By Monk
One of my greatest regrets as a music fan, first and foremost, and journalist, is that I never managed to get around to seeing the double-denim clad powerhouse that was Status Quo live and in the flesh. Not that it wasn’t for the lack of opportunity… all through the dark years when many acts refused to play our home city of Belfast, the Quo popped up more often than pimples on a teenager’s cheek, playing virtually every venue which still had electricity running… but, somehow, despite their ’12 Gold Bars’ being one of the first compilation albums I bought with my hard-earned pocket money, I never made it to a show, hence the reason why I have to rely on the likes of this, the first in a series of curated archive recordings coming our way over the coming months to remind us of the potency of a band who lived for playing live (sic)…
As it’s title suggests, this inaugural series offering captures a set recorded in Amsterdam back in 2010, on the 40th anniversary/’Pictures Exposed’ tour and featuring the band’s then current incarnation of founders Francis Rossi and the late Rick Parfitt alongside John ‘Rhino’ Edwards (it’s hard to believe that he’s been in the band four times longer than his predecessor), Andy Bown and drummer Matt Letley.
Personally speaking, I would much rather have seen this first release to be drawn from what many of us regard as the band’s classic ‘Frantic Four’ era: but, with the band’s history of recording virtually every show they ever performed, the gods only know what else is lurking deep in this official archive and still to come our way… we can but hope!
In the meantime, this is a reminder of the Quo’s enduring appeal as both writers and performers of classic, no nonsense, four-to-the-floor blues-based boogie anthems which never failed to disappointed audiences wherever they played or bring a smile to the faces of everyone either listening our watching.
It could be argued that a release such as this will appeal solely to the old-guard Quo brigade – an argument perhaps exacerbated by the fact that each release will be a limited edition – but for those of us who missed them first time around, it’s a fitting reminder of the power of music on which we grew up and the elements of enjoyment and fun which it could evoke just by its sheer simplicity. Now, I wonder what they’re proposing as their next release… I’m sure they’re be something about it we like…
- ‘Official Archive Series Vol. 1 – Live In Amsterdam‘ will be released on 11 August.
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