|
Post by frozenhero on Oct 4, 2020 9:04:48 GMT
Still hate the awkward "Pictures of Lily" reference and the fact that the title has "blues" in it but no "blues" in the music to be found... always found that disappointing. So this "pictures of lily" thing - i believe Pete Townshend is quoted as saying The Who song of the same name is about masturbation.
So "pictures of lily crying...you know what i mean?" - is that a wink wink, nudge nudge, or is ORB about growing out of younger habits of something, the faded, ragged jeans a metaphor for youth, and maybe a signal of Quo's more AOR/MOR direction - getting older.
I wonder if that was Alan's lyric, or Keith Lamb's? Which one had decided to abstain? I guess we'll never know.
Asking for a friend, btw.
The problem is that the The Who song is pretty clear what it's about. The Quo one isn't. I don't mind your attempts at finding an interpretation but to me it just sounds awkwardly shoehorned in - a bit like Alan quoting all those rock 'n' roll classics in "I Love Rock 'n' Roll".
|
|
|
Post by MrWaistcoat on Oct 5, 2020 10:03:05 GMT
Listened again, still like it despite its flaws. Like backbone it doesn't deliver the hard Rock and boogie workouts I want.
The opening four songs are all good, used to Love no contract, now it sounds like a good demo. GDDT also sounds like a demo. I liked it at the time, keyboards seems unlistanable now
WOL is short and breezes along fine. MT, as 2nd song side 2, stops you wanting to finish the album. And you don't miss much if you don't.
Always liked the stay the night riff, reckon this is the sound they wanted for PR but this is better.
For pop Rock, this is perhaps Quo's best stab at it. Of the next 5 studio albums, only RTYD is better
For all this albums faults, MOB has a great vibe, ORB was a good single and TGTTG is fantastic. There's also a premium quality twee little huge hit that ought to have been a solo single
|
|
matt
Veteran Rocker Rollin'
Posts: 1,013
|
Post by matt on Oct 5, 2020 19:53:02 GMT
Too close to the ground should have been re recorded for Ricks solo album, thinking about it.
|
|
|
Post by MrWaistcoat on Oct 5, 2020 21:00:50 GMT
Too close to the ground should have been re recorded for Ricks solo album, thinking about it. Doesn't sound like a rick song, wonder if Andy wrote most of it? Reckon the credits would always say Parfit Bown in that order. Same with the likes of Rhino's Gravy Train But yes it would be great to hear a version with Rick singing, although tbf Francis solo is just the job
|
|
gav
Veteran Rocker Rollin'
Posts: 2,156
Favourite Quo Album: On The Level
|
Post by gav on Oct 5, 2020 22:21:35 GMT
Too close to the ground should have been re recorded for Ricks solo album, thinking about it. Doesn't sound like a rick song, wonder if Andy wrote most of it? Reckon the credits would always say Parfit Bown in that order. Same with the likes of Rhino's Gravy Train But yes it would be great to hear a version with Rick singing, although tbf Francis solo is just the job Someone on an older SQ board said TCTTG is a re-write of an older Andy Bown song, i just can't remember which one - but i remember hearing it and could see (?) the similarity - TCTTG was the better of the two, simpler, more effective chord progressions, with better lyrics. If i could only remember what tune it was, something off one of his albums i'm 99% sure, not an obscure B-side. Maybe Parfitt got a credit as he was the inspiration?!
|
|
|
Post by Quoincidence on Oct 6, 2020 1:55:07 GMT
Rick sang TCTTG originally, before Francis' vocals ended up on it. Wouldve been nice as the bonus track on Over And Out either with / instead of Halloween Edit; just noticed Rick originally autocorrected to Rock, and I didn't notice it. What a tit
|
|
gav
Veteran Rocker Rollin'
Posts: 2,156
Favourite Quo Album: On The Level
|
Post by gav on Oct 6, 2020 22:24:45 GMT
So after trawling through Andy Bown's 70's back catalogue, i think i might have found the tune Andy re-wrote as "Too Close To The Ground" - it bears some similarities.....see what you think...
|
|
|
Post by Quoincidence on Oct 6, 2020 23:39:30 GMT
So after trawling through Andy Bown's 70's back catalogue, i think i might have found the tune Andy re-wrote as "Too Close To The Ground" - it bears some similarities.....see what you think...
I see what you mean. Very similar instrumentation and structure here and there. Wouldn't surprise me if Rick wrote the lyrics considering what he was going through at this point in his life, and Andy restructured this song around them... Speaking of the album itself;- I enjoy Back To Back. I do wish that Petes kit hadn't been triggered as much as it was, and they kept a more authentic sound to it. The version of GDTT on the album is dog shite. The re-recorded version is leaps and bounds ahead of it, and the solo just makes it that much better. Always preferred Frans vocal take for Ol' Rag Blues. His voice suits the track a lot more than Alan's does
|
|
mortified
4500 Timer
Posts: 5,861
Favourite Quo Album: Hello!
Favourite other bands.: Talking Heads, Rolling Stones, Sheryl Crow, Gary Numan, Alabama 3, ZZ Top, Paul van Dyk, Jeff Beck, Bowie, Gerry Rafferty, Band of Skulls, UFO, S.A.H.B
|
Post by mortified on Oct 7, 2020 5:31:16 GMT
So after trawling through Andy Bown's 70's back catalogue, i think i might have found the tune Andy re-wrote as "Too Close To The Ground" - it bears some similarities.....see what you think...
Ooh, I think you've hit on something there. Definite similarities. I managed to get hold of two of Andy's solo albums only the other week and this was one of them (the other was Sweet William) but I haven't played them yet. As an addendum to my dislike of the Back To Back album, I have to say that Too Close To The Ground is a glaring exception. It's easily the best track on there. But that's quite telling for me; when the best track is the slow one.
|
|
|
Post by charles on Oct 7, 2020 5:46:12 GMT
Never seen that Andy Bown album, love the artwork.
|
|
|
Post by MrWaistcoat on Oct 7, 2020 16:23:59 GMT
As an addendum to my dislike of the Back To Back album, I have to say that Too Close To The Ground is a glaring exception. It's easily the best track on there. But that's quite telling for me; when the best track is the slow one. A case could be made for the following: Waiting for a woman / Backbone Lover of human race / TW A Year - Piledriver LOAI - WYW Bellavista Man - TPAOY For You - RAOTW Who gets the lumps - AC Army - Army Warning Shot - RTYD Blessed are the meek - UTI Tongue Tied - 4th chord Not At All - PR (defininely a s l o w song !) Mystery Island - BQ (OK, getting silly now ) Add BTB and that's 14 albums !
|
|
|
Post by americanquo on Oct 7, 2020 20:46:39 GMT
Confession: I actually kind of like this album.
|
|
viza
Rocker Rollin'
Posts: 412
|
Post by viza on Oct 9, 2020 22:37:06 GMT
So after trawling through Andy Bown's 70's back catalogue, i think i might have found the tune Andy re-wrote as "Too Close To The Ground" - it bears some similarities.....see what you think...
I can see why You think it's similar. But if you're listening to the melody there is not much that is. Not even the chord progression. The only thing that is copied is the declining chord changes in the interlude.
|
|
tqontq
Rocker Rollin'
Posts: 579
|
Post by tqontq on Oct 10, 2020 0:30:07 GMT
The mere mention of BTB transports back to the time when I so wanted to disown the band because of their new sound and total lack of drive, direction and energy and Rossi's attempt to be successful at mediocre country/pop drivel. But...live they remained as fabulous as ever. It was a hard time being a fan back then, not knowing which way to turn. I finally made up my mind when Alan left and they remerged as the Wurzels Mark II. But yeah, BTB...well nothing to say about it really. They had completely lost the plot. The one quality track was Too Close. Always found that to be a quality tune and shows that they can do something different and it doesn't have to be a cheesy nursery rhyme. Take note Francis. Ooops too late!
|
|
allyp
Rocker Rollin'
Posts: 577
|
Post by allyp on Oct 10, 2020 9:07:03 GMT
The first Quo album I heard. At the time I wasn’t familiar of what had come before really and didn’t start collecting the back catalogue until the early 90s. An album full of hit singles so was no flop commercially and a little more accessible than the previous album. In hindsight bow the album was a bit of a creative mess. No harm in diversity on a record but it was clear the band were pulling in different directions. There is a lot made about the band politics at the time but Musically they were on a different planet.
The argument over who sang what and what songs were recorded was a big stumbling point but if the management had been more on the ball then some of that could have been sorted out despite personal tensions. Commercially the record company were going to go with a familiar format francis singing lead on the singles etc. Creativity the record was just aiming at 3 minute pop singles as was the norm with most bands at the time and artists from Quo’s era and much creativity had expired unfortunately.
|
|