matt
Veteran Rocker Rollin'
Posts: 1,010
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Post by matt on May 5, 2021 16:38:36 GMT
Has their ever been a band so dissatisfied with such a large part of their output?
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Post by freewilly on May 6, 2021 16:24:12 GMT
Has their ever been a band so dissatisfied with such a large part of their output? Probably not. There used to FTMO mags that were released to members when new albums came out. All members of the band were interviewed. I always remember Francis not having much to say about Rick's songs or Rhino's songs. Struck me as been a bit rude, when I was an innocent faced kid
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Post by freewilly on May 6, 2021 16:29:06 GMT
backwateronline.weebly.com/interviews-4-5.htmlIf we leave "Famous In The Last Century" behind, what are your thoughts about the next album?Rick: Yeah, it's best to leave "Famous In The Last Century" behind, I think... Although it's been quite a successful album. I mean, it was not something that we wanted to do. We were beaten around the head rather with a baseball bat by the record company to do another "Don't Stop". Although the album has done very well, there's no satisfaction in it for us really. It's just another collection of songs that people know. The next album is nearly all written and ready to go. [...] I think the days of producing ourselves are gone. You can't put two people at the helm. You got to have one person who has the last say how it's going to be. If you've got four or five different influences, or certainly three... myself, Francis and Rhino, how are you going to make an executive decision? So I think there has to be a producer rather like a referee in a football match. There has got to be somebody who makes the last decision and say "that's the way it's going to be"... When Pip Williams was with us I thought he was the best producer for the band at the time, although nowadays there has been a lot of criticism of Pip saying that he made it too smooth and too soft, you know. But certainly some great stuff came out of the Pip Williams era. In our case anyway, if we stick with one producer it just doesn't seem to work. So, Mike Paxman came onto the scene and he has a totally different approach to Pip, whereby Mike is a great fan of the band. He loves the music. I'm not saying that Pip doesn't, but Mike is the kind of guy who has seen Quo in the audience headbanging... He also has a great musical mind, and I think Mike has done an excellent job. The only criticism I have of the "Under The Influence" album is that the mix could have been a bit punchier. I mean, I really like the album overall, but... I feel the same with this latest... thing... of ours which I'm not very proud of I have to say. You know, "Famous In The Last Century". There's nothing really to be proud of in it... [...] Francis: I think, obviously, the Swedish and Danish markets have suffered since we've done "Don't Stop" and the last one... whatever it's f...ing called... Yes, "Famous In The Last Century"...I thought the original idea with the name "Famous In The Last Century" was very good and very funny. However, what happened just after the new milennium, in February 2000, everybody realised... "so it's February, nothing really changed", you know. But the whole idea of "Famous In The Last Century" was very good. As soon as the clock went "ding-dong" into the year 2000, everything came from the last century... Everything you could think of. We always used to make these jokes about us having been around since the old king died. In five or ten years time kids that were just born are going to say "well, it's from the last century". The latest bands that showed up in the late 90s... suddenly they're from the last century! I thought it was quite funny, but making the album... You did the best you could, but it was very difficult to get fired up, to get that something. Far prefer Quo's bring it on home (great achievement as dozens have had a go at doing it) Really? And people give out about Alan being bitter? Despite having his life and his creation taking away from him, both Rick and Francis have constantly rubbished ex band members to the press! That's not right or fair on Jeff to say what Rick said in that interview. Jesus, they could/can be so petty at times!
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Post by frozenhero on May 6, 2021 17:12:14 GMT
...not a single one of us will witness another century or already has, nor will they... 😠
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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 May 6, 2021 20:21:12 GMT
Paxo gets some stick sometimes but not always deserved. Maybe he did his best in the circumstances but no ambient space etc and I still remember the disappointment on first hearing the album in that department. Mike Paxman doesn't do ambience!
Or he seems to have completely overlooked it in favour of other things in his formula for giving Quo that more warm, earthy sound that they lacked in the 80's/90's.
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matt
Veteran Rocker Rollin'
Posts: 1,010
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Post by matt on May 7, 2021 6:41:43 GMT
Paxmans production is consistently ‘flat’
It’s really strange because clearly the guy loves the band and all the elements are there. There guitars are crunchier and separated into left and right, but every thing just sounds so dull.
The drums rarely have snap, there little depth or texture to the sound.
Heavy traffic is poor, although like I say the pieces of the jigsaw are there but it sounds like it’s recorded in someone’s bedroom. The sound is so small. It lacks bollocks.
Maybe it’s a lack of ambience...
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Post by MrWaistcoat on May 7, 2021 18:44:44 GMT
Far prefer Quo's bring it on home (great achievement as dozens have had a go at doing it) Really? That's a great version, enjoyed that. He made the song his own, fits like a glove with his other songs. I can't imagine a better straight blues take on the song than this. Quo, of course, don't play a straight blues. But they did make the song unmistakably Quo. What's best is just a matter of taste
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Post by frozenhero on May 9, 2021 16:46:42 GMT
That's a great version, enjoyed that. He made the song his own, fits like a glove with his other songs. I can't imagine a better straight blues take on the song than this. Quo, of course, don't play a straight blues. But they did make the song unmistakably Quo. What's best is just a matter of taste It's Paul Carrack on vocals, by the way. B.B. confined himself to only guitar for that "duet". I don't mind what Quo did with it but it sounds... not exactly half-hearted but maybe 3/4-hearted? Like it begins as a sensitive reading and then becomes more and more aggressive. I find the effect a bit jarring. But you're right, they made it their own. At that point, they still attacked a cover with some thought. Not sure the same can be said of most of what ended up on the three full cover albums.
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Post by dontthinkitmatters on May 9, 2021 20:29:27 GMT
Listening to New Order at the moment and enjoying them, so will give this a miss.
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Post by azza200 on May 10, 2021 14:20:09 GMT
Panto Quo presented in its finest with this clip
Only thing good about this video is Tessa Niles the rest is awful
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Post by 4th Chord on May 10, 2021 15:18:51 GMT
That's a great version, enjoyed that. He made the song his own, fits like a glove with his other songs. I can't imagine a better straight blues take on the song than this. Quo, of course, don't play a straight blues. But they did make the song unmistakably Quo. What's best is just a matter of taste It's Paul Carrack on vocals, by the way. B.B. confined himself to only guitar for that "duet". I don't mind what Quo did with it but it sounds... not exactly half-hearted but maybe 3/4-hearted? Like it begins as a sensitive reading and then becomes more and more aggressive. I find the effect a bit jarring. But you're right, they made it their own. At that point, they still attacked a cover with some thought. Not sure the same can be said of most of what ended up on the three full cover albums. I find many Quo covers are just Quoreoke. They just lack that passion and feeling, but if I'm honest, much of 'modern' Quo feels like that to me. Inorganic. A bit sterile and not from the heart.
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Post by 4th Chord on May 10, 2021 15:20:39 GMT
It's Paul Carrack on vocals, by the way. B.B. confined himself to only guitar for that "duet". I don't mind what Quo did with it but it sounds... not exactly half-hearted but maybe 3/4-hearted? Like it begins as a sensitive reading and then becomes more and more aggressive. I find the effect a bit jarring. But you're right, they made it their own. At that point, they still attacked a cover with some thought. Not sure the same can be said of most of what ended up on the three full cover albums. I find many Quo covers are just Quoreoke. They just lack that passion and feeling, but if I'm honest, much of 'modern' Quo feels like that to me. Inorganic. A bit sterile and not from the heart. Just an awful, awful period. Quo were lost. Still delivering live but not moving forward.
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matt
Veteran Rocker Rollin'
Posts: 1,010
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Post by matt on May 10, 2021 18:38:23 GMT
QuoincidenceWho owns the footage to the Shepherd’s Bush live set and is it still in existence? I admit I listened to the first 4 tracks off Famous yesterday. Completely forgot about rave on. Rave on and way down I actually quite like. But that’s about it.
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Post by asthequoflies on May 10, 2021 18:47:45 GMT
Dull, lifeless, bland. Given the comments from Frame and Rick, who rate it their worst studio release, you can hear on these uninspired performances that their hearts were not in it.
An inevitability given the success of Don't Stop, but a contractual obligation I am sure. This is not a reimagining, or revisiting key influences with artistic enthusiasm, it is simply rote, dull versions of other people's songs.
I am sure it was a depressing time, given the record company (and the band) did not have much confidence in their self penned material.
Along with Don't Stop, one of their nadir's as a recording act. What came next of course, Heavy Traffic, relegated this to a forgotten memory.
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Post by Quoincidence on May 10, 2021 18:51:47 GMT
Quoincidence Who owns the footage to the Shepherd’s Bush live set and is it still in existence? I admit I listened to the first 4 tracks off Famous yesterday. Completely forgot about rave on. Rave on and way down I actually quite like. But that’s about it. Universal owns it, as far as I know. I've not seen any evidence for the footage from the live set existing, but, the audio from the playback and live set exists with some bits from the soundcheck as well. The only footage I know of from the live set is Whatever You Want, which is on it's own tape. It more than likely does exist, considering it was filmed 21 years ago I had the live set audio included on the Famous In The Last Century Deluxe before it was scrapped.
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