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Post by johnnymain on May 3, 2019 12:11:01 GMT
Today in Status Quo History - 3rd May 1974:
'Quo', the seventh studio album from the group is released reaching #2 in the UK charts.
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mortified
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Post by mortified on May 3, 2019 13:09:59 GMT
45 years, eh? Gulp! For many, the third in the Holy Trinity. Those albums where there were only 8 tracks and quality seemed more important than quantity. Only my opinion I hasten to add so don't shoot me I remember buying it on the day of release in Edinburgh. In a shop on Morrison Street called "Sweet Inspiration". A little Sainsbury now I think. Ahem, anyway. It was the only place that had it. It had beaten "Virgin" and "Bruce's" to it. Very unusual. The sleeve made the top 10 in the annual "Sounds" music paper poll. The only thing Quo ever produced that did. They certainly never got in for the music Nostalgia. It's a thing of the past
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Post by kursaal75 on May 3, 2019 14:01:22 GMT
I also purchased the album on release day and as soon I heard the opening bars to Backwater, I knew we were on to another winner. I'll give my 45 year old lp a spin when I get home.
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Post by Deleted on May 3, 2019 14:12:29 GMT
Strange album for me this one. I think it's the poor relation when it comes to the two albums that sat either side of it, for me they've got more in terms of depth of quality.
That said, the opening and closing tracks, (Backwater and Slow Train), contain some of the finest moments any band, let alone Quo, have ever put down on record. It's the stuff in the middle that doesn't hit those high notes IMO.
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Post by snakelady on May 4, 2019 7:53:10 GMT
For me it has always been one of the weaker Quo albums as well. Proof that Alan really couldn't sing on record - he just didn't have the voice for it, sounding thin and strangled. Maybe if Rick had sung more of the Parfitt/Lancaster tunes it would've been different, but Alan seemed to have very much dominated that partnership. On the other hand, Slow Train is simply a fantastic song and I'd love to get a full version to close the encore in the live set (will never happen, I know) and there's a few beautiful solos, which I really only came to fully appreciate during the reunion shows. Incidentally Alan's voice was great live on these occasions too. The studio album's general ranking though reflects the more sceptical opinions. The cover I've found interesting right from the start. Interesting from an artistic POV and the way the four guys are arranged: With Alan the most prominent, full face and in the foreground, John sharing the middle with him, Rick to one side, but still full face and Francis merely a profile on the side. Maybe it was just the artist, but in hindsight it looks like a power struggle was going on in the band and with the album not doing as well as its predecessors and successors, Alan lost. Maybe I'm over-analysing things here though - wouldn't be the first time .. .
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Post by viking55 on May 6, 2019 9:20:12 GMT
For me it has always been one of the weaker Quo albums as well. Proof that Alan really couldn't sing on record - he just didn't have the voice for it, sounding thin and strangled. Maybe if Rick had sung more of the Parfitt/Lancaster tunes it would've been different, but Alan seemed to have very much dominated that partnership. On the other hand, Slow Train is simply a fantastic song and I'd love to get a full version to close the encore in the live set (will never happen, I know) and there's a few beautiful solos, which I really only came to fully appreciate during the reunion shows. Incidentally Alan's voice was great live on these occasions too. The studio album's general ranking though reflects the more sceptical opinions. The cover I've found interesting right from the start. Interesting from an artistic POV and the way the four guys are arranged: With Alan the most prominent, full face and in the foreground, John sharing the middle with him, Rick to one side, but still full face and Francis merely a profile on the side. Maybe it was just the artist, but in hindsight it looks like a power struggle was going on in the band and with the album not doing as well as its predecessors and successors, Alan lost. Maybe I'm over-analysing things here though - wouldn't be the first time .. . The’Quo’ album is still a great album but your right. When you think of what the band achieved off the back of the ‘Hello’ album. Number 1 album, 2 massive top 10 Singles & Set - List contributions down the years. The Quo album doesn’t come close. It does seem like a bit of a power struggle was going on. If Alan has won out I really don’t think it would have been successful in the long term. His voice just wouldn’t have carried it through. I can only take it myself for a couple of tracks. Never mind album after album. Ok Rick would have stepped in for vocal duties but without Francis there would have been little light and shade and variety. I think What happened moving on to ‘OTL’ was the right decision.
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Post by ashakike on May 6, 2019 10:24:56 GMT
Best FR solos, some of the best Quo compositions and Quo´s heaviest stuff. For me the best SQ album.
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mortified
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Post by mortified on May 6, 2019 10:25:11 GMT
It's funny but I disagree with a lot of the comments in this thread and have always thought it was a brilliant album. More shade than light but that's never bothered me. More light than shade probably would But it wouldn't be Quo if we all agreed Personally I think Alan peaked in terms if his contribution with this album, although there were still one or two gems to come along the way. It entered the UK charts at no.2, presumably on the back of Hello! and as On The Level went in at no.1, if we use the same analogy, it will have been on the back of Quo. The bottom line is, Quo were flying artistically and in terms of popularity. It was albums like this one that perpetuated that success. The production at the time was very experimental by Quo standards and, in retrospect, it doesn't work on all levels, particularly the guitar sound in places which is often over-fuzzed. But it's certainly one of Quo's most driving albums, although Fine Fine Fine and Lonely Man break up the general wall of sound. For me, Quo were almost faultless for a while and this album was right in the middle of it all.
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Post by craydarr on May 10, 2019 5:26:15 GMT
This was always a strange one for me as whilst I don’t really dislike any of the songs on the album, it’s one of my least favourite FF albums.
Songs like Slow Train, Fine Fine Fine and Just Take Me are fantastic but I can’t get to grips with the album as a whole. Don’t know why though ??
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mortified
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Post by mortified on May 10, 2019 6:18:05 GMT
I can't be sure but I wonder if those who bought it when it was released (i.e. really old people like me ) tend to view it differently from those who caught up with it in retrospect? That could actually apply to a few of the older albums. It's not a theory based on anything, just thinking out loud. I'm that way with Ma Kelly's Greasy Spoon, which I don't rate that highly apart from three outstanding tracks. That was the only 'proper' Quo album that I had to catch up with. I can't honestly think why hearing an album retrospectively might influence the way you view it unless it's to do with the era or the year in which you first heard it - or based on what you've heard since. I was obsessed with Quo in 1974 and they could do no wrong. I suppose the question would be, are there any Quo fans who bought it in 1974 who didn't rate it? Maybe I should have done a degree in philosophy or social science
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jsupposin
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Post by jsupposin on May 10, 2019 9:16:57 GMT
I bought QUO in 1983 when I was 12, with most of the QUO 70s albums. In the following 2 years I nearly completed the QUO COllection. First QUO album to buy when released was BTB. ( Then releases in Spain were abput 6 months later than in the UK) For Me QUO and HELLO has been allways the best Albums. I rate it higher than OTL and Pieldriver.
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Post by snakelady on May 11, 2019 7:05:52 GMT
I've no idea about the order I bought them. The first albums I owned on cassette (transferred from my friend's LPs) were Live and RAOTW. The first original album I owned on cassette was BFY and the first vinyl I bought on release was IYCSTH. In between I had acquired all the original Vertigo vinyls, a Golden Hour LP and something of a Matchstickmen duplicate (not quite the original track listing). A lot did happen in those few years at the end of the 70s. They must've been much longer than any other year that followed .. Setting up the other thread I noticed that it's 20 years since the release of UTI. Don't know the exact release date, maybe johnnymain can help ? But that certainly deserves celebrating as well. And returning to Quo, this thread more or less confirms why Quo didn't do as well in the album polls as some of the others. It obviously divides opinions ..
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Post by kursaal75 on May 11, 2019 7:36:08 GMT
I've no idea about the order I bought them. The first albums I owned on cassette (transferred from my friend's LPs) were Live and RAOTW. The first original album I owned on cassette was BFY and the first vinyl I bought on release was IYCSTH. In between I had acquired all the original Vertigo vinyls, a Golden Hour LP and something of a Matchstickmen duplicate (not quite the original track listing). A lot did happen in those few years at the end of the 70s. They must've been much longer than any other year that followed .. Setting up the other thread I noticed that it's 20 years since the release of UTI. Don't know the exact release date, maybe johnnymain can help ? But that certainly deserves celebrating as well. And returning to Quo, this thread more or less confirms why Quo didn't do as well in the album polls as some of the others. It obviously divides opinions .. in the UK, Under The Influence was released on March 31st 1999
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Post by snakelady on May 11, 2019 7:42:05 GMT
I've no idea about the order I bought them. The first albums I owned on cassette (transferred from my friend's LPs) were Live and RAOTW. The first original album I owned on cassette was BFY and the first vinyl I bought on release was IYCSTH. In between I had acquired all the original Vertigo vinyls, a Golden Hour LP and something of a Matchstickmen duplicate (not quite the original track listing). A lot did happen in those few years at the end of the 70s. They must've been much longer than any other year that followed .. Setting up the other thread I noticed that it's 20 years since the release of UTI. Don't know the exact release date, maybe johnnymain can help ? But that certainly deserves celebrating as well. And returning to Quo, this thread more or less confirms why Quo didn't do as well in the album polls as some of the others. It obviously divides opinions .. in the UK, Under The Influence was released on March 31st 1999 Should get its own thread then. Who's going to start it .. ?
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Post by kursaal75 on May 11, 2019 7:47:24 GMT
in the UK, Under The Influence was released on March 31st 1999 Should get its own thread then. Who's going to start it .. ? It's one of a few Quo albums I don't have :oo:
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mortified
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Post by mortified on May 11, 2019 7:59:00 GMT
in the UK, Under The Influence was released on March 31st 1999 Should get its own thread then. Who's going to start it .. ? What sort of thread? We have one for both Quo and Under The Influence. I'm obviously missing the point completely
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Post by snakelady on May 11, 2019 8:04:07 GMT
Should get its own thread then. Who's going to start it .. ? It's one of a few Quo albums I don't have Get it, it's worth it - about as good as Heavy Traffic - some really good tunes on it (Far better than the two albums preceding it)
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Post by snakelady on May 11, 2019 8:05:43 GMT
Should get its own thread then. Who's going to start it .. ? What sort of thread? We have one for both Quo and Under The Influence. I'm obviously missing the point completely This thread is for the Quo album .. Can't remember a similar one from end of March for UTI.
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mortified
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Post by mortified on May 11, 2019 9:08:34 GMT
What sort of thread? We have one for both Quo and Under The Influence. I'm obviously missing the point completely This thread is for the Quo album .. Can't remember a similar one from end of March for UTI. There's a "make an 8-track album from...." thread which sort of continues into detail and people's views about it. We talking about a separate 20-year since type thing?
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Post by rockinoldgit on May 11, 2019 11:51:30 GMT
The Quo album will always be special for me as it was the first SQ album I bought and was also the first "rock" album I bought. Back in 1974 I had only bought singles, mostly pop, and even though I had liked Mean Girl and Caroline on good old Radio Lux 208, I had not got round to buying them. I am getting nostalgic now. 😢😊
I loved the Break The Rules single but had decided to save up and buy the album instead. That started my long Quo journey.😊
I loved all the tracks, love the brown and gold sleeve, love the Vertigo flying saucers centre label and love the production. Still do. My copy had two of the lyric sheets in it for some reason. I played the album to death during the summer of 74. It's in better condition than me now. 😮
So it is one of my SQ top 5 albums.
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Post by snakelady on May 12, 2019 6:50:05 GMT
This thread is for the Quo album .. Can't remember a similar one from end of March for UTI. There's a "make an 8-track album from...." thread which sort of continues into detail and people's views about it. We talking about a separate 20-year since type thing? Yes
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mortified
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Post by mortified on May 13, 2019 4:59:01 GMT
The Quo album will always be special for me as it was the first SQ album I bought and was also the first "rock" album I bought. Back in 1974 I had only bought singles, mostly pop, and even though I had liked Mean Girl and Caroline on good old Radio Lux 208, I had not got round to buying them. I am getting nostalgic now. 😢😊 I loved the Break The Rules single but had decided to save up and buy the album instead. That started my long Quo journey.😊 I loved all the tracks, love the brown and gold sleeve, love the Vertigo flying saucers centre label and love the production. Still do. My copy had two of the lyric sheets in it for some reason. I played the album to death during the summer of 74. It's in better condition than me now.😮 So it is one of my SQ top 5 albums. I'm all scratched as well. The only difference is I don't jump. Although I can be a bit warped
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