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Post by Victor on Dec 31, 2019 8:00:28 GMT
I will open the thread tonight at midnight (11 pm UK time). Looking forward to opinions and thoughts about the album  |
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Post by Victor on Dec 31, 2019 23:04:31 GMT
Thread now open |
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Post by charliechops on Jan 1, 2020 7:32:47 GMT
An idea for future re re releases of this album .... make it a bona fide double album with 4500x live recordings , including NEC , Milton Keynes , Live at the Apollo , 2014 reunion , and any other outstanding versions available .
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Post by markquo on Jan 1, 2020 9:10:19 GMT
Real Quo
Cheers
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Post by paradiseflats on Jan 1, 2020 10:54:41 GMT
An album from the true Quo period where the bands songs were written by the band or the band plus Bob.
No need for anyone but them. It is the time of pure Quo which would change after Blue for You as Andy changed the writing dynamic for all the times.
Status quo have some great songs to open albums, but maybe Rollover is their finest. I used to overlook it a little in my younger days as a bit too meat and two veg but now appreciate it much more. Francis's soloing is out standing as is the great quiter/louder dynamic that powers the song.
Claudie, the start of their flirtation with country rock. Its a decent song with a great solo.
Reason for living. Again never a favourite, almost a gospel feel to it. A missed opportunity when it was reworked for Aquostic.
Blue eyed lady.. the second single that never was. Great song.
Caroline. Great riff. One of the bands finest. Thankfully it was Quo'd up from its original form.
Softer Ride. A b side to album track. Great song.
And its better now. Weakest song on the album. Its a decent song with a West coast vibe and a hint of the Beatles.
Forty five hundred times. Greatest song of them all. Greatest and only true album version. There was magic in the room, be that with chemicals to help or not.
Not their finest work but a great album.
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Post by quovadis on Jan 1, 2020 13:30:45 GMT
One of my fav quo albums this imo is what quo were all about stand out songs for me are rold 4500 times bel don't like claudie or and it's better now
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Post by Mrs Flittersnoop on Jan 1, 2020 17:31:14 GMT
Hello is strange because it sounds like it should have come before Piledriver, not after it. Everything in it is perfectly simple, nothing is overworked, the sound of the whole album is consistent. Even the tracks I don't mind much about as individual tracks, sound right in the context of the album (OK I could probably live without Reason for Living, but I like the slidy guitar bits). Claudie is just a little 3-chord song, nothing on the face of it to distinguish it from a zillion other little 3-chord songs, but I always enjoy hearing it. This is the album which begins with ROLD which despite lots of arguments for something else, BFM maybe, or Mystery Song, or ... whatever, ROLD is the one that always goes with me, I think it might be Quo's Great Work. Like Paradise, it took me a little while to get it, even on the peerless live EP, but once Got never forgotten. It wasn't until ROLD began to go wrong on stage that I realised that the Quo I had known was sliding away.
And ends with 4500 Times which is not possible to miss. The introduction is clearly an introduction to something, but what? Are we in folk or rock or anything in between here? Then comes the bit it didn't take me very long to recognise as one of my most treasured lines in the long history of Guitar. Then Rick's tiny voice plays (rightly, this is Quo) second string to his guitar. Then we have to rock. Nobody needs to say "let's rock", because it IS rock, it doesn't need pointing out. And so on. No wonder it got to 23 minutes in the end.
Plus many other good things on that album, including the possibly under rated And Its Better Now, which tells the same story as Reason for Living, only better. And sets up the stage perfectly for 4500.
I have never been able to decide whether Hello or Piledriver is "the" Quo album. The are a Matchless Pair.
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gav
Veteran Rocker Rollin'
Posts: 2,152
Favourite Quo Album: On The Level
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Post by gav on Jan 1, 2020 18:53:57 GMT
Has a clunky kind of charm.
Quite raw and abrasive, taken further on the "Quo" album.
A bit under-produced in places, but denser in other parts, "Blue Eyed Lady" and "Softer Ride" being the pinnacles for me.
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gerh
Grizzled Rocker Rollin'
Posts: 2,953 
Favourite Quo Album: 'Hello' [and 'Quo Live']
Favourite other bands.: Zappa, Kansas, Rush, Deep Purple, Yes, Richard Thompson, Horslips, Rory Gallagher, Thin Lizzy, Judas Priest etc etc. [ANYONE but Kiss!]
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Post by gerh on Jan 1, 2020 20:22:34 GMT
For me, this is Quo - as a band of 4 - at the peak of their powers. In a word: Perfection. Only bettered by 'Live'.  G |
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viza
Rocker Rollin'
Posts: 412
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Post by viza on Jan 3, 2020 23:19:23 GMT
A classic album from the Golden period. Not as great as Piledriver but close. Why is there no harmonica on this one? Simple and straightforward. Almost all song make use of dynamic changes which I think was one of Quo's strengths.
Roll Over Lay Down - one of their finest songs. A great opening.
Claudie - it's a great song, nice melody and a nice little solo but I have always thought that the production lacks something and I can't still say what it is. I think the rhythm guitar is a bit immature, like something I could play when I was 10 years old.
Reason for Living - I think it's an underrated song. I love the guitar parts and the use of slide.
Caroline - Always works great as an opener live but the album version is a little bit boring to be honest.
Blue Eyed Lady - Fun and entertaining. Great guitar solo, fades out in its climax like they often use to do.
Softer Ride - This is one of my favorite songs from the album. Very entertaining and rocking.
And It's Better Now - never liked it very much.i could live without it.
4500 Times - This is classic Quo, nice melodies.
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stringybob
Rocker Rollin'
Posts: 326
Favourite Quo Album: Quo
Favourite other bands.: Many and varied
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Post by stringybob on Jan 4, 2020 17:00:39 GMT
It's not my personal favourite Quo LP (although it was for many years), but it's the album that I think captures the essence of Quo best. If someone was totally unaware of the band and asked to hear just one album to find out what they were all about, this is the one I'd play.
"It's like, how much more Quo could this be? And the answer is none. None more Quo."
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Post by dontthinkitmatters on Jan 4, 2020 19:45:40 GMT
Before I offer any opinion on the content, what about THAT album cover.
Iconic .
I went past a printing shop the other day. Nearly went in to get the Hello logo printed in black on a black Tee. Wish I had.
Its ace.
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Post by americanquo on Jan 14, 2020 17:12:43 GMT
An absolute classic. After 'Quo' I can't pick a favorite album, but this would certainly be in the running.
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Post by dennis on Jan 15, 2020 21:19:19 GMT
The centrepiece of the great run of albums from 1970-76 & the first to hit number 1. However, tbh I prefer the two either side of it. Blue Eyed Lady, Caroline, Forty Five Hundred Times & Roll Over Lay Down are all time classics, imo. So is Softer Ride, but it really shouldn't have been left off Piledriver. At least they realised it was to good to leave languishing as a b-side. I know Claudie was a regular part of the set list for a few years but it never did much for me, although I wouldn't go so far as to say I dislike it. And It's Better Now & A Reason For Living are two that I like musically but dislike lyrically, which is a rare occurrence for me as regards Quo songs.
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Post by kursaal75 on Jan 25, 2020 14:38:00 GMT
The Hello! album was the first Quo lp I bought on the day of release and the bands first UK number 1.
Having heard 2 tracks from the album prior to it's release, the current single Caroline and Softer Ride, the 'B' side to the previous single 'Paper Plane' I couldn't wait to get this record on my turntable and I wasn't dissapointed.
A great start with Roll Over Lay Down, followed by Claudie which is a track I've enjoyed on record, in the live set during the mid 70s and the aquostic studio/live performances.
Another track I liked straight away, A Reason For Living, which I was amazed was never in the set, together with the track that ends Side 1 Blue Eyed Lady, so it was a delight to hear it live for the first time 40 years later at Hammersmith. As mentioned before, this would of been an ideal follow up single to Caroline, that kicks of side 2. How I miss Parfitt banging out the opening chords to this rocker.
Softer Ride, is probably my less favourite of the album.
And It's Better Now, took me a while to grow on me, but I still like 47 years later.
A bit controversial, but when I heard Forty Five Hundred Times, I thought it was boring!!! and I would take off the stylus after the previous track. It wasn't until a few later after hearing it live that I began to like it and the Birmingham NEC '82 version is now my favourite live track.
To sum up Hello! is in my top 5 Quo albums, together with, Dog, Piledriver, On The Level & Live. 9/10
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