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 | ||||
| Released | 3 May 1974 | |||
| Recorded | Spring 1974 | |||
| Studio | IBC Studios, London | |||
| Genre | Hard rock,heavy metal | |||
| Length | 36:54 | |||
| Label | Vertigo (UK) A&M (USA) | |||
| Producer | Status Quo | |||
| Status Quo chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Quo | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| 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
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Backwater" | Rick Parfitt, Alan Lancaster | Lancaster | 4:22 |
| 2. | "Just Take Me" | Parfitt, Lancaster | Lancaster | 3:31 |
| 3. | "Break the Rules" | Francis Rossi, Rick Parfitt, Alan Lancaster, John Coghlan, Bob Young | Rossi | 3:37 |
| 4. | "Drifting Away" | Parfitt, Lancaster | Lancaster | 5:00 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5. | "Don't Think it Matters" | Parfitt, Lancaster | Lancaster | 4:48 |
| 6. | "Fine Fine Fine" | Rossi, Young | Rossi | 2:31 |
| 7. | "Lonely Man" | Parfitt, Lancaster | Parfitt | 5:05 |
| 8. | "Slow Train" | Rossi, Young | Rossi | 7:55 |
2005 reissue bonus track
- Lonely Night (Rossi, Parfitt, Lancaster, Coghlan, Young) – 3:26
Personnel
- Status Quo
- Francis Rossi – guitar, vocals
- Rick Parfitt – guitar, vocals
- Alan Lancaster – bass, vocals
- John Coghlan – drums
- 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 (1974–1975) | 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 |
| Chart (2015) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC)[11] | 31 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[5] | Gold | 20,000^ |
| France (SNEP)[12] | Gold | 100,000* |
| Sweden (GLF)[13] | Gold | 25,000[13] |
| Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[14] | Gold | 25,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[15] | Gold | 100,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||