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Post by roadhouse on Feb 17, 2024 10:47:10 GMT
I was so happy at the time that the Frantic Four did finally have that all important reunion, I can't believe its over a decade ago now, but I can't help but wonder why they didn't record one final studio album together.
They we're playing so well together live, it seemed a shame it didn't go on a bit longer at the time, but as a fan I certainly would have welcomed a studio album.
Its hard to digest that Never Too Late still is and now always will be the last Frantic Four album, unless by miracle there is some unearthed material in the vaults somewhere, a bit like the recently unearthed Beatles song, with the help of AI gave The Beatles another number 1 single.
I'm not suggesting that kind of success would happen to an unearthed Frantic Four song or album, but I am certain an awful lot of fans would welcome something new by the Frantic Four.
The problem is promoting it, I doubt Francis would be interested, which only leaves John Coghlan as a last surviving member that would be remotely interested in pushing something new out.
Any thoughts on this?
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Triggsy
Rocker Rollin'
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Favourite Quo Album: On The Level
Favourite other bands.: AC/DC Greenday Airbourne
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Post by Triggsy on Feb 17, 2024 11:05:28 GMT
After the Reunion Tours, it would have been great to 'Top it all off' if the Four of them had done an Album, but Francis was having none of it (as it all came out later on with the renewal of the Rossi/Lancaster 'Rift') would it have worked all those decades later? Looking back now, as much as I wanted it to, I now doubt it very much, shame the 'PLC' project eventually came to nothing, and with Rick's passing it was officially game over, we all looked at the whole Frantic Four Reunion through rose tinted glasses (even though personally it meant everything and more to me) but with Rick's posthumous solo album with all those tracks that no one generally knew had been recorded fully before his passing, who actually knows what actually exists...or not? Remember reading in 'Record Collector' many years back (early 90's?) Francis was quoted as saying that any Demo's were his only, as it eventually transpired what happens in the Quo name, is solely down to him
Shame, but not everything the Fans want, happens
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Post by curiousgirl on Feb 17, 2024 11:12:29 GMT
I think Francis did the tours as a good will gesture to heal that initial rift with his childhood friend Alan. And of course John was invited to join them too. In 2010, during an interview for his solo tour, I heard him say how much he enjoyed daily phone calls with Alan, after the ice was broken during Quo's Australian tour.
But the experience of working and touring with Alan reminded him why they'd split up. And he didn't want anything more to do with that era of Quo.
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Post by roadhouse on Feb 17, 2024 12:21:27 GMT
I think Francis did the tours as a good will gesture to heal that initial rift with his childhood friend Alan. And of course John was invited to join them too. In 2010, during an interview for his solo tour, I heard him say how much he enjoyed daily phone calls with Alan, after the ice was broken during Quo's Australian tour. But the experience of working and touring with Alan reminded him why they'd split up. And he didn't want anything more to do with that era of Quo. Yeah true, seems such a shame doesn't it? I know Alan's health wasn't great during the reunion period, but as a fan at the time I was praying for some new material. We can now only imagine what it would have been like as once the four of them worked together it has to be said and as Rick said previously in interviews a certain magic occurs when they played together. When you think they we're not quite so frantic by the time the reunion took place, there was still this magical energy that seemed to be bouncing off them. I suppose you could say only a fan could feel that vibe, but it was certainly happening in my opinion,just a crying shame it didn't extend into a studio album. |
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Post by curiousgirl on Feb 17, 2024 12:30:42 GMT
I hear you roadhouse, it would have been great to get some more material from that line-up. But it was also a risk, for the band, past and present. If they'd been really getting on well again, with fresh ideas and enthusiasm, and able to produce something good, they I think they would have. But how can that happen, when what was really going on, even for us fans, was a look back at times we loved and missed. And if that wasn't the case, and it clearly wasn't, why risk a dud album? As I wrote this, I remembered that first rehearsal at Pinewood and them playing Gloria. I loved that. But 10 years on, I can only see a fond remembrance for times past. No enthusiasm for what comes next. |
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Post by roadhouse on Feb 17, 2024 12:42:36 GMT
After the Reunion Tours, it would have been great to 'Top it all off' if the Four of them had done an Album, but Francis was having none of it (as it all came out later on with the renewal of the Rossi/Lancaster 'Rift') would it have worked all those decades later? Looking back now, as much as I wanted it to, I now doubt it very much, shame the 'PLC' project eventually came to nothing, and with Rick's passing it was officially game over, we all looked at the whole Frantic Four Reunion through rose tinted glasses (even though personally it meant everything and more to me) but with Rick's posthumous solo album with all those tracks that no one generally knew had been recorded fully before his passing, who actually knows what actually exists...or not? Remember reading in 'Record Collector' many years back (early 90's?) Francis was quoted as saying that any Demo's were his only, as it eventually transpired what happens in the Quo name, is solely down to him Shame, but not everything the Fans want, happens Didn't realise you lived in Penzance, I live just up the road in St.Austell 😎 |
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Post by Mrs Flittersnoop on Feb 21, 2024 0:06:11 GMT
I think if they were in a mood to record another album together, they would never have split up if that makes sense. It still puzzles me a bit why Francis did the reunions - maybe to mend fences with Alan (not least through an opportunity to make some extra money) and it did flick through my mind that his respect for Alan's mother, which he spoke of during that time (IIRR she died not long afterwards), not to mention just a good opportunity, and encouragement from Simon.
He didn't have any intention of letting it take over his life again. I only read very recently that the phone call where they "fell out" again was Alan trying to talk Francis into going out a third time. Made perfect sense!
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col
Rocker Rollin'
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Favourite Quo Album: Dog Of Two Head, Piledriver, Hello, Quo, Live
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Post by col on Feb 21, 2024 8:47:40 GMT
In my humble opinion, Blue For You was the last Frantic Four studio album.
All the albums had keyboards on them, but the RAOTW album is still closer in sound to Backbone that Blue For You.
From '77 onwards, keyboards were a permanent fixture, even the FF reunion shows didn't go beyond any recorded after 1976.
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Post by 4th Chord on Feb 21, 2024 9:19:14 GMT
I think Francis did the tours as a good will gesture to heal that initial rift with his childhood friend Alan. And of course John was invited to join them too. In 2010, during an interview for his solo tour, I heard him say how much he enjoyed daily phone calls with Alan, after the ice was broken during Quo's Australian tour. But the experience of working and touring with Alan reminded him why they'd split up. And he didn't want anything more to do with that era of Quo. I think to start with it was a bit more than that, I think he was really into it, and also saw commercial opportunity. Look at him at the reunion at Shepperton, and for a while he talked about two Status Quos running in tandem. Then the reasons you gave kicked in not long after, and probably around the time the second tour kicked off. |
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tqontq
Rocker Rollin'
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Post by tqontq on Feb 21, 2024 9:21:39 GMT
I think Francis did the tours as a good will gesture to heal that initial rift with his childhood friend Alan. And of course John was invited to join them too. In 2010, during an interview for his solo tour, I heard him say how much he enjoyed daily phone calls with Alan, after the ice was broken during Quo's Australian tour. But the experience of working and touring with Alan reminded him why they'd split up. And he didn't want anything more to do with that era of Quo. I think to start it was a bit more than that, I think he was really into it, and also saw commercial opportunity. Look at him at the reunion at Shepperton, and for a while he talked about two Status Quos running in tandem. Then the reasons you gave kicked in not long after, and probably around the time the second tour kicked off. And then we got Bula Quo! Devastating. |
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Post by curiousgirl on Feb 21, 2024 9:56:28 GMT
I like your take 4th Chord. I missed that detail of him thinking about running the 2 line-ups in tandem. And agree, he did enjoy that Shepperton session. I don't think the tours would have happened otherwise. The other detail we (the fan base) don't like to think about is how ill Alan really was. I didn't see it - too deep in the crowd - but I've read the stories from 2014 gigs. And as he's ever the realist, I speculate that Francis realised running 2 line-ups couldn't happen due to Alan's ill health. While there could have been money to be made from new material, having worked with creatives myself, it's hard to come up with new ideas if there is antagonism going on between members. And sadly, by the end of the 2nd tour that was the case. Bula Quo would have been set up before the first reunion tour. I don't know how long it took the director to raise the finance etc. It was bad luck for us fans that it happened just after that 1st tour. |
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matt
Veteran Rocker Rollin'
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Post by matt on Feb 21, 2024 18:10:39 GMT
Well apparently Alan was more assertive and what not on the second tour. Francis said in his book he berated one of the crew. Whether that’s true or not I think Francis could maybe see a clique reforming of three v 1 and couldn’t be arsed with changing a well oiled easy day job.
And I don’t blame him.
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Post by railroad007 on Feb 21, 2024 19:36:05 GMT
"but I can't help but wonder why they didn't record one final studio album together." Maybe one of the members thought "Face your family with this decision mate"
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Post by railroad007 on Feb 21, 2024 19:43:16 GMT
I reckon that being the major song writer, revenue earner and then somebody who you don't like anymore slag a nice little earner off must be irritating, and would stay irritating for ever. I'd be thinking as soon as one little indication of the other persons nonsense that would be it for me, I'd probably be ok at first but then it would be "I don't need this all over again". There's also the extra workload that RP had to do on stage. You can't carry passengers in the music game.
The World didn't need another 1+9+8+2 or another BTB.
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Post by railroad007 on Feb 21, 2024 19:49:57 GMT
"A certain magic occurs when they played together" That ended in 1979 with NTL. They could not carry on with product like the last two "Quo" albums, can you imagine them lasting 2 more albums after BTB?
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