1978: If You Can’t Stand the Heat… er... I mean... 1978: If You Can’t Stand the Heat… 1. Again And Again (Parfitt/Lynton/Bown) 3:41 M/A 2. I'm Giving Up My Worryin' (Rossi/Frost) 3:02 3. Gonna Teach You To Love Me (Lancaster/Mick Green) 3:11 L 4. Someone Show Me Home (Rossi/Frost) 3:49 5. Long Legged Linda (Andy Bown) 3:29 6. Oh! What A Night (Parfitt/Bown) 3:46 L 7. Accident Prone (Williams/Hutchins) 5:08 8. Stones (Lancaster) 3:53 9. Let Me Fly (Rossi/Frost) 4:25 10. Like A Good Girl (Rossi/Young) 3:26 L Andy Bown – Keyboards Jacquie O’Sullivan, Stevie Lange, Joy Yates – Additional Vocals The David Katz Horns & Bud Revo – Horns Frank Ricotti – Percussion 2016 Deluxe Edition Disc 2: Bonus Tracks 2016 1. Accident Prone [Single Edit] 4:12 [2005 remaster] Demos 2. One By One [Writing Demo 1977] (Young/Parfitt) 2:47 3. One By One [Studio Demo][Instrumental] 4:11 4. No Time Left To Cry [Demo 1978] (Rossi/Young) 2:22 [2005 Whatever You Want reissue] 5. No Time Left To Cry [Writing Demo 1978] 2:19 6. Keep Me Guessing [Studio Demo 1979][Instrumental] (Parfitt/Rossi/Young) 2:27 7. Keep Me Guessing [Writing Demo 1978] 4:24 8. Late Last Night [Studio Demo 1979][Instrumental] (Parfitt/Rossi/Young) 2:37 9. Late Last Night [Writing Demo 1978] 2:59 10. Invitation [Studio Demo 1979] (Rossi/Young) 3:03 11. Invitation [Writing Demo 1978] 3:20 12. Again And Again [Vocal Outtake 1978] 2:03 “Sing along… and let the album loose.” If you can’t stand the heat, you shouldn’t be in a kitchen. Or listening to Status Quo. But what is that bizarre cover trying to tell us? And why is the edge of it burnt?? One thing that's noticeable when comparing to the previous album: Quo went back to 10 tracks to avoid any possibility of the LP over-running again. At this point, various forces started to pull into different directions. Francis started working with Bernie Frost, though the Rossi/Young partnership wasn’t completely over yet. The new songs mostly weren’t in the Quo mould anymore; given that the Rossi/Young songs had often formed the bulk of Quo albums this was a problem. What do you do when the principal songwriter (and singer!) starts to drift off into a different direction? Rick, in turns, formed a writing relationship with Andy Bown, who even brought in a solo song – not bad for a keyboard player that’s not even an official band member yet! Pip was still taking the management’s intention to get Quo a foothold in the US market seriously and thought adding female voices and horns plus running the whole LP through a device called “Aphex Aural Exciter” might do the trick. His co-write “Accident Prone” with its contemporary disco feel also might have been aimed at new fan bases. Somebody on a Quo forum suggested “If You Can’t Stand the Heat” might be Quo’s ‘sexy’ album, which makes sense when you think about it – right from the title to songs like “Gonna Teach You to Love Me” (obvious), “Someone Show Me Home” (about a prostitute, think “Roxanne”), “Long Legged Linda” (obvious again), “Oh! What a Night”, “Accident Prone” (about a woman who likes to run men over, metaphorically speaking) and “Like a Good Girl”, plus the backing vocalists (“Long-Legged! Liiindaa… Long Legged! Liiinndaa!”) and Francis’ overheated lead guitar. Again and Again: An anthem to start things off. The sound is very “produced”, but also a lot fuller and heavier than anything from RAOTW. I’ve always liked “Again and Again”: Rick’s powerful voice, the half-time drum groove doubling up for the chorus, a funky clavinet adding to the rhythm guitar and Francis’ Chuck Berry solo with its sudden chord changes. People complain about its repetition but I think that its self-irony saves the song. It’s not called “Again and Again” for no reason, after all… I'm Giving Up My Worryin’: The Shape Of Quo To Come. And it’s a very sudden development, no doubt thanks to Francis forming a new writing partnership with Bernie Frost. The tune was supposedly influenced by The Eagles. Francis now admits that the song might not have been suited to Quo. I admit that I don’t care for it. Gonna Teach You To Love Me: Oh, how very Alan Lancaster. Those lyrics! The tune is based around a blues progression and doesn’t really “take off” despite a nice solo. John Coghlan played some electronic drums here. Someone Show Me Home: I think this is a good song (better than Francis’ first one on the LP), but also not really a good fit for Status Quo. It’s a ¾ waltz type ballad with organ and layers of vocal harmonies. At the time, Genesis started splitting their work between solo projects and group collaborations. Maybe this should have been the way for Quo as well? Interestingly enough, Francis later re-recorded the track for his 1st solo album. Long Legged Linda: This is one of the more controversial Quo songs, with some people loving it and some absolutely hating it. Given that Andy wrote it all alone (not with Rick as the original LP suggested) it’s no surprise that it’s full of keyboards. This, along with the horns and backing vocals, makes it feel very “crowded” and overproduced. But I like it, sort of. After all, it’s only the second song that really rocks, and we’re already five songs in! Oh! What a Night: Probably the most Quo-typical song up till now with its relentless shuffle, but the female backing singers add a different flavour. The intro sounds like a precursor to “Whatever You Want” with its Drop-D-Tuning. IMO, this is one of the few real highlights on the LP. Accident Prone: I guess I would also call this a highlight, though I can see why its single release didn't set the world on fire. Like the previous Williams/Hutchins contribution it has some interesting chord changes and a good catchy chorus, but the disco-ish hi-hat groove is very unusual for Quo at the time. What really makes this a standout track for me is Francis’ absolutely furious guitar tone. Unbelievable! Stones: Here we really enter the problem zone, because the writers in Quo were starting to fret about each getting enough songs on the record. And in this case, Alan wrestled a song through that nobody else liked – Rick, Francis, John Coghlan. He did re-write it (originally a shuffle or a hard rock thing) but even then it’s not a high point of Quo’s career. That three-chord sequence is just too simple for Quo!! The chorus is sort of dumb and catchy though. Let Me Fly: Similar problem, Rossi calls it “Don’t Waste My Time MK 7” and the chorus is kinda blah-blah-blah. At least we have the “Case Of The Missing Intro”, the horns and some nice guitar things to keep this shuffle interesting. Is this Quo by numbers? Like a Good Girl: The only Rossi-Young song closes the album and it’s quite good: Fast-paced and bouncy. But it doesn’t quite stack up when compared to the album closers of years before. (According to Francis, the lyric was inspired by a Burton Cummings song which he didn't recall the title of… “…but it was ****ing naughty, believe me”!) I can see why many fans were shocked when the album was released – I'm not particularly crazy about it either. But it flows quite well and even the weaker tracks are still relatively listenable. The attempts at breaking the US market do shine through and somewhat compromise the typical Quo sound. At first glance, 12 bonus tracks isn't too shabby for a bonus disc, particularly since the 2005 remaster only had one bonus track. But if you look closely, you'll see that both discs would have fitted onto one CD! Given that the album could have been remixed to strip away some of the overproduction and the Aphex Aural Exciter, or that live tracks from the tour could have been presented here, that's pretty disappointing. Even more so since the remaster is more compressed than most of the others done by Andy Pearce. What’s also annoying is that the booklet doesn’t properly reproduce the LP cover, which would have been easy to do simply by flipping the front and back covers 90° and printing the gatefold on pages 2 and 3. The sequence of disc 2 is somewhat messed up. Program your CD player to 1/2/3/5/4/7/6/9/8/11/10/12 for a better flow. First we get the single edit of "Accident Prone", then a bunch of demos from somewhere between 1978 and 1979... One by One: A Parfitt/Young song that wouldn't be finished until 2007, when it appeared as a bonus track on "In Search of the Fourth Chord". The early demo has some singing that shows the lyrics were already mostly in place, but the instrumental band demo is vastly different from the final version - it's dramatic like Pink Floyd! No Time Left to Cry / Another Game in Town: Apparently a Rossi/Young song, but it's quite close to "Lies" at one point. The writing demo doesn't contain any lyrics, just guitar and wordless singing. The band demo sounds pretty finished though (which would be typical of Francis' demos from this point on), it even has harmony vocals! Still, the band never recorded a "proper" studio version of it. Keep Me Guessing: A Parfitt/Rossi/Young song that eventually ended up on one of the "In the Army Now" era b-sides. The early version has a somewhat uncomfortable vocal arrangement; the band demo is in a different key and rocks quite hard (nothing against the '85 version, but this simply has more balls) but has no vocals. If you can sing like Rick (which I can), it's karaoke time! There's some fine slide guitar in the outro. Late Last Night: A Parfitt/Rossi/Young song that showed up again on Rick's (still) unreleased solo album; that version was then released on the "In the Army Now" 12". Like "Keep Me Guessing", the early demo is basically a drum computer, guitar and two voices. While it's a relatively poppy song, the instrumental band demo has a charm of its own and gives the Chuck Berry-esque rhythm guitar lots of room. Invitation: This Rossi/Young song known from "In the Army Now" is the gem of the bonus disc for me. I'm not a big country music fan but I find both versions very charming in a "Western hero half asleep at the bar in the saloon" way. The later studio version sounds much too polished and shiny to me. Which is ironic considering that the arrangement is almost 100% identical, even the little guitar riffs here and there. Francis sure is a perfectionist. Again and Again: Not so much a demo, but an excerpt from Rick's first attempt at singing the song (with a rough backing track) and stumbling over the lyrics. Including a typical Quo lyric change ("clock" becomes "cock" - see the bootleg index for more examples) and Rick calling Pip "Pippo the Hippo". Funny!
Unfortunately I don't own the album, i did borrow the 2005 reissue and might have copied some of the tracks onto a CDR (as was my want at the time rather than burning the entire cd,) will have to check the Quo cd section upstairs. Might just be easier to listen to it on youtube or spotify, or just buy the bloody thing. Unforgiveable though to release a 2 cd deluxe edition that would fit on one cd, very poor indeed. Does make me wonder why the band didnt take time off, they appear to be on that continuous treadmill of album-tour-album. I honestly believed that Whatever You Want was the album that came next after RAOTW. I knew of this album but got mixed in my head of what year it was from, i'm clear now. But i suggest in hindsight that a year off and spend some more time writing would have benefited the band. Honestly i'm surprised they lasted so long without personnel changes by this point. Accident Prone and Again and Again i think are great. I need to check out the rest.
They did stop touring after WYW, but it didn't exactly improve things... we'll come to that soon. I've always wondered why so many songs got left by the wayside at this point. Obviously, they didn't want another LP with well more than 40 minutes, but by NTL they started running out of songs. It doesn't really make sense that all those 1978/1979 tracks were never finished or released back then...
I'd probably rate this about 5.5 or 6. My favorites are Again and Again, Oh What A Night, Let Me Fly and Like A Good Girl. Accident Prone and Gonna Teach Me To Love You are O.K. The rest less so. I don't listen to this very often as there are many albums I would rather hear by Status Quo and others. The outtakes are ok. I agree some good sounding live stuff from the tour would have been interesting.
The first kind of disappointing Quo album since they went from pop to rock. Good in patches but the best thing about it was the gatefold sleeve really, 1. Again And Again (Parfitt/Lynton/Bown) 3:41 Pretty good start, though the band just left the door wide open for the whole "sound the same" crap with this one. Pounds along and sounded great live. 2. I'm Giving Up My Worryin' (Rossi/Frost) 3:02 Don't mind this one. Very different for Quo at the time. 3. Gonna Teach You To Love Me (Lancaster/Mick Green) 3:11 Heat is the one album where I don't like Alan's contributions. Does nothing for me. Lyrics are awful 4. Someone Show Me Home (Rossi/Frost) 3:49 Great little bluesy type slow one. 5. Long Legged Linda (Andy Bown) 3:29 Do like this one too. Not amazing but pretty decent 6. Oh! What A Night (Parfitt/Bown) 3:46 Fairly typical Quo and none the worse for it. 7. Accident Prone (Williams/Hutchins) 5:08 One of the best things Quo have ever done in my opinion. always loved it. Should never have been released at Christmas time though. 8. Stones (Lancaster) 3:53 I'll try to be polite, but this is awful 9. Let Me Fly (Rossi/Frost) 4:25 Pretty throwaway 10. Like A Good Girl (Rossi/Young) 3:26 Now this is a good way to finish the album. Great little song. I think what hit fans was the use of horns, girlie backing vocals and the production again was a bit polished for Quo. Not the worst album they have ever done, but certainly far from the best. Thankfully the next one (WYW) got them back on track for a while.
I have a weird fascination with this album because it's obviously so flawed. There's some good stuff on it, but ultimately it's like some ugly snapshot of a band totally coked off their faces and not really having a clue what they're doing. And it's really dated - one of the band (Spud maybe? Talking about the dodgy electronic drums?) has said it was the only time they ever chased trends rather than just doing their own thing. Well since the 60s, obviously. I'd love to know the thought process behind the album - they'd clearly acknowledged everyone's unhappiness with the sound of RAOTW so they decided to make this one more raw sounding. And then they go and add loads of horns, backing singers and synths. Boggles the mind. Anyways, the songs: 1. Again and Again - more raw than RAOTW but it's hardly melodically blessed. And those lyrics are proper cheesy, like Rockers Rollin' part 2. 2. I'm Giving Up My Worryin - Hmmm....it's hardly rocking and it's got a really clumsy melody, but I kinda like it. 3. Gonna Teach You to Love Me - seems everyone hates this but I like it, dodgy lyrics and all. Could do with being a bit beefier though, I suppose. 4. Someone Show Me Home - there's a really nice song here under all the slick production. With the slick production it's kind of really lame though. 5. Long Legged Linda. No, just no. This is ****e. The horns, the lyrics, the central riff, the backing vocals...it's just Quo gone horribly wrong. 6. Oh What a Night - Good song, just shame about the synths and backing vocals. Would've been a beast on say Blue for You. 7. Accident Prone - Quo go disco and pull it off, though the lyrics are fairly dodgy. 8. Stones - Nuff, what the **** are you doing? This is absoultely ****ing abysmal. Not a single redeeming feature. Apart from maybe the moment when it ends? 9. Let Me Fly - Quo by numbers to be sure, but it's another I've always liked - yeah it's not great, but it's not bad. I suppose that's all I can say about it really. 10. Like a Good Girl - fairly cheesy lyrics but it motors along. Would've been dodgy filler had it been recorded on any earlier album, but here it serves as a pretty rocking closer. Listening to this today I view it as a dated relic of the coked-up tail end of the classic 70s rock era. If I'd been alive at the time I'd probably hate this with a passion and would've been ashamed that one my favourite bands had put out a load of pap like this just a couple of years after stuff like On the Level and Blue for You.
I'm ready for Whatever You Want, be good to post that, people can still come back and comment on IYCSTH.
Just listened to Stones. Hmmmmmmm? It is poor. The female backing vocals make it even worse. Lyrics are terrible. Not even worthy of being a B-side. Next................
1979: Whatever You Want 1979: Whatever You Want and Now Hear This 1. Whatever You Want (Parfitt/Bown) 4:04 L 2. Shady Lady (Rossi/Young) 3:00 3. Who Asked You (Lancaster) 4:00 4. Your Smiling Face (Parfitt/Bown) 4:25 5. Living On An Island (Parfitt/Young) 4:48 L 6. Come Rock with Me (Rossi/Frost) 3:15 ~ L 7. Rockin' On (Rossi/Frost) 3:25 => 6:41 L 8. Runaway (Rossi/Frost) 4:39 9. High Flyer (Lancaster/Young) 3:47 10. Breaking Away (Rossi/Parfitt/Bown) 6:40 Andy Bown – Keyboards Bob Young – Harmonica on “Breaking Away” and (probably) “Hard Ride” Bernie Frost – Backing Vocals [uncredited] 2016 Deluxe Edition Disc 2: 7” Versions 1. Hard Ride (Lancaster/Green) [B-Side of “Whatever You Want”] 3:36 [2005 reissue] 2. Living On An Island [Single Version] (Parfitt/Young) 3:55 [2005 reissue] Demos/Outtakes (As It Happens) 3. Bad Company [Studio Outtake] (Williams/Hutchins) 4:30 [2005 reissue] 4. Shady Lady [Studio Demo] 2:51 [2005 reissue] 5. Rearrange [Studio Demo] (Rossi/Frost) 3:08 [2005 reissue] Now Hear This: American re-mixed album 6. Living On An Island 4:17 [Shady Lady 3:00] 7. Who Asked You 4:00 [Your Smiling Face 4:22] 8. Whatever You Want 3:13 9. Come Rock With Me 3:15 10. Rockin' On 3:23 => 6:41 11. Runaway 4:49 12. High Flyer 4:14 13. Breaking Away 6:44 More Demos 14. Living On An Island [Writing Demo 1978] 4:04 15. Living On An Island [Full Backing Track 1979] 6:15 Since the two previous albums had done little for the elusive US breakthrough and had alienated some of their fans, the decision was made to go back to classic Quo for the next LP. Pip was still there, but this time the band co-produced the album (and according to Pip they could have produced it just as well on their own). While the songs and arrangements were in the vein of the pre-RAOTW albums, there was still a lot of time spent on perfecting the sound, resulting in maybe the best sound the original line-up ever achieved. The efforts to break the US market weren’t put to rest, but this shouldn’t affect the album itself, since this time the band went to the USA to remix the album specifically for the demands of US radio. The re-ordered and re-titled “Now Hear This” (for those who still remembered “Pictures of Matchstick Men”?) didn't do much for the band either, though. It’s been suggested that “Whatever You Want” (originally intended to be called “As It Happens” or “As It Was”, depending on the source) is a sort of concept album – what’s clear is that the band was starting to write about their problems, being worn out by constant touring, family/relationship issues, dealing with the critics, tax exile and the inner band conflicts. There’s lots of self-references on the album, which is unusual for Quo up to that point (but would become a fixed part of future albums) – “Breaking Away” includes the line “Four rockers rollin’”, “Come Rock With Me” asks the question “Were you listening when I said I was giving up my worryin’” and “Who Asked You” says “There never was a better way”. The lyrical content also means that we have rock music about rock music, something that I find formulaic and boring when AC/DC do it but that sort of works when Quo do it. Then again, songs like “Rockin’ All Over the World” and “Again and Again” probably started that trend. The cover seems to reflect the craziness of stardom and the whole media hype thing. After all, it’s just a penguin on the red carpet! Those penguins became a symbol for the era (single covers, music videos) and can also be found on DVD bootlegs or the YouTube channel “PenguinRockBarMusic”. There was no tour for the album. At least there are demos, outtakes and the US remixes to fill the bonus disc, but… (see below) Whatever You Want: Quo’s business card if you like. Of the biggest, most well-known hits this is probably the most representative of Quo’s brand of rock: Intriguing intro leading into guitar riff leading into shuffle rhythm, featuring a catchy chorus but more than three chords (especially during the guitar solo) and a repetitive outro. Francis later said he knew the song would be a massive hit the first time he heard it and “why didn't I write it?” – well Rick and Andy wrote it! Remix: Not only is it no longer the opener, but it’s also gone through some changes. The slow intro is gone and another part of the song (second verse) is missing. Otherwise the guitars and bass have been somewhat toned down, whereas the vocals are more prominent with reverb effects and the keyboards seem to be higher in the mix. During the guitar solo, there are some additional lead bits and a piano I’ve never noticed on the original mix. Shady Lady: A slice of very classic Quo, á la On the Level/Blue for You but with those high backing vocals that would become even more prominent on the next two albums. Thanks to the lyrics, we now know that Francis doesn’t like leg hair on women! Remix: See below. Who Asked You: One of the highlights, this rocking track was written by Alan (who seemingly recovered from his writing crisis) but sung by Francis. Alan now complains it should have been a single but wasn’t because he wrote it. I think that’s nonsense, probably more to do with the album already having two singles lifted from it. Remix: I don't think this song lost much by remixing. The voice stands out a bit more, but it still rocks! Your Smiling Face: Rick has more vocals and writing credits on this record than on the previous one. The song is basically about infidelity, but from the angle of realizing you’ve made a mistake. This was a pattern that came up every now and then in his personal life, from what I understand. Remix: See below. Living on an Island: As a 2nd single this was a perfect choice because it showed a different side to Quo. It remains one of the most beautiful rock ballads from the 70s, a bittersweet song about isolation (literally, due to the tax exile status of the band) starting with just two acoustic guitars, tinkling electric piano and Rick singing as softly and sweetly as possible (a complete contrast to the previous track). The bridge and key change show what an amazing voice he had back then. After that, the song starts to build towards the more rocking ending, which was completed by Francis playing a repeating phrase on a guitar synth. Wonderful! Remix: Not bad, it’s an interesting alternative version although a bit shorter than the LP cut. While it sounds a bit overproduced at the beginning, I think I actually prefer the coda over the regular version – the organ comes through better, and the ending rocks! Come Rock With Me/Rockin’ On: Can’t really describe both songs separately, since they share not only the key but also lyrical motifs. “Come Rock With Me” is a somewhat stiff rock song with somewhat negative lyrics than then changes into a shuffle and becomes the happier “Rockin’ On”. The two main points are being worn out from the treadmill and proving one’s point: “They never thought we could be rockin’ on”. At the same time, there’s also still an element of fun in performing live. Francis said “You’re up, then you’re down. Things are never smooth.” Remix: Organ still buried deep in the mix, almost inaudible! Runaway: “It seemed like the logical way… at the time”. I know some people hate this song because it’s so poppy, but it’s hard for me to hate something that rocks with such vehemence and is so goddamn catchy! That metallic sound at the end is strange, is that another guitar synth? Remix: No big difference to my ears except that the US version has a longer fadeout. High Flyer: Unusual, a Lancaster/Young collaboration. While it’s not bad, it’s my least favourite song on the record. If I had to change something about the album, I'd swap this for “Bad Company”. The lyrics speak a lot about constantly touring and being at the mercy of the management. Remix: Similarly, this song is longer on the US remix – and it has an actual ending, unlike the regular mix, which just fades out! Breaking Away: The back-to-the-roots recipe also involved an epic closing track consisting of several different parts. “Breaking Away” has a sort of ABAC structure, starting with a vaguely funky guitar pattern that then moves into a fast rock part, then goes back to the beginning and ends in a haunting slow shuffle. The main part sung by Francis includes the remarkable chorus “But I'm changing my tune, aaaaah, and I'm breaking away”, whereas Rick’s part is almost a satire on the rock band lifestyle. There is also a reference to Bob Young (the poet in the wings) and his imminent departure from the Quo camp. Remix: Apart from a bit more reverb and Rick's vocal distorting I don't hear a lot of differences Hard Ride: That riff is vaguely reminiscent of “Mystery Song”... it's an OK Lancaster song, actually one of their better b-sides IMO Bad Company: Here’s a rarity! An actual (fully produced) outtake, not just a demo! This song was composed by Pip Williams on an 18-string guitar (!), but you might have guessed that from the unusual chords and harmonies. Actually, it’s a really great song that should have been released somewhere. Shady Lady (Demo): Basically the finished song but with sketchy sound quality. Rearrange (Demo): Here’s an unused song that was never properly recorded. It’s a typical mixture of country, blues ballad chord changes and a dose of melancholia. Now Hear This: The US remix sounds like it’s taken from vinyl, and there are even two tracks missing. Living on an Island (Demo): The structure is there, the lyrics are not quite finished yet; it's also slower and sung in a lower key. Living on an Island (Backing Track): Basically the finished version without vocals, electric guitar and synths. Apart from being significantly longer than all other versions, it offers the opportunity to hear the band's instrumental backdrop far more clearly. Andy especially shines with his beautiful electric piano and organ parts. Very nice.
This is more like it. I rate this album around a 7 to 7.5. Whatever You Want and Shady Lady are a great start and a bit of a throwback to the earlier sound. Who Ask You is a bit overlooked. Come Rock With Me and Rockin' On are cool and I'd like to hear them played live more often. Breaking Away is a typical Quo longer song to end the lp while Living On An Island is one of their best ballads. Bad Company is a pretty cool outtake. I would have probably used it or Hard Ride on the album instead of High Flyer. It is interesting that Bad Company was not revisited later and used as a b-side if nothing else. It seems odd to me to start out the U.S remixed version of the album with Living On An Island, a ballad. I usually prefer a rocker to start an album. A nice return to form.
Indeed, and for me it's actually the yardstick by which everything after it is measured. I'll explain that in more depth when we come to JS/NTL (hopefully in the coming days, since I currently have the time...) but WYW is really the last hooray of "old Quo" for me. There's something about the interaction between the guys that got completely lost afterwards, no doubt thanks to new technologies and the writers producing more and more advanced demos which left little space for the other band members to contribute.
I don't mind If You Can't Stand The Heat, but most times I play this record it's just to hear the full version of Accident Prone. I love it and it sounds fantastic on the UK vinyl. I find most of the rest of the album good but not great and overproduced. Stones is very poor. Overall, an OK album. Whatever You Want is far better. Some real highlights here. Classic title track. Whenever I think I'm tired of it, I'll hear it somewhere and be reminded how great it is. Living On An Island has possibly Rick Parfitt's best vocal and is such a great song. I just love it. Rick was understandably proud of this one. Come Rock With Me / Rockin' On - I've heard criticism of this but I love it! Any Quo song where Alan & John stop playing for a few seconds, leaving just Rossi and Parfitt's guitars playing together before they come back in is great to me. Pure Quo! Just like in Don't Waste My Time. Whatever You Want is an album where they get the balance between pop and rock right. The poppier tracks like Whatever You Want and Runaway still have great guitar sounds and the album was a good near return to form. It doesn't quite match any of the 1970-76 albums, but it doesn't seem out of place next to them either. Good stuff. So, the end of a wonderful decade for the Quo. Some of my favourite rock music ever recorded and even the missteps are enjoyable. I have very little negative to say about any 70s Quo. The 80s were far more variable... This thread will get very interesting!
To me, actually it does. I guess I'd place Piledriver, Hello! and Blue for You above it, but there's a bit more depth that comes from experience. It's a somewhat more mature and reflective album (particularly in Francis' and Alan's lyrics) but still with the quality that made the band so great in the first place. As I've alluded to before, all of that would vanish on the next album, but I'll leave WYW open for a bit longer (@Almost Simon hasn't commented yet )
Caroline live at the NEC never EVER fails to excite me but my favourite albums are: Piledriver Hello! On The Level Live at the NEC Back To Back Just Supposin' 1982 In The Army Now
Has anyone heard anything about a repress of the new complete Live at the NEC release? I have held off on getting it because there were reports of a gap of silence during Roadhouse Blues on the second disc and people are having to return them. I think the gap is only present on the cd versions and not the lp versions.
It's a fine album for sure, but the reason it falls only very slightly short of the pre ROATW albums for me is that it's just a little bit too clean sounding, it doesn't sound as loose or rock as hard. But it's great and outside of the Ma Kelly - Blue For You run it's the one I play most apart from the debut, but that's a completely different thing. To be honest I don't go to Quo for meaningful lyrics!
Right - but it's easier to pinpoint that feeling by looking at the lyrics. Yes, I think the recording process was quite meticulous (constantly adjusting drum sounds and all, though they did a great job at not overproducing it again) and it's certainly not as spontaneous as, say, Piledriver.
WYW is clearly a return to form of sorts, but I would've said that I actually listen to RAOTW or IYCSTH more often but I've been listening to WYW loads recently so my opinion of it is slowly creeping up. I love the sound of the guitars on this album - really chunky, and I love the fact that Al discovered how to actually write good songs again. For my money, Who Asked You ithe album's highlight while I also really love High Flyer - cool riff and I don't get why this one is often overlooked. The one thing that has always irked me about the album is Spud's playing. Or maybe it's just the way he's recorded, but his playing sounds really stiff on this album. Like the end of Breaking Away sounds totally unlike what I expect from Spud cos it really doesn't swing at all. If you told me Spud didn't actually play on bits of this album I wouldn't be surprised. Not suggesting he didn't play on it, it just doesn't sound like him in places. Speaking of Breaking Away, to me it's probably the most overrated 70s Quo song - everyone seems to love it, but I just find it cheesy and a weak way to end the album.
I'd rate Bad Company only slightly above the level of Stones. Glad it never saw the light of day originally!
I find Spud's drumming on this album lacks character. It's fine playing, but it isn't recognisably him.
Of course I've looked at the lyrics. With the exceptions of Living On An Island and Who Asked You? I don't think they're much cop. Some good lines but also some naff ones. Shady Lady could be one of the worst lyrics they'd written up to that point. But overall I like this album a lot.
