Still going strong after 46 years, and to be honest this is the best I’ve heard Status Quo sound in many years.
Written by: Dangerzone
ARTIST: Status Quo
ALBUM: In Search Of The Fourth Chord
LABEL: Fourth Chord Records
SERIAL: QUOCD001
YEAR: 2007
CD REISSUE: Discogs Reissue List
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: England
LINEUP: Francis Rossi – vocals, guitars * Rick Parfitt – guitars, vocals * Andy Bown – keyboards, guitars * John Edwards – bass * Matt Letley – drums
TRACK LISTING: 01 Beginning Of The End * 02 Alright * 03 Pennsylvania Blues Tonight * 04 I Don’t Wanna Hurt You Anymore * 05 Electric Arena * 06 Gravy Train * 07 Figure Of Eight * 08 You’re The One For Me * 09 My Little Heartbreaker *10 Hold Me * 11 Saddling Up * 12 Bad News * 13 Tongue Tied * 14 I Ain’t Wasting My Time
RATING: 90/100
WEBLINKS: Site Link
Background
Still going strong after 46 years, and to be honest this is the best I’ve heard Status Quo sound in many years. Any fan of the perennial British boogie legends will remember just how dire some of Quo’s 80’s and 90’s recordings were, particularly the horrific ‘Thirsty Work’ of 1994, which showed just how far removed the lads had become from their foot stomping heyday.
Rossi and Parfitt have gone some way to readressing the balance with ‘Fourth Chord’, even acknowledging that they will probably never discover that elusive fourth chord on the albums title!
The Songs
I’m sure there’s still die-hards out there still expecting Status Quo to reclaim past glories circa 1974, much like I still expect Iron Maiden to do the same circa 1982 (or like I do with Coventry City circa 1987 Ed!). Foolish to expect, but Quo deliver plenty of old time boogie here, and I challenge anyone not to believe ‘I Don’t Wanna Hurt You Anymore’ couldn’t be a leftover from ‘Piledriver’. The riff has the classic Quo boogie vibe, and this is as good as it gets.
‘Beginning Of The End’ is another hefty rocker, as is ‘Alright’, which should have boogie fans rejoicing in the wake of the three chord assault. ‘Electric Arena’ is suspect pop with a blues edge, but for every one of these there’s a ‘Figure Of Eight’ or ‘You’re The One For Me’, both raising the roof as only Quo can do.
The single riff running through ‘My Little Heartbreaker’ is etched in 1970 values, and this is bloody vintage stuff. AC/DC haven’t written anything in nearly a decade, and with Status Quo pumping out boogie like ‘Hold Me’ they aren’t missed. Nobody does it like this anymore. ‘Bad News’ is another exceptional workout, (with Edwards on vocals) which should get the heads banging, but as if to flesh out the large quantity of rockers, two ballads end the album, ‘Tongue Tied’ and ‘One By One’, the latter slightly psychedelic, almost a nod to the 1967 debut.
In Summary
Status Quo will be an institution forever, and have really made up for past discrepancies with the strength of the material here. Even at this stage of their career they can still rock up a storm as if ‘Down, Down’ was just yesterday.
In all honesty I haven’t heard a pure boogie album as strong as this in many years, and it’s only the veterans who can really pull it off convincingly, Parfitt and Rossi still understanding the value of a simple riff. Even if you’ve heard it all before, how can you ever grow tired of it? Lovely stuff.
Video
Beginning Of The End
I Don’t Wanna Hurt You Anymore
