Doesn't seem that anybody has an answer... at least not those on this thread. Over and Out is up soon.
Sorry... I forgot all about this thread. Over and Out up tomorrow, and if I forget again, you may hit me with a jam bread.
Rick Parfitt: Over and Out 1. Twinkletoes (Parfitt/Webb) 2:55 2. Lonesome Road (Parfitt/Webb) 3:28 3. Over and Out (Parfitt/Webb) 3:20 4. When I Was Fallin’ in Love (Parfitt/Webb) 3:23 5. Fight for Every Heartbeat (Parfitt/Webb) 3:24 6. Without You (Parfitt) 3:22 7. Long Distance Love (John David) 3:45 8. Everybody Knows How to Fly (David) 3:28 9. Lock Myself Away (Parfitt/Webb) 3:35 10. Halloween (Parfitt) 5:02 Main Band (on most tracks except “Halloween” and where indicated): Rick Parfitt: Vocals, Guitar & Ukulele Jo Webb: Guitar, Keyboards, Backing Vocals Alex Toff: Drums Tom Oliver: Synths Dave Marks: Bass Guitar & Percussion Shannon Harris: Piano Guest Performers: Brian May: Guitar on “Twinkletoes” Eike Freese: Backing Vocals on “Fight for Every Heartbeat” Stephen Hussey: Violin & Viola on “Without You” Ivan Hussey: Cello on “Without You” Chris Wolstenholme: Bass Guitar, Guitar & Backing Vocals on “Long Distance Love” Alan Lancaster: Backing Vocals on “Everybody Knows How to Fly” John “Rhino” Edwards: Bass Guitar on “Lonesome Road”, “Everybody Knows How to Fly” and “Halloween” Wayne Morris: Guitar on “Everybody Knows How to Fly” Bob Young: Harmonica on “Everybody Knows How to Fly” Jeff Rich: Drums on “Halloween” Katie Kissoon, Stevie Lange & Vicki Brown: Backing Vocals on “Halloween” Rick Parfitt Jnr: Percussion & Backing Vocals Christmas 2016 was not exactly a source of much happiness for Status Quo fans, and likely neither for anybody associated with the band. Although Rick's several health scares had forced him to stop touring and would eventually lead to him saying that he would not return to Quo (no doubt fuelled by the growing gap between him and Francis), nobody was truly prepared to hear the dreadful news of Rick’s passing, not to mention hearing about it on Christmas Eve! Adding insult to injury, one day later the news broke that George Michael had died too, leading to Rick’s legacy being even less celebrated than it would’ve been at another time of year. It also makes the grief worse to consider that Rick didn’t even die from his heart problems, but “thanks” to an infection he got after a shoulder operation that had become necessary because of a previous fall. This kind of hospital infection is a growing problem and has already killed lots of people. It’s just… sigh. I don’t know. He had been clinically dead already after his cardiac infarct, but everyone thought he was on the mend (and I think it was Francis who said “he has the constitution of an ox”). The question how this would affect Quo was unclear at the time; the Last Night of the Electrics tour had just wrapped up and the official stance was still that Quo would continue as an acoustic act (one of the reasons Rick wouldn’t return to Quo, even if it seems this plan was tailor-made to make playing less stressful for him!), despite the somewhat lacklustre reception of Aquostic II and the rumour that Aquostic gigs weren’t financially viable. Thankfully, all members had enough time to deal with this before the next gigs were scheduled. The question what would happen to the work that Rick had done for his solo debut was thankfully answered some months after his death. Apparently, most of the songs were pretty much done, and so the general Quo mood at least turned into a somewhat bittersweet feeling. We weren’t going to see Rick perform live again, but at least we finally got a solo album from him. The excitement surrounding this release was quite extraordinary – I pre-ordered the box set edition featuring the 2 different mixes plus a t-shirt. And all in all, this was a very pleasant surprise. To preface my track-by-track rundown: I recommend the deluxe edition. Why? The so-called “band’s mix” appeals to me more than the regular version, which sounds too polished to me at times, although considering the sound of Rick’s three tracks on Bula Quo! it is probably closer to what he intended. Twinkletoes: Modern sounding guitar soundscape leading into heavy drums, not unlike some more recent Quo tunes. Brian May adds some of his trademark harmony guitars. Great song, great chorus, lots of hit potential. But it’s so damn short! Lonesome Road: The album gets off to a great start and improves even more with the second track. This would have been the best song on any number of Quo albums, and we can only be glad the album was finished so we got to hear this great track. Of all songs on Rick’s solo album this is by far the closest to the classic FF style and the one song that indicates what Rick had been missing in his final years with Quo. The tempo change is just sublime. Just one complaint: It’s far too short again! The final part could have gone on much longer, if you ask me. Over and Out: This is the kind of music that you don't necessarily expect from Rick Parfitt. It reminds me of Jeff Lynne (Electric Light Orchestra), which is somewhat ironic given that Francis is the one who’s been uttering his love of ELO into virtually every microphone. The instrumental part is a thing of beauty! Fantastic! When I Was Fallin’ in Love: This is the first song I have my problems with. It’s a somewhat schmaltzy ballad that shows Rick’s sentimental pop roots. The chorus isn’t bad, the rest is a bit pedestrian (and the intro is nicked from “Handle with Care” by the Traveling Wilburys…). What does annoy me is Rick’s voice, especially since it’s mixed incredibly high in the regular version – the compression on the “official” mix actually makes this ballad sound louder than the rockers. The Band’s Mix is clearly superior in this instance, as it doesn’t sound nearly as grating. The lyrics are interesting and very much a personal statement, as Rick really seemed to be in love with “falling in love”, as evidenced by the ever-changing marriages (only three, but all very complicated) and affairs. Fight for Every Heartbeat: This also has rather personal lyrics, as the title would’ve been used for his unfinished autobiography. While this is a rocker, I'm not entirely convinced: The main part is just too “shouty” and reminds me of the lesser songs from certain Quo albums. However, that Pink-Floyd-esque middle part is just pure bliss! This is another song I prefer in the “band’s mix” as the vocal is less upfront. Overall, it’s good but not up to the standard of the first three tracks. Without You: This was the first single and a strange choice at that. It’s also one of two songs already familiar to fans (from the unreleased 1985 solo album “Recorded Delivery”), although this version is completely re-recorded. It’s a sad and heartfelt song about not being a good father to his son (Richard jr.) and at that, it’s the most personal and touching song here. The way it was arranged to build up from just vocals/piano/strings to a bombastic ballad is very effective, and again I prefer the Band’s mix – in this case it makes the song sound more honest and down-to-earth, and I hear less of the dreaded autotune effect. Even if Rick’s voice had gone weak, there really wasn’t any need for it, if you ask me… he could still sing with a lot of range. Long Distance Love: This is the second single and it was written by John David, like several Quo singles. It has definite hit potential and is a very positive-sounding uptempo pop-rock track. Spot that cowbell? Everybody Knows How to Fly: Alongside “Lonesome Road”, this also recalls the classic era because it’s straightforward blues rock, featuring Bob Young on harmonica. That said, since this is another John David song, it also has a pop sensibility thanks to some catchy movements. Lock Myself Away: This is old-school. Wonderful intro, 12-bar blues form (plus bridge), retro arrangement featuring clean rhythm guitars, boogie-woogie piano and doo-wop backing vocals – all combined to create a groovy feel-good song (with somewhat off-key lyrics). Lovely. Halloween: This is the second song that originally comes from "Recorded Delivery", and it's a bit of a disappointing ending. Not just because it was out before (as a Quo b-side / reissue bonus track) but also because, unlike "Without You" (which had only been available as a bootleg), it was not re-recorded at all. While on one hand, this means we can hear Rick in full command of his vocal powers, it also means that the song's 80s production comes as something of a stark contrast to the more timeless sounds of the newly recorded songs. It would have been better if the drums had been re-recorded or at least stripped of the reverb, and the synths removed completely. All of this doesn't change, of course, that it's a great song. But it does leave a bit of a bitter taste since it means we only got 29 minutes of actual new music, and if we ever see a proper release of “Recorded Delivery” at some point, “Halloween” on here will feel more than a bit superfluous. So, I'm not exactly complaining, but given that there were more songs Rick was working on, some of them with Alan and John, it's a bit sad that currently we've “only” got nine new tracks and one old one. But nonetheless, “Over and Out” is essential listening for any serious Quo fan.
It turned out better than I thought it would. Not heard the band version. A few duff tracks. Nearly two years eh? I'll give it another spin in a bit.
Well here is my review of Ovcr and Out and it possibly isn't quite as glowing. 1. Twinkletoes (Parfitt/Webb) 2:55 Pretty powerful start. lyrics are a bit naff, but then that was never Rick's strong point. 2. Lonesome Road (Parfitt/Webb) 3:28 I really like it but it is far to Quo for me (if that sounds strange stay tuned) 3. Over and Out (Parfitt/Webb) 3:20 Beautiful ballad and easily the best song on the album. 4. When I Was Fallin’ in Love (Parfitt/Webb) 3:23 Oh what!! Rossi gets slagged to bits for doing something with a country twang to it, yet here we have Rick doing his best Travelling Wilbury's impression. Terrible lyrics. Bloody awful 5. Fight for Every Heartbeat (Parfitt/Webb) 3:24 Excellent track and one of the best one the album. Only criticism is it's too Quo-y 6. Without You (Parfitt) 3:22 Awful, just plain and simply awful. Can't stand this and when it was pushed out to radio as the lead track I couldn't believe it. I caused a but of a rumpus on facebook and one of the Quo forums as apparently you aren't allowed to dislike it because a) Rick was dead and b) it's about his son.. Don't care it is crap 7. Long Distance Love (John David) 3:45 Another really good track but again that Quo thing for me. 8. Everybody Knows How to Fly (David) 3:28 Bit of a plodder but still pretty good 9. Lock Myself Away (Parfitt/Webb) 3:35 Hello Chas and Dave and not very good Chas and Dave. 10. Halloween (Parfitt) 5:02 Love this song, even though it is a bit out of place here. Overall the album is a bit of a 6 out of 10 for me. Some tracks show Rick's rockier side but I do wish he'd tried something a little more different to his Quo sound. Even the non-rocky ones are typical of the stuff he was putting on later Quo albums. His lyrics are terrible through out, but he gets saved by having some decent riffs. It is a good send off for him and I was really pleased it got to No.4 in the album charts but it isn't the great lost Quo album many people at the time were saying it was.
People were still upset about Rick's passing (some still are) and were delighted that they got to hear new music from the man. And whether it's good or not should be down to personal opinion, no? Again, when they said it was, it was and probably still is - for them. It isn't it for you, but I'm not sure why you have to act as if they are wrong and you are right. This kind of discussion gets on my nerves.
Jules I was just giving my opinion. Without You is truly awful. I can see why people felt a connection to it, but when I first heard it I really dreaded to think what the album would be like. And I was pointing out that my personal opinion was met with a great deal of abuse because I said I didn't like it. Also it is my opinion that it isn't the great lost Quo album. Not saying I am right and they are wrong but just saying in my opinion that it is not and pointing out at the same time that it is at odds with what others think. Not entirely sure this is any different to me saying Back to Back and 1982 are pretty dire albums. Didn't really think my review of the album was that contentious.
I was merely trying to explain why some people wouldn't react too kindly to that, assuming you had written it that way (without putting at least "I think", "IMO", "to me" or whatever into sentences like "this is crap", "this is awful" etc.), because it tends to spin off into nonsensical discussions... A: This is crap B: No it isn't A: Yes it is B: You're an idiot A: ******* See what I mean? I agree with you on Back to Back, 1982 had some decent tracks IMO but isn't very popular either. For those albums the consensus is such, that you'd probably run into arguments if you said they were masterpieces
Had a listen, its not a bad album. Better than I expected. Without You is the weakest track, not what I would've suggested as the main promo for the album. But overall a decent 7/10
The Down Down live series, and then we can go into hibernation. The new studio album isn't announced yet, but the Rossi/Rickard album is. Maybe when there's nothing else to talk about we can also tackle solo releases by Andy Bown, John "Rhino" Edwards, Bob Young, Alan Lancaster & John Coghlan. Nobody else have anything to say about Over and Out?
It's been a long time since I've said on this thread, so allow me to repeat myself: Back To Back is my favourite Quo album!
I think On The Level would be my favourite. Had a beautiful Japanese MLPS CD edition a few years ago.
I'm missing five Quo studio albums and this is one of them. I like the band well enough - there are always plenty of decent tunes on each record - without being bonkers about them so I've picked up their catalogue piecemeal, whenever I've seen something at a bargain price. The most recent one I've bought is Aquostic which is much more enjoyable that I thought it would be.
I just discovered this: Rick's co-writer Wayne Morris talking about the song: It's Christmas Time, how it came about | Status Quo Fan Forum On the Level, although it's not my personal favourite, is considered one of the top albums. The deluxe edition is mastered a bit too loud, but still sounds better than the 2005 remaster (which also had a strange fault during "Down Down" where one channel went temporarily dull) and includes all the bonus tracks plus some more. I'd argue at least the bonus tracks that already appeared on the 2005 edition are essential, as it contains the entire "Live!" EP plus a very good version of Roadhouse Blues.
Its a great Christmas single. Alas it probably came out too late, if it had been released in the late 80's it would've been a huge hit and been part of the endless circle of songs that are played each year - Slade, Wizzard, Cliff, Shaky, Band Aid, Chris Rea, etc etc. Which of course would've made Morris and Rick a decent wedge of cash too. Its good to see its being featured on Christmas compilations now but really it's not that well known enough, which is a big shame.
It's Christmas Time is one of the best Christmas songs ever. Even now if a record company got behind it I think it would be huge.
Here's a great blog I've just stumbled across - it starts with a review of Quo live 1988: 1. Status Quo – Torbay Leisure Centre – 14/12/1988
