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Though Status Quo is best known for fast and undistinguished boogie rock, they were quite capable of subtlety when it suited them. Despite the name, most of the music on Piledriver is varied and subtle enough to be interesting. The power boogie is indeed there, as represented by crowd-pleasers like "Don't Waste My Time" and "Paper Plane," but so also are quieter, softer pieces with acoustic textures and progressive structures. The melancholy "A Year" is a standout track, a stark, melancholy song about carrying on after a loved one has died. The soft rock intro gradually shifts to a more powerful guitar piece in a way that is reminiscent of early Fleetwood Mac and has that band's delicate sense of dynamics. Elsewhere on Piledriver the band turns in a very credible slow blues piece and a folk-inflected duet for 12-string guitars. Still, most of the Status Quo fans wanted power rock, and the band obliged with one of their best pieces, the tempo-shifting "Big Fat Mama," which actually managed some U.S. airplay, though no actual chart position. The only major misstep is a version of "Roadhouse Blues" that only serves to remind the listener what a good vocalist Jim Morrison was. On the whole Piledriver is still an enjoyable listen, one that has aged much better than later albums by the same band or much other hard rock from this period.
© Richard Foss /TiVo
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Robert Young, ComposerLyricist - Francis Rossi, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Alan Lancaster, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - John Coghlan, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Status Quo, Producer, Recording Arranger, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Rick Parfitt, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1972 Mercury Records Limited
Francis Rossi, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Richard Parfitt, ComposerLyricist - Alan Lancaster, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - John Coghlan, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Status Quo, Producer, Recording Arranger, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Rick Parfitt, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1972 Mercury Records Limited
Francis Rossi, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Alan Lancaster, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - John Coghlan, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Status Quo, Producer, Recording Arranger, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Bernie Frost, ComposerLyricist - Rick Parfitt, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1972 Mercury Records Limited
Robert Young, ComposerLyricist - Francis Rossi, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Alan Lancaster, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - John Coghlan, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Status Quo, Producer, Recording Arranger, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Rick Parfitt, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1972 Mercury Records Limited
Francis Rossi, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Richard Parfitt, ComposerLyricist - Alan Lancaster, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - John Coghlan, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Status Quo, Producer, Recording Arranger, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Rick Parfitt, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1972 Mercury Records Limited
Robert Young, ComposerLyricist - Francis Rossi, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Alan Lancaster, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - John Coghlan, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Status Quo, Producer, Recording Arranger, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Rick Parfitt, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1972 Mercury Records Limited
Francis Rossi, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Richard Parfitt, ComposerLyricist - Alan Lancaster, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - John Coghlan, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Status Quo, Producer, Recording Arranger, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Rick Parfitt, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1972 Mercury Records Limited
JOHN DENSMORE, ComposerLyricist - Jim Morrison, ComposerLyricist - Ray Manzarek, ComposerLyricist - Robert Krieger, ComposerLyricist - Jimmy Horowitz, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Francis Rossi, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Alan Lancaster, Bass Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - John Coghlan, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Status Quo, Producer, Recording Arranger, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Rick Parfitt, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Bob Young, Harmonica, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1972 Mercury Records Limited
Robert Young, ComposerLyricist - Francis Rossi, ComposerLyricist - Status Quo, MainArtist
℗ 2010 BBC
Francis Rossi, ComposerLyricist - Richard Parfitt, ComposerLyricist - Status Quo, MainArtist
℗ 2010 BBC
Robert Young, ComposerLyricist - Francis Rossi, ComposerLyricist - Status Quo, MainArtist
℗ 2010 BBC
Robert Young, ComposerLyricist - Francis Rossi, ComposerLyricist - Status Quo, MainArtist
℗ 2010 BBC
Richard Parfitt, ComposerLyricist - Alan Lancaster, ComposerLyricist - Status Quo, MainArtist
℗ 2010 BBC
Robert Young, ComposerLyricist - Francis Rossi, ComposerLyricist - Status Quo, MainArtist
℗ 2007 BBC
Robert Young, ComposerLyricist - Francis Rossi, ComposerLyricist - Status Quo, MainArtist
℗ 2007 BBC
Status Quo, MainArtist - Martin John Pugh, ComposerLyricist - Kieran Raymond White, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2007 BBC
Alan Lancaster, ComposerLyricist - Status Quo, MainArtist
℗ 2007 BBC
Robert Young, ComposerLyricist - Francis Rossi, ComposerLyricist - Status Quo, MainArtist
℗ 2007 BBC
Robert Young, ComposerLyricist - Francis Rossi, ComposerLyricist - Status Quo, MainArtist
℗ 2007 BBC
Robert Young, ComposerLyricist - Francis Rossi, ComposerLyricist - Status Quo, MainArtist
℗ 2007 BBC
Robert Young, ComposerLyricist - Francis Rossi, ComposerLyricist - Status Quo, MainArtist
℗ 2007 BBC
JOHN DENSMORE, ComposerLyricist - Jim Morrison, ComposerLyricist - Ray Manzarek, ComposerLyricist - Robert Krieger, ComposerLyricist - Status Quo, MainArtist
℗ 2007 BBC
Chuck Berry, ComposerLyricist - Status Quo, MainArtist
℗ 2007 BBC
Album review
Though Status Quo is best known for fast and undistinguished boogie rock, they were quite capable of subtlety when it suited them. Despite the name, most of the music on Piledriver is varied and subtle enough to be interesting. The power boogie is indeed there, as represented by crowd-pleasers like "Don't Waste My Time" and "Paper Plane," but so also are quieter, softer pieces with acoustic textures and progressive structures. The melancholy "A Year" is a standout track, a stark, melancholy song about carrying on after a loved one has died. The soft rock intro gradually shifts to a more powerful guitar piece in a way that is reminiscent of early Fleetwood Mac and has that band's delicate sense of dynamics. Elsewhere on Piledriver the band turns in a very credible slow blues piece and a folk-inflected duet for 12-string guitars. Still, most of the Status Quo fans wanted power rock, and the band obliged with one of their best pieces, the tempo-shifting "Big Fat Mama," which actually managed some U.S. airplay, though no actual chart position. The only major misstep is a version of "Roadhouse Blues" that only serves to remind the listener what a good vocalist Jim Morrison was. On the whole Piledriver is still an enjoyable listen, one that has aged much better than later albums by the same band or much other hard rock from this period.
© Richard Foss /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 23 track(s)
- Total length: 01:58:57
- Main artists: Status Quo
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: UMC (Universal Music Catalogue)
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock
© 2014 Mercury Records Limited ℗ 2014 Mercury Records Limited
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