Listening Party #10 - Blue for You by Status Quo - start playing at 8pm on 25th May

TTony

This is the thread for Listening Party #10 which will start at 8pm sharp on 25th of May, so cue up your CD or vinyl, rewind your tape or add to your Spotify playlist ready to go.

Also, here's a YT link if you don't have any of the other options.

For an explanation / idea of what we are trying to do, please read this thread:

https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/224863/listening-party-anyone-up-for-it

Please chip in with any positive comments or observations on each tune as they are being played in real time. There will be plenty of opportunity to expand on longer thoughts if you want to after the 'live' thread has finished, so keep them short and upbeat during the playback period. There might be a very short drinks interval between side 1 and 2. I will let you know when side 2 will re-start.

The 10th record we are doing is In Blue For You by Status Quo.

roberty

I shall prepare my best double denim outfit

TTony

IIRC (it's a long time ago, but I'm pretty sure that I do) - this was the second album that early-teens me bought, back in the mid 1970s.  And I've still got it - on original vinyl, on original CD, on remastered CD, on deluxe edition reissue CD ...

The first album that I bought was the album that followed this - the Live Double.   But back to the shop pretty quickly for both this and On The Level.

The front cover gives a pretty good indication  of what's inside, but there's a few tracks in there that might be surprising, and - unless you're a Quo fan - probably not too many that you'll have heard before (not many radio play singles in here).

So, what does everyone else make of my early-teen choices ...

TTony

 @Ally ;;;;
 @BahHumbug ;;;;
@darthed1981
 @Devil#20 ;;;;
 @digitalkettle ;;;;
 @DiscoStu ;;;;
 @EricTheWeary ;;;;
 @ewal ;;;;
 @Fuengi ;;;;
 @Hattigol ;;;;
 @JMS96 ;;;;
 @Jonathangus ;;;;
 @JonHosker ;;;;
 @MagicPigDetective ;;;;
@markv
 @merlin ;;;;
 @mudslide73 ;;;;
 @Philly_Q ;;;;
 @Redlester ;;;;
 @richardhomer ;;;;
 @roberty ;;;;
 @RocknRollDave ;;;;
 @Springywheel ;;;;
 @theimageofall ;;;;
 @thermionic ;;;;
 @tone1 ;;;;
 @TTony ;;;;
 @UnclePsychosis ;;;;
 @victorludorum ;;;;

DiscoStu

I quite like a bit of Quo when it comes on the radio but it's not something I would choose to sit down and listen to, so this is a good choice.
And I MUST have heard this album countless times when I was a kid cos my older brother was Quo daft but having looked up the tracklist I don't recognise any of the names. Colour me interested...

Fuengi

Great choice! Not an album I'm familiar with but a great option for reassessment of a band that like everyone I know, but don't really know. 

stickyfiddle

I've definitely never heard a Quo record from front to back. Looking at the track listing I don't think I know a single song, but I'm assuming it's the same vibe as what I do know from them. I'll certainly join if I'm able

TTony

stickyfiddle said:

 but I'm assuming it's the same vibe as what I do know from them. 

That'll be an interesting assessment.  Is it the Quo-you-know?

This might be splitting hairs (it's all "head-down-no-nonsense-mindless-boogie" to some extent), but Quo had 4 distinct phases of their career, once they got past the 60's pysch stuff.

To my mind ..
- phase1 was the "original" Quo, from Dog of 2 Head through to the Live album.  That was all done by the line-up that reformed a few years ago for the "Frantic Four" tours.  Never to be seen again now that 2 of the 4 are gone. 
This was the last album from that phase.

- phase2 was cleaned-up "poppy-Quo" which started with Rocking all Over the World and probably lasted through most of the 80s.  Quite a few charting singles, but far less head-down-no-nonsense.

- phase3 was lost-Quo during which time they  were mostly trashed and didn't release anything worth listening to.

- phase4 was reborn-Quo which really started with the Heavy Traffic album in early 00's. 


Most of what most people think of is the phase2 poppy-Quo stuff.  TBH, I stopped buying  their stuff sometime in the early 80s because it was disappointing (if "popular"), though I then went back and filled in the gaps (shouldn't have bothered) at some point in the later 90s.

Phase1 Quo is where it was at for me, and I could have picked any of those early albums for this session.

EricTheWeary

I mostly know Quo from the singles, I owned one album (Rockin All Over the World?)and by the time I saw them live it wasn’t really ‘them’ anymore just Rossi and chums. I do recommend his autobiography BTW. I recognise two song titles on this album and that’s it. 

I can’t usually make the listening party slot but I’ll listen to the album anyway. 

Redlester

roberty said:

I shall prepare my best double denim outfit

Look at that album cover again and you’ll see that FR is wearing a TRIPLE den outfit, no less!!! 

roberty

Redlester said:

roberty said:

I shall prepare my best double denim outfit

Look at that album cover again and you’ll see that FR is wearing a TRIPLE den outfit, no less!!! 

I don't think I'm quite ready for that!

Redlester

I'm sure they are all wearing Denim aftershave as well. 

CountryDave

Cracking album, worth a listen for Rain, Mystery Song or Is there a better way. All of which have at some point, been part of the live set.

Fuengi

Redlester said:

roberty said:

I shall prepare my best double denim outfit

Look at that album cover again and you’ll see that FR is wearing a TRIPLE den outfit, no less!!! 

The shirt makes it four, unless it's a one piece with the trousers. 

Can't see his pants but I bet there's a good chance. 

TTony

CountryDave said:

Mystery Song

The story being that the rest of the band left the studio at the end of a day's recording, but Rick stayed behind with "supplies".

When the band returned the next morning, Rick was still there, minus the "supplies", but with the song written.

It's a great track - and the main reason that I picked that album over the others of "phase1" Quo.

PhilW1

TTony said:

stickyfiddle said:

 but I'm assuming it's the same vibe as what I do know from them. 

That'll be an interesting assessment.  Is it the Quo-you-know?

This might be splitting hairs (it's all "head-down-no-nonsense-mindless-boogie" to some extent), but Quo had 4 distinct phases of their career, once they got past the 60's pysch stuff.

To my mind ..
- phase1 was the "original" Quo, from Dog of 2 Head through to the Live album.  That was all done by the line-up that reformed a few years ago for the "Frantic Four" tours.  Never to be seen again now that 2 of the 4 are gone. 
This was the last album from that phase.

- phase2 was cleaned-up "poppy-Quo" which started with Rocking all Over the World and probably lasted through most of the 80s.  Quite a few charting singles, but far less head-down-no-nonsense.

- phase3 was lost-Quo during which time they  were mostly trashed and didn't release anything worth listening to.

- phase4 was reborn-Quo which really started with the Heavy Traffic album in early 00's. 


Most of what most people think of is the phase2 poppy-Quo stuff.  TBH, I stopped buying  their stuff sometime in the early 80s because it was disappointing (if "popular"), though I then went back and filled in the gaps (shouldn't have bothered) at some point in the later 90s.

Phase1 Quo is where it was at for me, and I could have picked any of those early albums for this session.

Gotta say that’s exactly my sentiments,except I’d add ‘Ma Kelly’s greasy spoon’ album to phase 1 (love that album!)
It all changed for the worse for me with Rockin all over the World until the Frantic Four . 

Great choice.

Philly_Q

It's an interesting choice.  I feel like I'm really familiar with Status Quo, but it's really only the (many) hit singles.  I'm pretty sure I've only ever listened to one whole album.

TTony

Reminder for this ... 40-odd minutes of some proper old Quo 

Denims on.

markv

Looking forward to it, never really listened to Quo. I have a blue denim shirt I shall be wearing for the occasion but no blue denim jeans sadly.

Devil#20

I've just looked at the track listing. The only one I've heard is Rain. I think the only albums I've listened to is Piledriver and Hello. 

TTony

Just getting my ear in, and listening to it now.

Takes me right back  ...