Almost overnight Quo transformed from a psychedelic pop band into an altogether weightier outfit that would, in time, attain hard rock immortality. A much-needed change in musical direction soon followed, prompted by hearing The Doors' Roadhouse Blues for the first time whilst on tour in Germany. The Frantic Four were born in 1970, when organ player Roy Lynes quit Quo, whittling them down to a quartet. God bless you Alan, in some respects you were the conscience of the band. Rick Parfitt passed away on Christmas Eve 2016, and Alan Lancaster left us just last weekend. Just typing those names gives me goosebumps. Francis Rossi, Rick Parfitt, Alan Lancaster and John Coghlan. As a keen teenage rock disciple though, it didn't take me too long to discover that, when it comes to Quo, if you want the genuine article, then you need to travel back to the previous decade, to the Frantic Four era. I'm still quite fond of those albums, although they are admittedly pretty lightweight in nature. My first Quo albums were the late 80s ones from the re-formed version of the band, In The Army Now, Ain't Complaining and Perfect Remedy. Besides, my standard issue 80s parka should keep me relatively dry. I've got some spending money off me Mam, and I'm gonna pick me up a copy of that song, sod the weather. Status Quo had been featured on that weeks Top Of The Pops, miming along to their new single, In The Army Now, and I'm on a mission. It's a foul day, tipping down with rain, and I'm on my way to the nearest town to buy one of my very first rock records. "The band have never sounded cockier nor more physically fit than they do on what is without a doubt their most popular and respected album – which entered the UK chart at No.1 in 1973. With its eight songs (the bonus track Joanne was added when the album was reissued in 2006) Hello! contains not a trace of a filler." ( Classic Rock Magazine)Īlex Hayes: It's early October 1986, and the just turned 12-year-old me is sat on a bus.
Nicely addictive for short periods of time, irritating for lengthy periods of time, which is why Status Quo in the eighties were a hideous proposition, because over-familiarity with their tricks and trade rendered them weak and fainting and critical, on life-support." ( Adrian Denning) "It's pleasing, relatively heavy, boogie riffing rock material. "Down to the proto- Spinal Tap black-on-black cover, this was the vanguard of British denim rock in 1975, and given the narrow conceptual and technical limits within which the Status Quo had to work, it has held up well, though it is certainly not for the faint of heart or attention span." ( AllMusic) But then Rick came up with the intro riff and we were away. “It started off a bit bluesy, and those mid-tempo shuffles are extremely difficult to play. “It was a hard one to write,” Francis Rossi said. Recording those songs was a really moving experience.”Ĭaroline, the only single extracted from the album, was one of many Quo songsĬo-written by the band’s tour manager Bob Young. “It was magical – like there was stardust coming off them. “I just remember the feeling I got from those tracks,” he said. After the success of the previous year’s Piledriver, Quo stuck with a winning formula on Hello! And once they had three key tracks in the can – Caroline, Roll Over Lay Down and Forty-Five Hundred Times – guitarist Rick Parfitt knew they’d nailed We were the people’s band – the real deal.”Īnd in 1973, the people’s band became more popular than they had ever dreamed possible. “We did anything we could do to look ugly!” said Lancaster.