The best of the best-1

My favourite Status Quo records:

Hello! (1973)

1.Roll Over Lay Down (Rossi/Young/Parfitt/Lancaster/Coghlan)
2. Claudie (Rossi/Young)
3. Reason For Living (Rossi/Parfitt)
4. Blue-Eyed Lady (Lancaster/Parfitt)
5. Caroline (Rossi/Young)*
6. Softer Ride (Lancaster/Parfitt)
7. And It's Better Now (Rossi/Young)
8. 4500 Times (Rossi/Parfitt)

Comments:
Produced by Status Quo
CD Vertigo: 848 171-2
The Hello! album was released in September 1973 and went straight into Number one in the charts. The single, Caroline was written back in -69 but had been remade for the new record. Since then it has been one of the absolute Quo-favourites. Andy Bown appeares in Quo for the first time playing the piano on Blue-Eyed Lady. The Hello! album spent twenty-eight weeks in the charts.

Quo (1974)

1. Backwater (Parfitt/Lancaster)
2. Just Take Me (Parfitt/Lancaster)
3. Break The Rules (Rossi/Young/Parfitt/Lancaster/Coghlan)*
4. Drifting Away (Parfitt/Lancaster)
5. Don't Think It Matters (Parfitt/Lancaster)
6. Fine Fine Fine (Rossi/Young)
7. Lonely Man (Parfitt/Lancaster)
8. Slow Train (Rossi/Young)

Comments:
Produced by Status Quo
CD Vertigo: 848 089-2
When the band recorded the Quo-album they played so loud in the studio that people living close were disturbed and called the police. Break The Rules was released as a single in April -74 and it reached No.8. Quo themselves wanted Backwater to be the single but the record-company's choice wasn't so. The Quo-album entered the charts at Number 1. Quo is the rawest and most hard-rocking album ever recorded by the band. Maybe that's why it is my personal favourite. The best tracks are Backwater, Drifting Away, Don't Think It Matters and Slow Train.

On The Level (1975)

1. Little Lady (Parfitt)
2. Most Of The Time (Rossi/Young)
3. I Saw The Light (Rossi/Young)
4. Over And Done (Lancaster)
5. Nightride (Parfitt/Young)
6. Down Down (Rossi/Young)*
7. Broken Man (Lancaster)
8. What To Do (Rossi/Young)
9. Where I Am (Parfitt)
10. Bye Bye Johnny (Chuck Berry)

Comments:
Produced by Status Quo
CD Vertigo: 842 101-2
Once again a new record from Quo went straight into No. 1 in the charts! It spent twenty-seven weeks in the charts. Down Down was released as a single in November. It is still the only Quo-single that has reached the Number 1 position. On The Level was produced for Quarry Productions, the new management-company formed by Colin Johnson, Quo's manager at that time. The sound on this recording had improved compared to the sound on the Quo-album. I like all the tracks but my favourites are Little Lady, I Saw The Light and Nightride.

Blue For You (1976)

1. Is There A Better Way (Lancaster/Rossi)
2. Mad About The Boy (Rossi/Young)
3. Ring Of A Change (Rossi/Young)
4. Blue For You (Lancaster)
5. Rain (Parfitt)*
6. Rolling Home (Lancaster/Rossi)
7. That's A Fact (Rossi/Young)
8. Ease Your Mind (Lancaster)
9. Mystery Song (Parfitt/Young)*

Comments: Produced by Status Quo CD Vertigo: 848 089-2 Also Blue For You made it straight Into the Number 1 spot. The album was released in February -76. The singles taken from it are Rain and an edited version of Mystery Song. Andy Bown joined Quo on stage for the UK-tour and there was a promotion campaign devised by Phonogram and the Levi-Strauss jean company. Posters were made with photos of Quo clad in denim and with the message: "Status Quo wear Levis". An incident at the Vienna Airport when touring in Europe made Quo get in serious trouble with the Austrian passport official. Rick, Francis and Alan were arrested and driven to the city prison, charged with "assaulting an airport official". Finally they were each fined £800. Alan was fined £1.600...