Status Quo
The Essential Quo Volume 1

THE REVIEW

ROCK'N'ROLL!!

With this word, you could describe Status Quo. They are one of the most famous rock'n'roll bands in the world, formed more than thirty-five years ago. The founders are bassist Alan Lancaster and guitarists Rick Parfitt and Francis Rossi, the latter two still part of the current line-up.

Status Quo formed in 1962 and in 1968 released their first album, which contained a psychedelic rock sound and quite beautiful songs like "Technicolour Dreams" and "Pictures Of A Matchstick Man." After two more records, the band reached the early seventies and released "Hello," the album that opened the doors to success and the notorious rock'n'roll. The album was truly a great hit, and the group began to make a name for themselves with singles like "Caroline," "Paper Plane," "Big Fat Mama" and "In My Chair." Their subsequent works ("On The Level"...) are genuine rock gems that confirmed and increased their fame. Their hits of the seventies include "Whatever You Want," "Down Down," "Is There A Better Way," "Backwater," "Rain" and "Forty Five Hundred Times." True masterpieces!!

In the eighties, the quartet didn't give up and continued on the right path, "modernizing," but not commercializing, their sound. The albums "In The Army Now," "Ain't Complaining" and hits like "What You're Proposing," "Again Again," "Rockin All Over The World," "Can't Give You More," "Burning Bridges" and others demonstrate it. The band is still active today, continuing to play concerts, offering their classics, and supporting rock in general.

"The Essential Quo Vol. 1" is one of the three volumes that summarize the career of Status Quo from 1972 to 1990, encompassing the successes from "Piledriver" to "Perfect Remedy." A nice feast of pure rock'n'roll. I think a track-by-track of 18 songs in a compilation is heavy, so I will talk about the album in general. The first hit, for those who do not know the band, already lets the listener know what to expect. Power, catchy choruses, famous riffs, and wild rock!! "Down Down" is the confirmation!! One of the staple tracks of Parfitt & Co., the track is a mix between the rockiest Who and energy with a capital E. The compilation contains songs that are rock icons, like "Rockin All Over The World," "Something 'Bout You Baby," "Night Ride" and others. Pieces that have a hard rock-metal edge like "Over The Edge," the medley "Come Rock With Me / Rockin On," the beautiful "Overdose" and "Every Time I Think Of You." The last two songs are the Quo's best hits of the eighties!! Finally, we find slightly more experimental and modern tracks, "Ain't Complaining" reminds me of some ZZ Top tracks, "Magic" and the cheerful and dreamy "Dreamin." These are the songs in the first volume of Status Quo!! The other hits are contained in the other two volumes, namely "Whatever You Want," "Burning Bridges," "Roll Over Lay Down," "What You're Proposing" etc.

Here you have Status Quo!!