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Post by Deleted on Oct 3, 2016 10:03:47 GMT
Methinks the gentleman (Francis) doth protest far too much.
The FF reunions put this 'macho rock' thing into context. There was nothing macho about four old friends getting together in their dotage and playing their unique brand of rock the original way, courtesy of those original authors.
Nothwithstanding any of that, if Quo had truly been a macho band then I would never have become a fan in the first place.
There was a time, not really so long back in the grand scheme of things, I would have simpered sotto voce in his defence of him being a misunderstood little boy (translate: capable of doing no wrong ) But now the error of my own absurdly over coquettish and rose tinted judgement just wishes that Francis could see that it was the sum of all the parts - his splash of soft melody combining with gritty engine of the other three that made the FF the thing of beauty that it was. It was rugged yes (which is a very very good thing!) but it was never macho...
Arguably one of the most macho aspects of the FF was Francis boisterous stage act and swearing, simply for the sake of swearing and larging it up. Tbh, it did come across as a bit fake and contrived at some gigs even back in the days of the great. He alludes to the expletives and his over buffered up acting in the interview. Maybe he should not confuse his onstage insecurities about revealing the inner (softer) man with being macho in the true sense of the word.
Various things conspired to de-rail Quo through the early 80's - but he didn't need to over egg his onstage persona during the peak FF days. He could still have simply been himself and rocked out with the others without having to act "jack the lad".
He was able to speak to Caroline Coon about the condition of his hair in 1976 (lucky girl) while at the same time speak about the merits of Blue For You. He got it just right then - that was something to simper just a little over at the time
Why the need to change a perfect recipe?
Instead, unfortunately he increasingly started getting it wrong after that and made way too many excuses to try to cover up an insecurity about being forced to be too macho by playing rufty tufty loud rock music. Except he didn't realise Quo was never macho in the first place. He shouldn't be pointing the finger at his three former band-mates in this respect - he should be separating his phantom insecurities from the realities instead.
If he can't be truthful to himself - then he can't be truthful to his fans. Unless one wants to keep on simpering and hang on and defend every word he says
I hung on for a very long time...until the pretty picture got shattered into a thousand pieces...something I had to get used to... Well I suppose I should be careful about going from putting him too much on a pedestal to slating him for everything. The answer, as with most things, is usual somewhere in between.
CG is right with what she has just said - he is in total denial about the magic of the FF music. My real beef/disappointment with him lies there.
As far as his own music goes, there is plenty I have liked actually. The problem is that too many of the pop/country songs sound too much alike and too beige bland, plus the AQ2 projectand the band minus Rick has taken this way too far under the umbrella of SQ. As I have said elsewhere, if he really likes this sort of thing he should get a proper country artist in to work with him and break away from Quo.
He should have the confidence to try to make more of it properly on his own. If he did, then I for one would take an interest in a proper solo project. But songs like One For The Road are exactly what won't encourage me...
Aside from the subjectivity of whether one likes this type of stuff or not, he must realise the negative effect releasing this type of product under the Quo name has on sections of the fan base. I can see why some think he appears to do it on purpose, even if this was not the case.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 3, 2016 10:05:19 GMT
First up, I don't enjoy or like Francis' view of Quo and the direction it took in later years. But... I do think that now he is being truthful to himself. Sadly, its produced music that many of us no longer enjoy. Where I see him as being in denial is over the magic of the music in the FF years.Exactly.
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Post by Gaz on Oct 3, 2016 10:18:33 GMT
First up, I don't enjoy or like Francis' view of Quo and the direction it took in later years. But... I do think that now he is being truthful to himself. Sadly, its produced music that many of us no longer enjoy. Where I see him as being in denial is over the magic of the music in the FF years. After watching the interview with Alan this morning it sort of throws cold water on the glory days of Quo. Don't get me wrong in that Quo live back in the 70s will always remain as some of my best memories but in you saying his denial of the magic back then, Francis admits he was on the coke virtually around the clock! I'd imagine he's very ashamed of his lifestyle along with the wasted opportunities Quo may have had if they weren't drug addicts. He has shown remarkable strength though to beat those demons but I guess they're always over his shoulder and has an impact on his memories of that hedonistic lifestyle back then.
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Post by Victor on Oct 3, 2016 10:24:37 GMT
I hung on for a very long time...until the pretty picture got shattered into a thousand pieces...something I had to get used to... Well I suppose I should be careful about going from putting him too much on a pedestal to slating him for everything. The answer, as with most things, is usual somewhere in between.
CG is right with what she has just said - he is in total denial about the magic of the FF music. My real beef/disappointment with him lies there.
As far as his own music goes, there is plenty I have liked actually. The problem is that too many of the pop/country songs sound too much alike and too beige bland, plus the AQ2 projectand the band minus Rick has taken this way too far under the umbrella of SQ. As I have said elsewhere, if he really likes this sort of thing he should get a proper country artist in to work with him and break away from Quo.
He should have the confidence to try to make more of it properly on his own. If he did, then I for one would take an interest in a proper solo project. But songs like One For The Road are exactly what won't encourage me...
Aside from the subjectivity of whether one likes this type of stuff or not, he must realise the negative effect releasing this type of product under the Quo name has on sections of the fan base. I can see why some think he appears to do it on purpose, even if this was not the case.
Yea, in the main I agree. It's not like I am slating him for everything, more like getting a good dose of reality over recent years and yes, quite a bit of that has been very disappointing which is not so strange I guess taking the fact into consideration that he was like a hero to me for a long time. I do enjoy something like OSAAT and just wish he would do this sort of thing under a different name then the Quo name. The most disappointing thing is without a doubt his denial of the FF magic. Also the sneers he made over recent years towards the FF fans is something I couldn't appreciate.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 3, 2016 10:29:50 GMT
First up, I don't enjoy or like Francis' view of Quo and the direction it took in later years. But... I do think that now he is being truthful to himself. Sadly, its produced music that many of us no longer enjoy. Where I see him as being in denial is over the magic of the music in the FF years. After watching the interview with Alan this morning it sort of throws cold water on the glory days of Quo. Don't get me wrong in that Quo live back in the 70s will always remain as some of my best memories but in you saying his denial of the magic back then, Francis admits he was on the coke virtually around the clock! I'd imagine he's very ashamed of his lifestyle along with the wasted opportunities Quo may have had if they weren't drug addicts. He has shown remarkable strength though to beat those demons but I guess they're always over his shoulder and has an impact on his memories of that hedonistic lifestyle back then. Being ashamed of it though doesn't mean he should be in denial about the magic and instinct of the band when it came to music. Blame the coke for the product going downhill after John left, but don't confuse that with thinking that the formula between the four frantics was wrong. It clearly wasn't.
Unfortunately the legacy of the coke has left Francis desensitised to the good, as well as the bad. It seems obvious that Alan is much more clear headed about it all and knows where the bread should be buttered
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Post by Deleted on Oct 3, 2016 10:41:11 GMT
Well I suppose I should be careful about going from putting him too much on a pedestal to slating him for everything. The answer, as with most things, is usual somewhere in between.
CG is right with what she has just said - he is in total denial about the magic of the FF music. My real beef/disappointment with him lies there.
As far as his own music goes, there is plenty I have liked actually. The problem is that too many of the pop/country songs sound too much alike and too beige bland, plus the AQ2 projectand the band minus Rick has taken this way too far under the umbrella of SQ. As I have said elsewhere, if he really likes this sort of thing he should get a proper country artist in to work with him and break away from Quo.
He should have the confidence to try to make more of it properly on his own. If he did, then I for one would take an interest in a proper solo project. But songs like One For The Road are exactly what won't encourage me...
Aside from the subjectivity of whether one likes this type of stuff or not, he must realise the negative effect releasing this type of product under the Quo name has on sections of the fan base. I can see why some think he appears to do it on purpose, even if this was not the case.
Also the sneers he made over recent years towards the FF fans is something I couldn't appreciate. Yes, this also.
I think its all part of the same denial being discussed on here. On that basis I don't take it too personally as the drugs have skewed his memory and perspective.
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Post by Gaz on Oct 3, 2016 10:50:09 GMT
After watching the interview with Alan this morning it sort of throws cold water on the glory days of Quo. Don't get me wrong in that Quo live back in the 70s will always remain as some of my best memories but in you saying his denial of the magic back then, Francis admits he was on the coke virtually around the clock! I'd imagine he's very ashamed of his lifestyle along with the wasted opportunities Quo may have had if they weren't drug addicts. He has shown remarkable strength though to beat those demons but I guess they're always over his shoulder and has an impact on his memories of that hedonistic lifestyle back then. Being ashamed of it though doesn't mean he should be in denial about the magic and instinct of the band when it came to music. Blame the coke for the product going downhill after John left, but don't confuse that with thinking that the formula between the four frantics was wrong. It clearly wasn't.
Unfortunately the legacy of the coke has left Francis desensitised to the good, as well as the bad. It seems obvious that Alan is much more clear headed about it all and knows where the bread should be buttered
I don't believe he's in denial of the magic back then but I reckon the thought of the 'black' period of his life when he spent vast sums of money on his around the clock coke addiction overrides those memories and I can understand it when he says the FF reunion was nostalgic, as in , he wants to distance himself from the complications of his time back then. He was a 24 hour coke addict and it seriously fucked him, along with the band, up.... but luckily we've got those great albums along with awesome live gigs still.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 3, 2016 10:56:05 GMT
Being ashamed of it though doesn't mean he should be in denial about the magic and instinct of the band when it came to music. Blame the coke for the product going downhill after John left, but don't confuse that with thinking that the formula between the four frantics was wrong. It clearly wasn't.
Unfortunately the legacy of the coke has left Francis desensitised to the good, as well as the bad. It seems obvious that Alan is much more clear headed about it all and knows where the bread should be buttered
.... but luckily we've got those great albums along with awesome live gigs still. Yep, we still have those letsrock
I hope that any televised tributes paid to Quo when it is finally all over place enough emphasis on those days and not over concentrate on these twilight days
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Post by Gaz on Oct 3, 2016 11:09:59 GMT
.... but luckily we've got those great albums along with awesome live gigs still. Yep, we still have those letsrock
I hope that any televised tributes paid to Quo when it is finally all over place enough emphasis on those days and not over concentrate on these twilight days
Yep no doubt about it Quo had that 'IT' factor and those gigs I saw back in the 70s are still crystal clear to me....a very powerful live band.
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Post by curiousgirl on Oct 3, 2016 11:19:00 GMT
First up, I don't enjoy or like Francis' view of Quo and the direction it took in later years. But... I do think that now he is being truthful to himself. Sadly, its produced music that many of us no longer enjoy. Where I see him as being in denial is over the magic of the music in the FF years. After watching the interview with Alan this morning it sort of throws cold water on the glory days of Quo. Don't get me wrong in that Quo live back in the 70s will always remain as some of my best memories but in you saying his denial of the magic back then, Francis admits he was on the coke virtually around the clock! I'd imagine he's very ashamed of his lifestyle along with the wasted opportunities Quo may have had if they weren't drug addicts. He has shown remarkable strength though to beat those demons but I guess they're always over his shoulder and has an impact on his memories of that hedonistic lifestyle back then. The coke came in during the or v late 70s 80s, didn't it? (which gives a window of early - to mid 70s....) Though they did a lot of speed and grass during that time. I agree that he's ashamed of all that period of his life. And I've always reasoned on here that this is why he can't enjoy the FF period because it brings back memories of those times.
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Post by Gaz on Oct 3, 2016 11:23:17 GMT
After watching the interview with Alan this morning it sort of throws cold water on the glory days of Quo. Don't get me wrong in that Quo live back in the 70s will always remain as some of my best memories but in you saying his denial of the magic back then, Francis admits he was on the coke virtually around the clock! I'd imagine he's very ashamed of his lifestyle along with the wasted opportunities Quo may have had if they weren't drug addicts. He has shown remarkable strength though to beat those demons but I guess they're always over his shoulder and has an impact on his memories of that hedonistic lifestyle back then. The coke came in during the or v late 70s 80s, didn't it? (which gives a window of early - to mid 70s....) Though they did a lot of speed and grass during that time. I agree that he's ashamed of all that period of his life. And I've always reasoned on here that this is why he can't enjoy the FF period because it brings back memories of those times. Exactly
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Post by Mrs Flittersnoop on Oct 7, 2016 0:12:11 GMT
First up, I don't enjoy or like Francis' view of Quo and the direction it took in later years. But... I do think that now he is being truthful to himself. Sadly, its produced music that many of us no longer enjoy. Where I see him as being in denial is over the magic of the music in the FF years. After watching the interview with Alan this morning it sort of throws cold water on the glory days of Quo. Don't get me wrong in that Quo live back in the 70s will always remain as some of my best memories but in you saying his denial of the magic back then, Francis admits he was on the coke virtually around the clock! I'd imagine he's very ashamed of his lifestyle along with the wasted opportunities Quo may have had if they weren't drug addicts. He has shown remarkable strength though to beat those demons but I guess they're always over his shoulder and has an impact on his memories of that hedonistic lifestyle back then. In the 80s he was saying he didn't get heavily into drugs until he was in his 30s. I realise now that may not be the whole story.
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Post by Mrs Flittersnoop on Oct 7, 2016 0:19:47 GMT
After watching the interview with Alan this morning it sort of throws cold water on the glory days of Quo. Don't get me wrong in that Quo live back in the 70s will always remain as some of my best memories but in you saying his denial of the magic back then, Francis admits he was on the coke virtually around the clock! I'd imagine he's very ashamed of his lifestyle along with the wasted opportunities Quo may have had if they weren't drug addicts. He has shown remarkable strength though to beat those demons but I guess they're always over his shoulder and has an impact on his memories of that hedonistic lifestyle back then. The coke came in during the or v late 70s 80s, didn't it? (which gives a window of early - to mid 70s....) Though they did a lot of speed and grass during that time. I agree that he's ashamed of all that period of his life. And I've always reasoned on here that this is why he can't enjoy the FF period because it brings back memories of those times. I can't really get that. When he talked about that part of their history in the 80s, he always seemed to think it was a good time. I think that something else is eating him about the 70s, and my guess is that it's the attitude around that he "must" own that as the only good thing in their career, and just be that band and that person. From all I've ever heard of him, that would really stick in his throat - blooming stubborn is his middle name. (Along with Dominic, Nicholas and Michael, of course.) He never seemed particularly ashamed of taking drugs, though in the latter years regretful of allowing cocaine to take him over in the 80s.
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Post by The Lord Flasheart on Oct 9, 2016 17:11:21 GMT
After watching the interview with Alan this morning it sort of throws cold water on the glory days of Quo. Don't get me wrong in that Quo live back in the 70s will always remain as some of my best memories but in you saying his denial of the magic back then, Francis admits he was on the coke virtually around the clock! I'd imagine he's very ashamed of his lifestyle along with the wasted opportunities Quo may have had if they weren't drug addicts. He has shown remarkable strength though to beat those demons but I guess they're always over his shoulder and has an impact on his memories of that hedonistic lifestyle back then. The coke came in during the or v late 70s 80s, didn't it? (which gives a window of early - to mid 70s....) Though they did a lot of speed and grass during that time. I agree that he's ashamed of all that period of his life. And I've always reasoned on here that this is why he can't enjoy the FF period because it brings back memories of those times. Indeed and maybe he is also a bit scared if he ventured too far down the FF path he would sucumbe to addiction again. He has seen Rick fall off the wagon god knows how many times. Maybe he feels this is one way to stay in control of himself. Keep as much friction out of his life that he can. That way he is easy with himself over other matters.
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Post by frozenhero on Oct 19, 2016 8:16:25 GMT
Catlady, I think you are spot on and I find your post strangely therapeutic. ....so thanks for the help I know I have said previously that he can't be taken too seriously, not only an age thing as he has such a track record of contradicting himself and/or putting down previous work: I remember him slagging off Piledriver at the time of RAOTW and then criticising the latter in the build up to "As it Happens".....(which never did and became "Whatever you Want). And as we all know, the Quo story is (or was) about how DoTH and Piledriver was what they really wanted to do (the authentic band) rather than the whole fake pop thing. BUT, yeah, in truth that interview does get through to me, because it makes lifelong fans question what the bloody hell has ever been authentic for FR ( answer: everything/nothing, depending on which day it is?). The last part hits the nail on the head. Maybe he is actually going through a serious identity crisis right now, but that doesn't mean that he hasn't been authentic for most of his career. To me his comments sound like what you think at the end of a marriage, regrets galore, despite having actually enjoyed a large part of the time. It seems that the last couple of years have dragged him down a lot and he doesn't really know what he wants anymore, hence comments like these where he just about trashes everything. Yet at the same time he says "some aspects of the 70s were great". Well, contradictory is his middle name as well, I guess.
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