Genuinely the band should have called it a day when John left. He was irreplaceable and vital to the sound, dynamics and energy of the band (and heart and soul).
If anyone has ever come close to his playing it is the superb young drummer in 'Big Fat Mama' (and indeed they are as a band far far better at 'Quo' than Rossi's current band)
May I suggest you view them as I do? To me, Status Quo ended when JC left. They never again sounded like Quo, and never again produced anything as good as Status Quo's worst album, whichever one you think that is. (I don't count the psychedelic stuff) Quo 2 never sounded right because AL was still trying to be Status Quo, but with only half a rhythm section. Nevertheless, both Quo 2 albums are overall better than anything that came after.
Then came, using Rick's own term for them, Quo Lite. They were half a band, with a mediocre bass player and various good drummers who didn't fit. That's why some of their songs are great, many suck, and their renditions of Status Quo songs are generally worse than a good cover band. Rick's playing covered up for a lot.
Now that he's gone we have Post-Quo Lite, which is Francis Rossi and the Four Employees. They are no closer to the original Status Quo than JC's Quo, and do a worse job of recreating the songs and creating new material. "Lockdown" is head and shoulders better than anything on 'Backbone."
How someone can call Rhino a "mediocre bass player" is beyond me. You might not like his style, but mediocre? No.
Genuinely the band should have called it a day when John left. He was irreplaceable and vital to the sound, dynamics and energy of the band (and heart and soul).
If anyone has ever come close to his playing it is the superb young drummer in 'Big Fat Mama' (and indeed they are as a band far far better at 'Quo' than Rossi's current band)
May I suggest you view them as I do? To me, Status Quo ended when JC left. They never again sounded like Quo, and never again produced anything as good as Status Quo's worst album, whichever one you think that is. (I don't count the psychedelic stuff) Quo 2 never sounded right because AL was still trying to be Status Quo, but with only half a rhythm section. Nevertheless, both Quo 2 albums are overall better than anything that came after.
Then came, using Rick's own term for them, Quo Lite. They were half a band, with a mediocre bass player and various good drummers who didn't fit. That's why some of their songs are great, many suck, and their renditions of Status Quo songs are generally worse than a good cover band. Rick's playing covered up for a lot.
Now that he's gone we have Post-Quo Lite, which is Francis Rossi and the Four Employees. They are no closer to the original Status Quo than JC's Quo, and do a worse job of recreating the songs and creating new material. "Lockdown" is head and shoulders better than anything on 'Backbone."
I've considered them to be very much Francis Rossi's Status Quo for a long time, for better or worse. That's a rather subjective choice, of course - but each to their own, as it were.
I just don’t see the point of putting posts up of tribute bands in this discussion ! What have any of these members ever had to do with anything Status Quo no matter how good you think they maybe. At least JCQ have a past member of the band!and he is the reason for the discussion ! Give them a plug on their own merit in their own thread. That’s where they belong. Tell me why they deserve to be compared to any Member past or present of Status Quo ? it’s frankly clutching at very short straws IMO.
I just don’t see the point of putting posts up of tribute bands in this discussion ! What have any of these members ever had to do with anything Status Quo no matter how good you think they maybe. At least JCQ have a past member of the band!and he is the reason for the discussion ! Give them a plug on their own merit in their own thread. That’s where they belong. Tell me why they deserve to be compared to any Member past or present of Status Quo ? it’s frankly clutching at very short straws IMO.
Well, the title of the thread is "Spud's Replacement" & the clip of the tribute band was clearly posted in reference to the performance of the drummer : "If anyone has ever come close to his playing it is the superb young drummer in 'Big Fat Mama' ...". From which I would assume that the poster concerned feels that the Spud Replacements compare unfavourably. So, if I've understood the gist of the post correctly, I guess that's the point of putting this particular post up of a tribute band.
I should also add that, in case you missed it, posts showing the respective performances of drummers Terry Williams & Ginger Baker, neither of whom have had anything to do with Status Quo, as far as I know, appear earlier in the thread. However, the posts seem to have been made in the context of the ongoing discussion that developed regarding possible alternative replacements that may or may not have been a good fit for Quo.
Would take your points if the Drummer was the only part of your post but the added slight to say they are better than current Status Quo as a band was maybe a plug or a weak argument 🤔 Anyway let’s just say we agree to disagree 😂 Nothing wrong with them by the way.
Would take your points if the Drummer was the only part of your post but the added slight to say they are better than current Status Quo as a band was maybe a plug or a weak argument 🤔 Anyway let’s just say we agree to disagree 😂 Nothing wrong with them by the way.
Well the post & comments in question weren't mine, so not really for me to defend. However, in all fairness, the comment made was "...indeed they are as a band far far better at 'Quo' than Rossi's current band...". Now if you view Rossi's current band as "Quo" this doesn't really stack up. I suspect the reference to "Quo" was perhaps in reference to that golden era of classic Quo, the start & finish to which is also rather subjective but usually includes '72-'76, by & large. It's the same point many have made about JC's Quo sounding more like '70s Quo, which it should do as that's what they're trying to achieve - John's era. I don't think Francis & his current band are at all inclined to get all retro & sound like the band did 45 years ago, whether that's better or worse is just a matter of subjective opinion.
Would take your points if the Drummer was the only part of your post but the added slight to say they are better than current Status Quo as a band was maybe a plug or a weak argument 🤔 Anyway let’s just say we agree to disagree 😂 Nothing wrong with them by the way.
Well the post & comments in question weren't mine, so not really for me to defend. However, in all fairness, the comment made was "...indeed they are as a band far far better at 'Quo' than Rossi's current band...". Now if you view Rossi's current band as "Quo" this doesn't really stack up. I suspect the reference to "Quo" was perhaps in reference to that golden era of classic Quo, the start & finish to which is also rather subjective but usually includes '72-'76, by & large. It's the same point many have made about JC's Quo sounding more like '70s Quo, which it should do as that's what they're trying to achieve - John's era. I don't think Francis & his current band are at all inclined to get all retro & sound like the band did 45 years ago, whether that's better or worse is just a matter of subjective opinion.
Yeah Dennis Your right, I don’t think it’s in current Quo’s remit or capability to turn the clock back 45 years which would be impossible . They couldn’t capture or even closely sound like that again. Non of them could wether your JC, AL or FR. They are all old men now. I am sure any tribute band in their 20’s - 40’s is going to have youth on their side. Maybe a freshness to not having played the songs 4500 times over 40-50 years. It’s like asking Brendon Foster to take on Mo Farah. Sort of actually makes that original argument irrelevant. Apologies for mistaking you for making that remark.
Would take your points if the Drummer was the only part of your post but the added slight to say they are better than current Status Quo as a band was maybe a plug or a weak argument 🤔 Anyway let’s just say we agree to disagree 😂 Nothing wrong with them by the way.
This was my opinion and I stand by it.
The tribute band, 'Big Fat Mama', in my opinion, are by many country miles, a better band than Francis Rossi's current band with musicians who can out play and outperform any members of his band. They are high quality musicians, with significant playing skills who can get the tone and quality of the music right and all done without the expensive processing units/stacks, amplifiers, PA system, sound engineers, guitar technicians etc etc that Rossi's band has access to.
Richie in Rossi's band would not come any where near the ability and talent of both of the guitarists in this band and I mean no where near.
Rhino is, in my opinion, a talented bass player, but not for Quo, but excellent for Rossi's band.
Leon appears to be a good drummer in the same way that there are thousands of good drummers and as such not exceptional in this sense but equally I would not run him down in any way.
Rossi is Rossi. He clearly has talent but at times he is lazy, can't be bothered.
This probably stems from him not really rating Quo music, not wanting to play it, but forced to do this to be able to tour and record and squeeze more money out of those who want to pay see him play this music (his solo music made no mark at all and he would not have any career based on this).
His heart and soul is not in this however, and this shows, which is a shame as he had a soul in his playing at one time but this probably needed Parfitt, Lancaster and Coghlan to be the spring board and context for this, but he did not realise this due his ego which got in the way.
I can understand his 'pissed off' morale and approach. He thought he was everything in Quo and could go on without them to produce music to match that of the Eagles, music and talent which Quo was stifling and holding back.
However in practice he could not live up to this, his music was second rate and bombed and to survive he ended up playing 90% of the Frantic Four era music in live shows which became a pantomime performance as a result as he failed to progress one iota creatively. When he had the opportunity to develop and had success with Europe style pop in the form of a cover 'In the Army Now' he hadn't the strength of conviction to continue down this road and fell back to doing watered down 12 bar twee, thinking, 'this will satisfy them lot, brainless morons (ie us the fans) and keep them on board whilst I try to escape from them with my true talent in producing music like The Eagles'. Sad really
I do acknowledge that my original post was part incorrect as the question was about drummers that were available at the time Coghlan left and clearly the drummer in Big Fat Mama was not around at that time. However he has, in my opinion, the touch and feel that Coghlan has like no other drummer I have heard and this was fundamental to Quo's sound and as such I felt impelled to mention him.
If Rossi ditched his current band and did vocals for Big Fat Mama that would be some band and much better that his current band but then again Rossi...?
I get your passion and it does come across. I get your frustration regarding Francis. BUT the guy is 71 years old for God sake. He and the original band created the sound, Wrote the music and had monumental success with it first time round. This BFM band can’t ever be better than the originators and Francis was one of the guys who bloody wrote the stuff. Invented the Solo’s. Fronted them for goodness sake. The argument as I said is a floored one expecting a 71 year old bloke to be as good as he was 50 years ago up against young lads with that fire in their bellies. It just wouldn’t interest him anyway. I know right now if I was 20 I’d lay my house on the line playing tennis against my current self. It’s a no contest. So why keep comparing Francis etc.. with other bands. Just accept it happened when it did and we are where we are now !
I get your passion and it does come across. I get your frustration regarding Francis. BUT the guy is 71 years old for God sake. He and the original band created the sound, Wrote the music and had monumental success with it first time round. This BFM band can’t ever be better than the originators and Francis was one of the guys who bloody wrote the stuff. Invented the Solo’s. Fronted them for goodness sake. The argument as I said is a floored one expecting a 71 year old bloke to be as good as he was 50 years ago up against young lads with that fire in their bellies. It just wouldn’t interest him anyway. I know right now if I was 20 I’d lay my house on the line playing tennis against my current self. It’s a no contest. So why keep comparing Francis etc.. with other bands. Just accept it happened when it did and we are where we are now !
Excellent post that hits the truth of the matter absolutely on the head. All bands change and evolve over the years, certainly over the decades. A tribute band catches a moment in time and sticks with it. They're not a creative force. People may dislike much of Francis's output since 86, I certainly do but he is undeniably still a creative force, there are a few real song writing gems on Backbone.
And the sound of the current Quo is obviously what Francis want the sound to be as they've sounded the same live for ages now. He doesn't want to it to sound like it was in the seventies, and why would he?
May I suggest you view them as I do? To me, Status Quo ended when JC left. They never again sounded like Quo, and never again produced anything as good as Status Quo's worst album, whichever one you think that is. (I don't count the psychedelic stuff) Quo 2 never sounded right because AL was still trying to be Status Quo, but with only half a rhythm section. Nevertheless, both Quo 2 albums are overall better than anything that came after.
Then came, using Rick's own term for them, Quo Lite. They were half a band, with a mediocre bass player and various good drummers who didn't fit. That's why some of their songs are great, many suck, and their renditions of Status Quo songs are generally worse than a good cover band. Rick's playing covered up for a lot.
Now that he's gone we have Post-Quo Lite, which is Francis Rossi and the Four Employees. They are no closer to the original Status Quo than JC's Quo, and do a worse job of recreating the songs and creating new material. "Lockdown" is head and shoulders better than anything on 'Backbone."
How someone can call Rhino a "mediocre bass player" is beyond me. You might not like his style, but mediocre? No.
Then let's put it this way, rather than arguing talents and skills: compared to AL, for playing Status Quo material he's not very good. The driving force behind Status Quo was the rhythm section, the driving force behind Quo Lite was the guitars. Edwards fit Quo Lites much better, but that's not Status Quo. And if you fancy Dexy's, then sure he's perfect for that kind of sound. But if you want a band to play Status Quo material there are others better, with JC's Quo being at the top.
I think it's slightly ridiculous to judge the current band if you've not seen them live.
Yes, I know I've criticized the FF reunion as a non-attendee so I realize I'm in a bit of a glass house.
But anybody who suggests Francis hasn't been enjoying himself in the last few years is clearly in denial. I saw him in 2019. He was ON. By comparison, I still think his playing on what I've heard from the first FF reunion is pretty shambolic. He didn't like aspects of the reunion and it shows in his solos.
He also seems to have found a happy medium balancing his pop and country side (thanks to "We Talk Too Much") and the more typically Quo side (on Backbone).
Same goes for Rhino; a lot of the band's releases don't capture him particularly well (exception maybe Montreux 2009) but live, he's come a long way since Dexy's. This is just a fact.
Finally, I just don't "get" tribute bands. I can understand going to JCQ and if they came anywhere near me I'd probably check them out but bands with no connection to the original? I had won tickets to see The Australian Pink Floyd Show and sure, they put on a good gig, played things that you wouldn't have heard at concerts by the original members, and there were some good video clips playing, but... ultimately I felt there was no creativity in there. Those musicians are talented enough to make their own music, but they go the easy way of making more money with someone else's, which is more well known. This may sound harsh but that's the way I see it. It doesn't appeal to me.
So, even if Francis is slurring his words and messing up his solos (and we know he's been doing that a lot), it's still the one and only Francis Rossi. He has founded this band over 50 years ago. And if he feels comfortable playing with the current line-up, it shows. It doesn't really matter whether somebody can play better rhythm guitar than Richie (and Richie is no slouch, again from seeing them live). That's a futile discussion IMO.
"We all want to intellectualize about music, but it's an emotional thing. Do you like it? Yes. Then there's nothing else to say. Do you not like it? No. Then there's nothing else to say. You don't have to say it's shit or the band are shit. And I believe, too, the most overused words are "great" and "shit." - Francis Rossi
I think it's slightly ridiculous to judge the current band if you've not seen them live.
Yes, I know I've criticized the FF reunion as a non-attendee so I realize I'm in a bit of a glass house.
But anybody who suggests Francis hasn't been enjoying himself in the last few years is clearly in denial. I saw him in 2019. He was ON. By comparison, I still think his playing on what I've heard from the first FF reunion is pretty shambolic. He didn't like aspects of the reunion and it shows in his solos.
He also seems to have found a happy medium balancing his pop and country side (thanks to "We Talk Too Much") and the more typically Quo side (on Backbone).
Same goes for Rhino; a lot of the band's releases don't capture him particularly well (exception maybe Montreux 2009) but live, he's come a long way since Dexy's. This is just a fact.
Finally, I just don't "get" tribute bands. I can understand going to JCQ and if they came anywhere near me I'd probably check them out but bands with no connection to the original? I had won tickets to see The Australian Pink Floyd Show and sure, they put on a good gig, played things that you wouldn't have heard at concerts by the original members, and there were some good video clips playing, but... ultimately I felt there was no creativity in there. Those musicians are talented enough to make their own music, but they go the easy way of making more money with someone else's, which is more well known. This may sound harsh but that's the way I see it. It doesn't appeal to me.
So, even if Francis is slurring his words and messing up his solos (and we know he's been doing that a lot), it's still the one and only Francis Rossi. He has founded this band over 50 years ago. And if he feels comfortable playing with the current line-up, it shows. It doesn't really matter whether somebody can play better rhythm guitar than Richie (and Richie is no slouch, again from seeing them live). That's a futile discussion IMO.
I'm curious who's arguing this, although the 'founded this band over 50 years ago' puts JCQ on equal footing with Rossi and His Four Employees. But yeah, Rossi has a right to do whatever he wants, and I enjoy a lot of it.