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This three-CD, 63-track set is the last word on Status Quo's early years, gathering not only every track the band did for Pye in the late '60s and early '70s, but also adding seven songs by the Spectres and two by Traffic Jam (the group's pre-Status Quo incarnations). As Status Quo were a psychedelic pop band in the late '60s before shifting to hard boogie rock at the turn of the decade, it might be a disappointment to much of their fan base, as prior to 1970 they sounded like an almost entirely different act. Conversely, though, to British Invasion and psychedelic fans who have little use for the band's long run as hard rock journeymen, this might be the most useful Status Quo collection of all. For it's psychedelic pop -- of a resolutely trendy brand that's actually more "pop" than "psychedelic" -- that dominates the first two discs, including of course their big hit "Pictures of Matchstick Men," as well as their follow-up U.K. Top Ten single, "Ice in the Sun." It's not until the half-dozen or so 1970 recordings that close disc two that the band starts embracing harder sounds, almost fully changing to a blues-rock-boogie direction for disc three.
As for the lighter approach that makes up the bulk of this set, the material suffers from a problem common to many bands that had just one great song. Much of the late-'60s stuff here is derivative, with varying streaks of innocuous Bee Gees, Move, Kinks, Beatles, Badfinger, and bubblegum influences. The 1968 songs in particular lean too heavily on the shimmering wobbly guitar effects introduced by "Pictures of Matchstick Men." Most importantly, though, the songs aren't special, wafting by in an inoffensive period fashion, occasionally making a deeper impression on tracks like "Sunny Cellophane Skies" (which, again like many of their 1968 tunes, has helium-high harmony vocals and weedy organ), "When I Awake" (whose intro has some awesome fluttering wah-wah guitar), and "Josie" (which sounds a little like a kiddie Kinks-meets-Easybeats). The more aggressive early-'70s material isn't any more memorable or original, to be honest, though it does include a couple fair-sized British hits in "Down the Dustpipe" and "In My Chair." Devoted collectors might be most interested in the pre-Status Quo cuts by the Spectres and Traffic Jam, but these are even less imbued with distinctive personality than the rest of the material, sounding like the product of an also-ran club band from the waning days of the British Invasion. The Spectres' tracks are too heavy on unimaginative covers as well, though their peculiarly chintzy organ parts at least give it some sonic imprint; the two Traffic Jam songs are most notable for "Almost but Not Quite There," a coy teen sexual innuendo reminiscent of some of the Troggs' filler from the period.
Finally, though Sanctuary is to be commended for gathering all the strands of the early Status Quo together in such a comprehensive fashion, it garners no gold stars for the packaging. Such a thorough set deserves more liner notes than the mere five paragraphs dispensed here, and even more troublingly, there's no information about when and where the tracks were originally released. Nothing's supplied at all but songwriting credits and years of original release, in fact, with nothing said about on what singles and albums these songs (a handful of which didn't surface until the 1980s and 1990s) were first issued.
© Richie Unterberger /TiVo
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John Schroeder, Producer - Rossi, Composer - Francis Rossi, Composer - Status Quo, Composer, MainArtist
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1968 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
KENNY YOUNG, Composer - John Schroeder, Producer - Status Quo, MainArtist
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1968 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
John Schroeder, Producer - Francis Rossi, Composer - Status Quo, Composer, MainArtist
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1968 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
John Schroeder, Producer - Status Quo, Composer, MainArtist - Roy Lynes, Composer
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1968 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
Ronnie Scott, Composer - John Schroeder, Producer - Marty Wilde, Composer - Status Quo, Composer, MainArtist
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1968 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
John Schroeder, Producer - Francis Rossi, Composer - Status Quo, Composer, Percussion, MainArtist - Rick Parfitt, Composer
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1968 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
Ronnie Scott, Composer - John Schroeder, Producer - Marty Wilde, Composer - Status Quo, MainArtist
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1968 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
Ronnie Scott, Composer - John Schroeder, Producer - Marty Wilde, Composer - Status Quo, Composer, MainArtist
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1968 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
John Schroeder, Producer - Status Quo, Composer, MainArtist - Anthony King, Composer
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1968 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
Barry Gibb, Composer - John Schroeder, Producer - Status Quo, Composer, MainArtist
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1968 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
Tommy Roe, Composer - John Schroeder, Producer - Status Quo, Composer, MainArtist
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1968 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
John Schroeder, Producer - Alan Lancaster, Composer - Status Quo, Composer, MainArtist
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1968 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
Shelley Pinz, Composer - Paul Leka, Composer - John Schroeder, Producer - Status Quo, MainArtist
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1968 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
John Schroeder, Producer - Status Quo, MainArtist
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1969 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
John Schroeder, Producer - Alan Lancaster, Composer - Status Quo, MainArtist
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1969 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
Jerry Leiber, Composer - Mike Stoller, Composer - John Schroeder, Producer - Carlo Donida, Composer - Giulio Rapetti, Composer - The Spectres, MainArtist
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1966 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
Huey Meaux, Composer - John Schroeder, Producer - The Spectres, MainArtist - Alton Valier, Writer
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1966 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
John Schroeder, Producer - Alan Lancaster, Composer - The Spectres, MainArtist - Patrick Barlow, Composer
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1966 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
John Schroeder, Producer - The Spectres, MainArtist
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1966 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
John Schroeder, Producer - Michael Esposito, Composer - Ronald Gilbert, Composer - Ralph Scala, Composer - The Spectres, MainArtist - Emil Thielhelm, Composer
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1967 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
John Schroeder, Producer - Francis Rossi, Composer - Alan Lancaster, Composer - John Coghlan, Composer - Roy Lynes, Composer - The Spectres, MainArtist
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1967 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
Barry Gibb, Composer - John Schroeder, Producer - The Spectres, MainArtist
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1968 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
Francis Rossi, Composer - Traffic Jam, Performance, MainArtist - Patrick Barlow, Composer
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1967 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
Traffic Jam, Performance, MainArtist - Roy Lynes, Composer
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1967 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
Carole King, Composer - Gerry Goffin, Composer - John Schroeder, Producer - The Spectres, MainArtist
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1998 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
John Schroeder, Producer - The Spectres, MainArtist
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1998 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
DISC 2
John Schroeder, Composer, Producer - Status Quo, Performance, MainArtist - Anthony King, Composer
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1969 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
John Schroeder, Producer - Alan Lancaster, Composer - Status Quo, MainArtist
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1969 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
John Schroeder, Producer - Francis Rossi, Composer - Status Quo, MainArtist - Rick Parfitt, Composer
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1969 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
Carole King, Composer - Gerry Goffin, Composer - John Schroeder, Producer - Status Quo, MainArtist
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1969 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
John Schroeder, Producer - Alan Lancaster, Composer - Status Quo, MainArtist
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1969 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
John Schroeder, Producer - Francis Rossi, Composer - Status Quo, Composer, MainArtist - Rick Parfitt, Composer
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1969 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
John Schroeder, Composer, Producer - Status Quo, MainArtist - Anthony King, Composer
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1969 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
John Schroeder, Producer - Alan Lancaster, Composer - Status Quo, Composer, MainArtist - Roy Lynes, Composer
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1969 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
John Schroeder, Producer - Status Quo, Composer, MainArtist - Anthony King, Composer
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1969 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
John Schroeder, Producer - Francis Rossi, Composer - Status Quo, MainArtist - Rick Parfitt, Composer
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1969 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
John Schroeder, Producer - Alan Lancaster, Composer - Status Quo, Composer, MainArtist - Bob Young, Composer
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1969 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
John Schroeder, Producer - Status Quo, MainArtist
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1969 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
Dion Di Mucci, Composer - Tony Fasce, Composer - John Schroeder, Producer - Status Quo, MainArtist
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1981 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
John Schroeder, Producer - Alan Lancaster, Composer - Status Quo, Producer, MainArtist
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1981 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
Don Everly, Composer - Phil Everly, Composer - John Schroeder, Producer - Status Quo, Composer, MainArtist
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1969 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
Robert Young, Composer - Tom King, Composer - Chuck Berry, Composer - The Doors, Composer - John Fogerty, Composer - John David, Composer - Ronnie Scott, Composer - John Schroeder, Producer - Francis Rossi, Composer - Marty Wilde, Composer - Alan Lancaster, Composer - John Coghlan, Composer - Status Quo, Composer, Performance, MainArtist - Rick Parfitt, Composer - Larry Bright, Composer - Carl Groszmann, Composer - Carl Groszman, Composer - Bernard Frost, Composer - Fred Mendolsohn, Composer - Nicholas Dominic, Composer
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1970 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
John Schroeder, Producer - Francis Rossi, Composer - Status Quo, Composer, MainArtist - Bob Young, Composer
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1970 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
John Schroeder, Producer - Alan Lancaster, Composer - Status Quo, Composer, MainArtist
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1970 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
John Schroeder, Producer - Francis Rossi, Composer - Status Quo, MainArtist - Rick Parfitt, Composer
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1970 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
John Schroeder, Producer - Francis Rossi, Composer - Status Quo, Composer, MainArtist - Bob Young, Composer
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1970 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
John Schroeder, Producer - Francis Rossi, Composer - Status Quo, Performance, MainArtist - Bob Young, Composer
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1970 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
Robert Young, Composer - Colin James, Composer - John Schroeder, Producer - Francis Rossi, Composer - Status Quo, Composer, MainArtist - John Manston, Composer
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1970 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
DISC 3
Status Quo, Performance, MainArtist - Kieran White, Composer - Martin Pugh, Composer - Ray White, Composer
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1970 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
John Schroeder, Producer - Francis Rossi, Composer - Status Quo, Performance, MainArtist - Rick Parfitt, Composer
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1970 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
Album review
This three-CD, 63-track set is the last word on Status Quo's early years, gathering not only every track the band did for Pye in the late '60s and early '70s, but also adding seven songs by the Spectres and two by Traffic Jam (the group's pre-Status Quo incarnations). As Status Quo were a psychedelic pop band in the late '60s before shifting to hard boogie rock at the turn of the decade, it might be a disappointment to much of their fan base, as prior to 1970 they sounded like an almost entirely different act. Conversely, though, to British Invasion and psychedelic fans who have little use for the band's long run as hard rock journeymen, this might be the most useful Status Quo collection of all. For it's psychedelic pop -- of a resolutely trendy brand that's actually more "pop" than "psychedelic" -- that dominates the first two discs, including of course their big hit "Pictures of Matchstick Men," as well as their follow-up U.K. Top Ten single, "Ice in the Sun." It's not until the half-dozen or so 1970 recordings that close disc two that the band starts embracing harder sounds, almost fully changing to a blues-rock-boogie direction for disc three.
As for the lighter approach that makes up the bulk of this set, the material suffers from a problem common to many bands that had just one great song. Much of the late-'60s stuff here is derivative, with varying streaks of innocuous Bee Gees, Move, Kinks, Beatles, Badfinger, and bubblegum influences. The 1968 songs in particular lean too heavily on the shimmering wobbly guitar effects introduced by "Pictures of Matchstick Men." Most importantly, though, the songs aren't special, wafting by in an inoffensive period fashion, occasionally making a deeper impression on tracks like "Sunny Cellophane Skies" (which, again like many of their 1968 tunes, has helium-high harmony vocals and weedy organ), "When I Awake" (whose intro has some awesome fluttering wah-wah guitar), and "Josie" (which sounds a little like a kiddie Kinks-meets-Easybeats). The more aggressive early-'70s material isn't any more memorable or original, to be honest, though it does include a couple fair-sized British hits in "Down the Dustpipe" and "In My Chair." Devoted collectors might be most interested in the pre-Status Quo cuts by the Spectres and Traffic Jam, but these are even less imbued with distinctive personality than the rest of the material, sounding like the product of an also-ran club band from the waning days of the British Invasion. The Spectres' tracks are too heavy on unimaginative covers as well, though their peculiarly chintzy organ parts at least give it some sonic imprint; the two Traffic Jam songs are most notable for "Almost but Not Quite There," a coy teen sexual innuendo reminiscent of some of the Troggs' filler from the period.
Finally, though Sanctuary is to be commended for gathering all the strands of the early Status Quo together in such a comprehensive fashion, it garners no gold stars for the packaging. Such a thorough set deserves more liner notes than the mere five paragraphs dispensed here, and even more troublingly, there's no information about when and where the tracks were originally released. Nothing's supplied at all but songwriting credits and years of original release, in fact, with nothing said about on what singles and albums these songs (a handful of which didn't surface until the 1980s and 1990s) were first issued.
© Richie Unterberger /TiVo
About the album
- 3 disc(s) - 63 track(s)
- Total length: 03:36:29
- Main artists: Status Quo
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Castle Communications
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock
© 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 2004 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
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