mortified
4500 Timer
Posts: 5,832
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
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Post by mortified on Sept 4, 2020 6:54:57 GMT
I tend to look on Thirsty Work as a bit of a blip these days. OK, it was quite a long blip between 1991 and 1999 but I've been more or less happy with their output since Under The Influence. Deliriously happy with rather a lot of it. So I forgive them the sins of Tango, Restless et al (no pun intended ) People have moods and make mistakes. Well, most people anyway. I know I don't
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Post by MrWaistcoat on Sept 4, 2020 8:50:07 GMT
Back then I felt that one man band and rude awakening time could have served as some sort of blueprint for a new direction - like a sideways step from the old band, but rocking in a new way. Sadly they were too lost for that
Francis comment at the time said it all re the singles. One that sounds like Quo, a ballad, and a pop song. None worked and that flawed him. It was all about trying to be popular, with no care about what the music was.
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gav
Veteran Rocker Rollin'
Posts: 2,149
Favourite Quo Album: On The Level
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Post by gav on Sept 4, 2020 18:44:48 GMT
Yes, probably my least favourite, closely followed by Piledriver... I didn't mean it.
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Post by quovadis on Sept 4, 2020 20:17:01 GMT
I tend to look on Thirsty Work as a bit of a blip these days. OK, it was quite a long blip between 1991 and 1999 but I've been more or less happy with their output since Under The Influence. Deliriously happy with rather a lot of it. So I forgive them the sins of Tango, Restless et al (no pun intended ) People have moods and make mistakes. Well, most people anyway. I know I don't
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Post by quovadis on Sept 4, 2020 20:17:32 GMT
I tend to look on Thirsty Work as a bit of a blip these days. OK, it was quite a long blip between 1991 and 1999 but I've been more or less happy with their output since Under The Influence. Deliriously happy with rather a lot of it. So I forgive them the sins of Tango, Restless et al (no pun intended ) People have moods and make mistakes. Well, most people anyway. I know I don't
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Post by quovadis on Sept 4, 2020 20:23:32 GMT
as a hello and on the level man myself there is a few and I mean a few songs I like on this pop album and that is believe or not Tango catchy tune imo and soft in the head but overall the album is s#!te way to poppy what was Frame thinkin🦆🦆
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Post by Victor on Sept 4, 2020 20:36:03 GMT
I need to get back to a couple of other albums too...health hasn't exactly been cooperating lately so I am behind...but i'll catch up...
This album is a very strange one for me. I suppose I will belong to a minority that doesn't mind the album too much. There are actually some songs that I like or can listen to. Those are Back on my feet, Ciao Ciao, Believe it or not, Tango (except for that capture my heart middle piece !), Lover of the Human Race and especially Soft in the head, ...there are also some horrible songs on it for me (Restless, Sorry, Queenie, Sail away, Rude awakening time. For me it sounds more like a Francis Rossi solo album then anything else. And I can listen to the album that way and that makes it bearable for me. It has very little to do with Status Quo for me.
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Post by dontthinkitmatters on Sept 6, 2020 9:04:22 GMT
I need to get back to a couple of other albums too...health hasn't exactly been cooperating lately so I am behind...but i'll catch up... This album is a very strange one for me. I suppose I will belong to a minority that doesn't mind the album too much. There are actually some songs that I like or can listen to. Those are Back on my feet, Ciao Ciao, Believe it or not, Tango (except for that capture my heart middle piece !), Lover of the Human Race and especially Soft in the head, ...there are also some horrible songs on it for me (Restless, Sorry, Queenie, Sail away, Rude awakening time. For me it sounds more like a Francis Rossi solo album then anything else. And I can listen to the album that way and that makes it bearable for me. It has very little to do with Status Quo for me. Hope good health co-operates quickly Victor
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Post by Victor on Sept 6, 2020 16:54:50 GMT
I need to get back to a couple of other albums too...health hasn't exactly been cooperating lately so I am behind...but i'll catch up... This album is a very strange one for me. I suppose I will belong to a minority that doesn't mind the album too much. There are actually some songs that I like or can listen to. Those are Back on my feet, Ciao Ciao, Believe it or not, Tango (except for that capture my heart middle piece !), Lover of the Human Race and especially Soft in the head, ...there are also some horrible songs on it for me (Restless, Sorry, Queenie, Sail away, Rude awakening time. For me it sounds more like a Francis Rossi solo album then anything else. And I can listen to the album that way and that makes it bearable for me. It has very little to do with Status Quo for me. Hope good health co-operates quickly Victor Ah thanks very much, mate, that's much appreciated
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Post by asthequoflies on Sept 11, 2020 17:55:55 GMT
A lot of good melodies on it, but yes, overall a poor Quo album.
Admirable attempt and obviously more reflecting Francis' taste in music, more pop and country than rock'n'roll. However, he is better at composing the rock material than he is with the pop/country stuff.
Thankfully the next studio album began correcting course.
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Post by frozenhero on Sept 16, 2020 8:45:43 GMT
And now my verdict on Thirsty Work!
Goin' Nowhere: This sounds like Quo... it's a good opener, but from the beginning you can hear some mix issues. The drums sound too bloated and trebly, the guitars aren't powerful enough, and the keyboards sound questionable - plus they're too high in the mix. Imagine this with the sound of Backbone and it would've been much better.
I Didn't Mean It: John David song, and not the worst. I can see why this was a single. But I can also see why it wasn't a big hit - somehow the energy seems unfocused. The overproduction also gets on my nerves (the acoustic mix is better for this... the hooligan mix is an interesting oddity). In a way, it reminds me of "Cream of the Crop" which was a similar song that almost falls over itself.
Confidence: I can identify with those lyrics... this is palatable, although nothing too memorable.
Point of No Return: Better song this time, and of course you want a Quo album to contain some shuffles!
Sail Away: Once I get past the intro, this is a pleasant song. Francis throws in some countrified guitar lines but it's nothing too obtrusive.
Like It or Not: I like it. That minor key groove especially so... that could've sat comfortably on almost any FF album. The chorus goes off into more poppy territory, but I still like it. Nice solo too.
Soft in the Head: This is another pretty gritty sounding song. If Rick didn't play on it, they did a great job at covering up for him. Strong song, strong vocals - could've been on RTYD at least. I also like the lyrics ("But I don't believe in not believing in miracles").
Queenie: It's not just the title that reminds me of Chuck Berry. Slow it down and there's some classic rock'n'roll running through this. The lyrics seem appropriate for Rick, and even if his writing style is sorely missed from this album, at least he agreed to sing this one.
Lover of the Human Race: This is one of the more experimental pieces on here, and surprisingly effective. The Aquostic version loses everything that's cool about the original. This is dark and has an almost industrial feel... very un-Quo like, but to me it sounds like it's ahead of its time. I mean, listen to some Muse... and then imagine Francis singing instead of Matt! And as has been the case before ("End of the Line", anyone?), as soon as they veer off into minor key territory, the synths make much more sense!
Sherri, Don't Fail Me Now!: As has been documented, this was also written for Rick but he didn't want to do it, and so Francis had to go way beyond his usual range. All in all, not one of Quo's finest moments and not a good choice for a single. The guitars sound washed out and have way too little presence, the melody is kinda so-so, and the lyrics are almost nonsensical.
Rude Awakening Time: Just a fun toe-tapper. This was definitely the right choice for the live setlist and IMO should've been a single. Kinship to the classic era is strong, with chunky guitars, thumping bass and powerful drums. That honky-tonk piano is such a relief after those cheesy synths. Francis also comes up with a great guitar arrangement for the solo part. That outro could've gone on much longer! One particular highlight.
Back on My Feet: Ergh... what is this? A lot of tempo, but also a lot of cheese. Methinks Francis should've kept this one for his solo album. He does turn in a fantastic solo - it almost redeems the song. Almost.
Restless: A source of confusion for Quo fans ever since 1994... and evidence has it Francis wanted to do it since 1982-1983. I'm afraid I simply don't share his enthusiasm for the song. There are some good chord changes but overall it leaves me cold, no matter how much heart he tries to put into his singing - and that bridge with the vocal, surely he could've approached that in a different way? (It sounds almost identical sung live...)
Ciao-Ciao: Ca plan pour moi... it's strange, only the Rossi/Bown team gives me this feeling of writing things just for the sake of writing. Some of their songs just sound so odd, I wonder why exactly they were deemed good enough for recording. "Backing Off" is the most recent example. On the other hand they've given us the wonderful "Frozen Hero"!
Tango: Quo be bold! I approve. This is the second all-out experimental track on here and of course, we have that tango in the middle. I kinda wish the album could've contained more unusual, left-of-center songs like this, because too many TW songs actually sound too safe to me. Even if you don't like "Tango", it's hard to deny the craft that went into it. I mean, just listen to those contrapuntal guitar parts!
Sorry: As sappy as this is, I don't think it's a bad song. But the production is very off... the drums are superfluous, and in general this needs a much more scaled-down arrangement. Francis also sounds not really earnest singing this. Not exactly the best ending imaginable.
- B-sides -
Quo again recorded enough for a double vinyl album, but instead put an hour of music onto the LP and issued the rest as b-sides.
Survival: This could've gone on the album too, though things get a bit extra cheesy with the bridge and ensuing key sounds. Maybe better that this was kept off the LP.
She Knew Too Much: Spy thriller? That low twangy guitar does remind me of "Secret Agent Man". The main tag line and verse are pretty bog standard, but the chorus is quite charming. I wouldn't have minded this on the album.
Tossin' and Turnin': "I Didn't Mean It", part two... very standard post-classic Quo. At least this doesn't have quite as much going on in it.
Down to You: Overproduced but very good post-80s Quo. This has some of the swagger from the Anniversary Waltz' version of "That'll Be the Day". Good guitar solo too. Not sure why this was not an LP track. OK, those repetitions should've been excised.
Beautiful: If Francis wanted a romantic, slightly sentimental ballad on the album, this would've been my preferred choice over "Restless", not just because it's a band-penned song, but because it has more charm and a pretty cool groove (is it even a ballad, taken at such a high speed?). Even the lyrics come across as pretty earnest - Francis had finally found peace of mind in his personal life, and that's why he sounds believable singing this.
And I Do: This is another song that sort of leaves me scratching my head. It doesn't sound much like Quo, it's filled with cheesy sounds (including accordion!)... sounds very much like a Rossi solo song.
Democracy: You don't mess around with Leonard Cohen. Just because you covered Jennifer Warnes, doesn't mean you're allowed to cover the guy she covered! OK, seriously, this is obviously a superior song, and Quo could've done a lot worse with it. They overproduced it, but the power of its lyric remains undiminished IMO. Hopefully democracy IS actually coming to the USA...
- Overall verdict -
Look, I don't think this is a bad album at all. It's a couple of songs too long, and the production and arrangements could be better, but as a mature pop-rock album it could be a whole lot worse. Francis' opinion is clearly tainted by the fact that the album wasn't as successful as he had hoped, but judged on its own merits, I think it stands up pretty well. What's problematic is viewing it through the Quo prism and comparing with previous Quo albums, and only a few tracks (Goin' Nowhere, Point of No Return, Like It or Not, Soft in the Head, Queenie, Rude Awakening Time) really withstand that comparison in any way. The rest, if anything, is mostly reminiscent of the Rossi/Frost material released from 1982 to 1985 (both on Quo records and in their own name), although thankfully the backing vocals have been reduced and aren't anywhere as annoying as when Francis first started collaborating with Bernie. Quite why Francis & Co. thought this idiom was the way to go forward in an era that suddenly had seen loud, sloppy guitar music become fashionable again is beyond me.
So, "Thirsty Work" only, er, works when you take it from out of its time and also, to a degree, ignore the Quo moniker on the front cover. The lack of Rick in the writing and singing is unfortunate, but I can't sympathize with his criticism of the album simply because, well, if you're part of a band and choose to not participate much in the writing and recording... you'll have to live with the consequences I guess.
As with almost all later Quo albums, I think you can easily put together a better record by throwing out some of the album tracks and replacing them with b-sides. I'm not entirely sure yet but my TW redux would look something like this (I've stuck with the 16-song template for now, though it would certainly improve from being shortened):
Goin' Nowhere Tossin' and Turnin' Confidence Point of No Return Sail Away Like It or Not Soft in the Head Queenie Lover of the Human Race She Knew Too Much Rude Awakening Time Down to You Beautiful Ciao-Ciao Tango I Didn't Mean It
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matt
Veteran Rocker Rollin'
Posts: 1,002
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Post by matt on Sept 18, 2020 9:22:35 GMT
Hmmmm - I like your review frozenhero , and your new track list. I think 16 songs is too much for any album. Even The Beatles proved this on the White Album. 10-12 seems a sweet spot. With that in mind here would be my revised trackless: 1. Goin' Nowhere - I think this is a decent low key opener 2. I didn't mean it 3. She Knew too much 4. Like it or Not 5. Down to You 5. Soft in the Head 6. Point of no Return 7. Rude Awakening time 8. Lover of the human Race 9. Ciao Ciao 10. Beautiful
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Post by charles on Sept 18, 2020 10:53:19 GMT
Some albums should be downsized to a single.
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mortified
4500 Timer
Posts: 5,832
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
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Post by mortified on Sept 18, 2020 14:03:17 GMT
Some albums should be downsized to a single. Or an ash tray.
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mortified
4500 Timer
Posts: 5,832
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
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Post by mortified on Sept 18, 2020 14:19:10 GMT
frozenhero , it's interesting to read a review of something I don't like by someone who does it more from a musical or musician's point of view. Key changes, bridges, minor keys, all that. Most of us probably just listen and think " yeah, like that" or " nah, not for me" and move on. You've actually talked up a Quo song that I have always detested ( Tango) but have put a different slant on it. Your thinking is unquestionably different to mine because I don't care about the craft that went into it; to me, it came out awful. And is as cheesy as anything on the album. But one man's cheese is another man's Argentinian dance move And I cannot for the life of me see anything remotely approaching industrial in Lover Of The Human Race! I bow to your better ear But I enjoyed your review. It's analytical in a different way. You can obviously see (hear?) beyond the simple listening process that someone like me puts into it. To me, the album contains quite a few of the poorest things Quo ever recorded; but they're all in one package, which is actually a bonus. I can pretty much discard it en masse and not hear any of them ever again But opinion is wonderful thing. Or there wouldn't be a message board. Or possibly an Ed Sheerin. But that's another argument
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