified
Administrator
This is no' gettin' the bairn a shirt
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Post by mortified on May 14, 2018 7:51:09 GMT
snakelady, it's fascinating how Quo fans like different things on different albums. Your likes and dislikes on Under The Influence are almost the polar opposite of mine. For me it's melody first, lyrics a distant second. If we get really good ones, its a bonus and adds to the track big time. I've thought since I first heard it that Blessed Are The Meek is one of the poorest 'songs' they've ever written. Primary school lyrics to an uninspiring melody. But, admittedly, very singalong. Sort of happy-clappy round the camp fire on a Sunday school trip But we both agree that the album was approaching the return to some sort of form. Only for different reasons. Shows how varied it must be!
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Post by craydarr on May 14, 2018 17:47:26 GMT
Making Waves and The Way It Goes are the only dislikes for me, but its far from being a classic as far as I'm concerned. I do absolutely love Little White Lies and Under The Influence, 2 of the best tracks ever done by this line up.
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Post by johns on May 14, 2018 19:04:54 GMT
Wouldn't skip anything on the album. For me Little White Lies is one of Quo's best undiscovered (by Joe Public) singles. Don't remember hearing it much on radio when it was released but Terry Wogan started playing it regularly a few years later. The whole album is pretty consistent in terms of good to great quality songs. Maybe just lacks a couple of real killer tunes, but overall had it been with a decent record company then it would be up there with some of Quo's best.
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Post by snakelady on May 15, 2018 6:07:29 GMT
snakelady , it's fascinating how Quo fans like different things on different albums. Your likes and dislikes on Under The Influence are almost the polar opposite of mine. For me it's melody first, lyrics a distant second. If we get really good ones, its a bonus and adds to the track big time. I've thought since I first heard it that Blessed Are The Meek is one of the poorest 'songs' they've ever written. Primary school lyrics to an uninspiring melody. But, admittedly, very singalong. Sort of happy-clappy round the camp fire on a Sunday school trip But we both agree that the album was approaching the return to some sort of form. Only for different reasons. Shows how varied it must be! Hey, that's my line ! Obviously even 'melody' lies in the eye of the beholder (make that ear of the listener). And yep, lyrics are a distant second. It's only when they're too bad/macho/.. that they keep me from liking a song - melody or not (Don't Drive My Car, You Don't Own Me ..).
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Post by gogs on May 15, 2018 10:44:32 GMT
Skips for me are Round and Round which I reckon is Quo by numbers and Not Fade Away. NFA is IMO the second worst Quo cover ever after Bring It On Home (and just in front of Restless and Hounddog meh). Still love LWL. As mentioned above, Terry Wogan (or rather his producer John Waters) really liked this and kept playing it on air for a couple of years after the albums release. The opening 2 tracks are also amongst my faves. All in all a very good album imo. But don't hold your breath, we know what's coming next.
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Dark
High Flyer
Posts: 128
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Post by Dark on May 15, 2018 11:31:11 GMT
UTI for me was a great relief after Thirsty Work, I didn’t put much stock into Don’t Stop as it was covers, quite enjoyed some of it, but when it came to original stuff I really didn’t like TW so was apprehensive as to UTI. I didn’t like the single, The Way It Goes, to me seemed a rather derivative version of Caroline. But one of the bonus tracks on the CD was snippets of tracks from the album, which sounded like they had much promise to me.
Was very happy with the album when I got my hands on it, the songs/production was more guitar based than TW and more importantly for me, they were better songs. I particularly like Round and Round, especially the guitar break/solo section and Makin Waves. I actually really came to love the cover, Not Fade Away, not familiar with the original, so maybe that helps. Shine On, I thought was great and very atmospheric and built up nice. Was good to hear that Parfitt was much more involved in writing and singing than TW, though he would have been hard pushed to have contributed less.
LWL I think is a good ballad and was a good choice for a follow up single, was little less keen on Twenty Wild Horses being released, thought it was a decent album tune, but nothing more.
Apart from The Way It Goes, the only other song I would skip was, Blessed Are the Meek. For my ears it is pretty unlistenable and I find the lyrics very cringeworthy.
Unfortunately the tour coincided with the move in Glasgow from Hall 4 of the SECC to the all seated Armadillo. Although people all stood up, it wasn’t the same for me. Being crushed down the front with the crowd bouncing up and down in unison to the music, to being stuck in your own little space with the same tall person in front of you the whole gig completely diluted the atmosphere of the gig for me.
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Post by snakelady on May 16, 2018 4:54:45 GMT
Whenever I listen to the album, I listen to all the songs without skipping any. I might listen a second time immediately afterwards, but then I tend to listen to the first six songs only. Some songs I enjoy more than others, but there are no songs I don't like, but then it's not an album I play on a regular basis. Hi Dark , Just had a listen... Very Maiden inspired. Sounds great. So you should vote 'none' then ..
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Dark
High Flyer
Posts: 128
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Post by Dark on May 17, 2018 8:01:45 GMT
Whenever I listen to the album, I listen to all the songs without skipping any. I might listen a second time immediately afterwards, but then I tend to listen to the first six songs only. Some songs I enjoy more than others, but there are no songs I don't like, but then it's not an album I play on a regular basis. Hi Dark , Just had a listen... Very Maiden inspired. Sounds great. Thanks, yes our Maiden influences are definitely apparent. My Quo influences exist in some of our songs, but are a lot less apparent and not quite as noticeable, but they are there ...
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on May 18, 2018 18:39:12 GMT
Don’t skip any and Shine On is just superb.
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col
High Flyer
All my Gods are leaving......
Posts: 302
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Post by col on May 20, 2018 20:44:34 GMT
A heck of a return to form compared to the previous two, I do skip Little White Lies, Little Me And You, Blessed Are The Meek are weak, Roll The Dice is just wrong, contrived maybe, but for me it doesn't work.
I do prefer the orchestral version of Not Fade Away, but I do like it.
Good, very good in places, however it's not a classic!!
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Isaac Ryan
Special Forces
Loz' Deputy
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Post by Isaac Ryan on May 30, 2018 14:28:14 GMT
Love this album, skip none.
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LOZ
Special Forces
Guardian Of The Calendar
BEEP BEEP YOU WONT CATCH ME.
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Post by LOZ on Jun 4, 2018 17:14:08 GMT
I would have to play the cd to know what half them songs are and I cant be arsed.!!!
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per
Wild Horse
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Post by per on Jun 16, 2018 16:07:25 GMT
I like all of the songs on this album actually. Listen to it quite seldom, but then I never skip a thing. Funny thing id that it took me quite many years to listen for the first time. When it was released I had already left Quo, a friend of mine kept saying that they where back in form but I didnt believe him. When Heavy Trafic was released I was absolutely blown away and back as a full time Quo fan, but for some reason I still didnt listen to UTI. It was first after TPAOY that I finally bought UTI and realised my friend wasn't wrong, I liked it immediately and still do!
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jun 18, 2018 7:11:59 GMT
Absolutely nothing on here for me to skip. Twenty Wild Horses is one of the best Quo songs ever IMO. Love the two Parfitt tracks, I love all of it. Just sat here at work reading the track listing and singing along in my head, big smile on my face.
As with so many albums it takes me back, I was 20 in 1999, discovering all sorts of things about life, including the fact that Quo were far more than just a '70's' band.
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Post by snakelady on Jun 19, 2018 6:14:41 GMT
I would have to play the cd to know what half them songs are and I cant be arsed.!!! Try it - you might be surprised - positively ! General opinion on here is that this was the return to form album with very few exceptions. HT merely made a trend out of it ..
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Post by snakelady on Jun 25, 2018 8:53:04 GMT
As obviously nobody is interested in casting more votes, I'll now move this to the past cups section It won't be locked though, same as always.
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