gav
Veteran Rocker Rollin'
Posts: 2,138
Favourite Quo Album: On The Level
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Post by gav on Sept 12, 2021 20:46:27 GMT
Maybe an unpopular opinion, but if Rick found the album an embarrassment, why didn't he bring a couple of songs to the table then, beef it up a bit? We all know how capable Rossi and Frost were of producing tepid, treacly product, so he should have added some 'rock' balance to the musical equation. Three years since RTYD and what did Rick bring to the table in '94, nada, nothing!! Not good enough! 'Something' happened after the RTYD era - he was never again as prolific as he was up to that point.
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photo4life
New Rocker Rollin'
Posts: 40
Favourite Quo Album: Blue For You
Favourite other bands.: Rush, Queen, Thin Lizzy, Genesis, Blue Öyster Cult
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Post by photo4life on Sept 12, 2021 20:57:09 GMT
Maybe an unpopular opinion, but if Rick found the album an embarrassment, why didn't he bring a couple of songs to the table then, beef it up a bit? We all know how capable Rossi and Frost were of producing tepid, treacly product, so he should have added some 'rock' balance to the musical equation. Three years since RTYD and what did Rick bring to the table in '94, nada, nothing!! Not good enough! Maybe he had given up trying? His output seemed to have gone down in quality throughout since around 1985-86. Did he miss the good old days?
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Dark
Rocker Rollin'
Posts: 331
Favourite Quo Album: Quo
Favourite other bands.: Iron Maiden, Deep Purple, Huey Lewis,
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Post by Dark on Sept 17, 2021 13:23:26 GMT
What do you think? Am I out of order or have I reinvented the album? What would be your version?
Unfortunately you couldn't reinvent the album for me, the only song on it that I think is any good is, Soft in the Head. So thinking about it, maybe reinventing the album as a single would be good. If they had released a three track single in 1994 with Soft in the Head as the lead track and, Rude Awakening Time & I Didn't Mean It, as b-sides, then I might have been quite happy with it. A decent lead track and a couple of okay supporting tracks. As opposed to what happened when I got home with the 16 track album, it just felt like a real chore to wade through.
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Post by fredbloggs on Sept 17, 2021 14:12:41 GMT
Goin' nowhere - Literally. Plodding, ditch it. I didn't mean it - Yep, I like this one, not the best Quo song ever but not the worst - there is a case of "slightly mad throw lots in" to the sound without going ott. Confidence - OK ish, one of the relatively few Quo tracks which attempt to tell a story. Point of no return - there's something slightly annoying about this one that doesn't sit right for me. Sail Away - please do sail away. Like it or not - bland Soft in the head - nice change from the traditional attempt at a riff. Queenie - cheese. Lover of the human race - not for me, more bland. Sherri don't fail me now - Love this one, love the spacious sound. Rude Awakening Time - didn't like this one until about 2001 or 2002, when I heard a russian group do a cover version, the lady on vocals clearly didn't have a great grasp of English but it made me appreciate the song a bit more. Back on my feet - Mixed, some annoying background sound effects. Restless - sadly falls short of trying to do a Frank Sinatra style ballad. Ciao-Ciao - admittedly I quite like this one. The title/lead lyrics "ciao ciao" is a bit trying too hard, but do like the blues-fuelled edge. Tango - can't remember it. Sorry - OK
I would like to give a shout-out to the B-side "Beautiful". No, this isn't a stereotypical Quo song, and I'm not going to debate it being released as/by Quo, it wouldn't have worked on the album, and I don't expect many to agree with me on this. But, as a sweet ballad, taken out of the context of Quo (or even any solo member of).... I've got a soft spot for it and always really liked it.
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ant
Rocker Rollin'
Quo covers & more https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfcyZng8z03-RpOhdWdawvw
Posts: 616
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Post by ant on Sept 17, 2021 15:03:23 GMT
Well, people want Quo to do something different (not us!) and this was the attempt, I think. Clearly Francis trying a different type of production in a bid to move Quo's sound on. It didn't work! But, in pure production terms, it is one of the best that Quo have recorded. It's just wrong for them.
Certainly too many songs - which was a common thing back then with most albums. I really like Goin' Nowhere as an openner but I'm a sucker for a radio style voice and then 'crashing' in. I'm in the minority and love Queenie and Sherri. I like Didn't Mean It. Down to You is a bit ploddy. Not so keen on Rude Awakening Time.
This was one of the first albums my daughter heard and she loves it (now 30 yrs old) so what can you say?
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mortified
4500 Timer
Posts: 5,775
Favourite Quo Album: Hello!
Favourite other bands.: 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, 2021 6:42:35 GMT
This is the first I've noticed this thread for some reason. Careless of me. It's a genuine attempt by photo4life to give at least some credit to some of an album which many of us feel is probably Quo's poorest. In terms of self-penned material anyway. But it's a tough ask I actually played it a couple of years ago because I know my tastes continue to evolve - or certainly mellow - with age. But it was a hard listen, I have to say. There are, I reckon, 6 songs out of the 16 that I can enjoy to some extent. The remainder are just not for me. I won't go through each one because everyone has their own tastes and opinions but I can't comment on the album without mentioning Restless. A bizarre choice not least because even the original is extremely dull with a melody to cure insomnia. The thing is, they'd obviously been considering it for some time because they do an even worse version during the 1+9+8+2 rehearsals. But someone obviously likes it. A lot. I don't think I've met or read a Quo fan who agrees. I'd probably hold back on accusations of Rick being lazy. We don't know what he brought to the table and may have been rejected. He'd mentioned that happening in the past with another album (can't remember which). He also didn't contribute to the writing on Dog Of Two Head. There's an irony in there. I'm just not sure what it is I'm never sure if the material on Thirsty Work is poor or the arrangements of it are. I try to imagine a re-recording with the guitars beefed up and more to the fore. But I never convince myself. Every artist of this sort of longevity will have an album - usually more than one - that is a bit of a turkey. Quo are entitled to a few like anyone else. There is the odd "saving grace" on Thirsty Work. And we all usually pick the same ones. But it was a tough old time between 1991 and 1999 as a Quo fan. They got lighter and more deliberately commercial as the world picked up it's guitar and outsold them by a considerable margin. I don't know about anyone else but I reckon they came through it. But only by returning, at least partially, to what they were genuinely good at.
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