R.I.P Alan Lancaster

Good point, it never occurred to me: Come the reunion, I wondered why he returned with the (short scale) Fender Mustang - essentially a low budget beginner's instrument even if it reached iconic status with him (no other bassist of a name band played a Fender Mustang as long and as consistently as Alan did) - and not with his (medium scale) Kramer which he had played in the latter days of FF Quo. The Kramer was no doubt the superior and - in the early 80ies - state of the art instrument, a much more consistent and assertive tone than the Mustang, a Kramer bass takes no prisoners. (Rossi once mentioned in an interview concentrating on Quo's gear that he preferred Alan's sound with the Kramer and that it made the band sound better.) But while the Mustang is a very light bass, the Kramer weighs a ton due to its trademark aluminum neck (with wood inlays) plus it's neck-heavy like hell too, making it uncomfortable to play, pulling on your shoulder as it does all the time (and hence never really popular even though Neil Murray of Whitesnake played one for a while too, Gene Simmons' original "axe" was a Kramer as well, Kramer eventually gave up on the alu neck structural concept, losing a lot of their early identity). I should know, I have one! (And let me tell you, I minded the weight a lot less when I was 20 as to the 60-year-old I am today.)

Am now living in wonderful Portugal. My friend told me about his passing on the Sunday from her news app. The warm evenings down here have since then seen some Quo albums played, having been out of the loop and not playing any these days, whichever era..

Somehow it felt easier starting from the earliest days, rather than the peak period in the original band, and listening to some of the late 60's things he wrote amongst them - but then unusually to many, I have a great liking for this period as well as the halcyon days. I still love listening to that magic transition period where the floaty psychedelia shifted between 1968 and 1970 to the trademark sound. Alan had so much to offer during this time as well as what followed. Alans vocals were always strong and the reunion gigs proved that even in his later years, and with fading health, that his vocals still gave that different dimension to Quo and it was refreshing to hear him sing again.

Sleep well over the rainbow Alan

So sad when I heard.

Thank you for the memories. Thank you for Status Quo. 

RIP Alan.

Just had a really sad but happy reminder on YT . Think it was 100 musicians we have lost this year. Some very sad reminders of people outside of Quo who you remembered but didnt make the headlines ...then Alan cropper up with a raspy version of Roadhouse. RIP Alan taken far too young. Thanks for the memories and a big thank you for my youth. You were Quo .

A year has gone.