3 Chord RockMasters

In around 1974 I was at the Paramont in Portland Oregon to see Wishbone Ash. ( Currently playing as I type this )It was a cold rainy night and I had a 10 hour drive ahead of me. As well as a slight headache. The 1st. act was some guy named Sammy Hagar. He had a good band behind him, but spent most of the time screaming. doing no good to my head. So I went upstairs for a small libation. While there, I heard them announce Status Quo. I remember thinking "Oh No- Pictures of matchstick men". Now do'nt get me wrong, Matchstick men was a good tune in the 60s but not what I felt like hearing now. Then all of a sudden I started hearing some hotass guitar and screamming kids. so I whent back down. For the next 3 hours I was-sorry but adjectives fail me. I watched as 3 guys ran up and down the stage and around the drummer. Playing the best 3 chord rock I have ever heard. Although I say 3 chord, they did much more than that. There songs range from driving rythem and leads to beautiful melodic phrasings. Cleaver construction and insightfull lyrics. very good vocals. It remains today, a memory of the best rock an roll show I ever saw. This album, captures a great deal of the magic of that night. Following them, Wishbone Ash, Who I came to see, seemed boring. The next day, I went out and bought every thing that I could find by them. Since then, i've played there songs in every band that i've been in. They never fail to get a crowd on it's feet.
Although my taste runs more to King Crimson, Yes, ELP-Etc, Status Quo has remained an collection I never tire of hearing. I'm only sorry that more of there music has not been available on cd.
If you like hard guitar oriented rock Please check this out.

Oh yeah !

This is how I will always remember Quo, no matter how many more lame albums they release. If you grew up in the USA, you probably missed out on this boogie explosion machine - but man, did they rock in concert. Fortunately for you, there is the 'Live' album which captured Status Quo in their full glory at the peak of their 'live' carreer. The first four songs just bring the house down before they slow it down a bit during 'Most of the Time'. But then they dish out their more than 10 minute gem '4500 times' which is even better than the version on 'Hello' (forget the poor re-take they put on their 'Rock 'til you Drop' CD in the nineties). And then it's full force head down rock'n'roll until the last note on 'Roadhouse Blues'. There are a couple of other live CDs from Status Quo ('Live at the NEC' or 'Live Alive Quo') but they don't even come close to this night at the Apollo in Glasgow. A true time capsule and a must buy for all you rockers out there !

preserve this status quo

what can we say? classic 70's quo at the height of their powers, as played to the most fearsomely discerning audience of the british live scene of the 70's - the legendary glasgow apollo. From the build up of audience support, throught the intro by jackie lynton into the juggernaut opening of "junior's wailing" you cannot fail to imagine you are THERE in the midst of a capacity 3,500 (i think) crowd in the (at the time) largest concert venue in Britain.The first let up in this relentless assault comes with "in my chair", a chance to regain your breath maybe, but with no let-up in the heaviness.For those who dismiss quo as a one tick pony just marvel at the tenderness of "Most of the Time" and the start of "4500 times".Then on through all the favourites to the piece de la resistance-"Roadhouse Blues", audience participation and all - NONE MORE HEAVY. Listen loud and just wish you could have been there-meanwhile, enjoy.