Quo (Status Quo album)

Quo is the seventh studio album by the English rock band Status Quo. Issued in May 1974, it features Francis Rossi, Rick Parfitt, Alan Lancaster and John Coghlan, and reached #2 in the UK. Like its predecessor Hello!, it consisted entirely of songs written or cowritten by the group. The only guest musicians were Bob Young and Tom Parker, who played harmonica and piano respectively on "Break the Rules".

Quo
Studio album by
Status Quo
Released3 May 1974
RecordedSpring 1974
StudioIBC Studios, London
GenreHard rock, heavy metal
Length36:54
LabelVertigo (UK)
A&M (USA)
ProducerStatus Quo
Status Quo chronology
Hello!
(1973)		 Quo
(1974)		 On the Level
(1975)
Singles from Quo
  1. "Break the Rules"
    Released: 26 April 1974[1]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic [2]

The album is regarded as one of their heaviest, possibly due to the influence of bassist Alan Lancaster, who cowrote six of the eight tracks. "When we wrote 'Drifting Away'," recalled Parfitt, "it sounded so, so heavy. That rhythm was constant, right in your face. It was just such a turn-on. That's where my head was at back then. You know: just let it fucking rock."[3]

The UK LP contained a gatefold insert with a picture of the band playing live on one side, and the lyrics on the other. The sleeve art was by British artist Dave Field.

The band believed the opening "Backwater" to be the most suitable candidate for a single. However, the only track released as a single was "Break the Rules", in April 1974. It peaked in the UK at #8. The B-side of the single was "Lonely Night", which was not on an album until it became a bonus track on the 2005 reissue of Quo. Two years after release, "Lonely Night" was plagiarised by Australian band the Angels in their song "Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again", for which Status Quo subsequently received royalties.[4]

Track listing
Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
1."Backwater"Rick Parfitt, Alan LancasterLancaster4:22
2."Just Take Me"Parfitt, LancasterLancaster3:31
3."Break the Rules"Francis Rossi, Rick Parfitt, Alan Lancaster, John Coghlan, Bob YoungRossi3:37
4."Drifting Away"Parfitt, LancasterLancaster5:00
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
5."Don't Think it Matters"Parfitt, LancasterLancaster4:48
6."Fine Fine Fine"Rossi, YoungRossi2:31
7."Lonely Man"Parfitt, LancasterParfitt5:05
8."Slow Train"Rossi, YoungRossi7:55

2005 reissue bonus track
  1. Lonely Night (Rossi, Parfitt, Lancaster, Coghlan, Young) – 3:26

Personnel
Status Quo
Additional personnel
  • Bob Young – harmonica
  • Tom Parker – keyboards
  • Status Quo – producers
  • Damon Lyon-Shaw – engineer and mix
  • Richard Manwaring, Andy Miller – assistant engineers
  • Dave Field – illustration and design

Charts
Chart (1974) Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[5] 23
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[6] 10
Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts)[7] 10
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[8] 11
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[9] 6
UK Albums (OCC)[10] 2

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[5] Gold 20,000^
France (SNEP)[11] Gold 100,000*
Sweden (GLF)[12] Gold 25,000[12]
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[13] Gold 25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[14] Gold 100,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. "Status Quo singles".
  2. Quo at AllMusic
  3. Ling, Dave (March 2017). "R.I.P. Rick Parfitt". Classic Rock #233. p. 51.
  4. Ling, Dave (30 May 2015). "The Angels: "What happened was sad and stupid"". Classic Rock. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  5. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  6. "Austriancharts.at – Status Quo – Quo" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  7. Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  8. "Offiziellecharts.de – Status Quo – Quo" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  9. "Norwegiancharts.com – Status Quo – Quo". Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  10. "Status Quo | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  11. "French album certifications – Status Quo – On The Level" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved 4 February 2021. Select STATUS QUO and click OK. 
  12. "Above the Status Quo" (PDF). Cash Box. 12 December 1975. p. 42.
  13. "Status Gold" (PDF). Record Mirror. 22 February 1975. p. 3. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  14. "British album certifications – Status Quo – Quo". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
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