Status Quo (1960s)

Progressive rock compilations are curioous things. I've got one called the Age of Enlightenment. it's an excellent album and includes a lot of psychedelia and hard rock. I particularly like the Quintessence track - although they were not a conventional progressive rock band.

The January release from Castle Communication Records, Ars Longa Vita Brevis: A Compendium of Progressive Rock, is one of the best multi-Cd albums released in the last 3 years dealing in a fairly serious way with rock releases from the period approx 1967 to 1975. The box set's title is imprecise because it more broadly covers early British rock - that is some prog, some heavy, some main stream, some blues rock. Two representative Status Quo tracks are included that finds them between Matchstick Men and the endless boogies which the Heebie Bee Geebies*so successfully took the piss. One is a cover of Steamhammer's Junior's Wailing - btw Steamhammer made much the superior version.

 

*Anybody else own a copy of Never Mind The Originals, Here's The Heebie Bee Geebies (aka Phil Pope and Angus Deaton)?

Edited by Dick Heath

Dick Heath wrote: *Anybody else own a copy of Never Mind The Originals, Here's The Heebie Bee Geebies (aka Phil Pope and Angus Deaton)?

Yeah, I have to admit to that one Dick. I think my favourite track is the "Last Walz" type spoof, featuing Neil Dung if I remember right. I believe the Bee Gees tried to sue the Hebeegeebees, I don't think they got the joke (same as they didn't when Clive Anderson interviewed them!)

I am curious about early Quo, I think Pictures Of Matchstick Men is a stunning moment of psychedelic rock (and I've always been intrigued by the title of Black Veils Of Melancholy) but I know they got really boring by the early 1970s when they got stuck in bar band boogie mode.

I read somewhere that Dog Of Two Head was Status Quo's attempt at prog (then again I have even heard Semisonic described as prog-rock!!!) ... AMG is pretty vague about it, and I haven't got much info on this album elsewhere, but it seems cuts like Railroad, Umleitung and Gerdundula were among their best recordings ever ... anyone know if Dog Of Two Head did stray into prog territory?

As for the prog compilations, I've even found got a Humble Pie boogie track on one of mine!

OK that is settled then Prog they are not,but we have to admit that they are one of Britain's most loved bands.

Funnily enough around 3 days ago me and my mate was talking about Rock N Roll, he was talking about how much he wants to grow Long Hair and all that and somewhere along the line Status Quo popped up, and he said "Status Quo's music sounds the same only the words are different".