STATUS QUO: "Quid Pro Quo"

Rating: 7/10

Label: Ear Music 2011

Review by Alan Holloway

Everyone has to like a little bit of Quo. It’s a tradition, or and old charter or something. Even if it’s just a wee shake of the head when “Caroline” comes on (actual tune: ner ner ner ner ner ner etc) then you, officially, like Quo. A bit, anyway.

This, their three hundred and seventy fifth (possibly, if you count all the lives and bootlegs) album, is easily reviewed with the following four words: It’s a Quo album. You want more? Okay, it’s a GOOD Quo album. Still not convinced? Tell you what - get yer ears round the opening track “Two Way Street”, a prime slice of Quo at their full tilt best and a perfect reintroduction for all those that find this wrapped up as a Father’s Day gift this weekend. There’s thirteen more tracks, all with that unmistakable Quo sound, some fantastic, some just good, but none are duffers. They even, for some reason, tack on a rather pointless re-recording of “In the Army Now” at the end, but as it doesn’t mean sacrificing any other track it’s okay.

Mind you, fourteen new Quo tracks is not all you get here, as the disc has been packaged with the “Official Live Bootleg”, which cobbles together another ten tracks recorded, unsurprisingly, live on stage. It’s a bit of a greatest hits package, although it is good to hear “Beginning Of The End” from their rather great last album “In Search Of The Fourth Chord”. Never look a gift boogie on the mouth, however, and with that said it’s a well produced bonus that will get a lot of play time in any fan’s house (once they’ve filed it amongst all the other live discs they’ve got).

Whilst I’m not a big Quo devotee, I’ve always enjoyed their style of music when they do it well, and “Quid Pro Quo” (how have they not called an album this before?) is Status Quo doing their schtick as well as you could expect after all these years. If you’re in the UK they’ve done the quite marvellous trick of having it retailed exclusively in Tesco stores, so it’s unlikely you’re not near a place you can pick it up for eight quid or so, and if you’ve ever been a Quo fan you owe it to yourself to do just that.

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