About this Artist

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Editorial Reviews

Love 'em or hate 'em, Status Quo have been rockin' the charts for four decades. While they remain living legends and rock icons in the U.K., Europe, South America, and elsewhere, they can't even get arrested in the States! The "hip" U.K. press love to take as many potshots at them as possible, which is all the more reason to love Quo. But we all know that, deep down (deeper and down), those critics probably have a soft spot for quite a few of Quo's hits but will never admit to it in public. At any rate, the band has always managed to maintain a certain quality level that may not always touch the stars, but, at the least, will always rock the house! From their psychedelic beginnings with hits like "Pictures of Matchstick Men" (later turned into a college radio hit when covered by Camper Van Beethoven) and "Ice in the Sun" to their boogie-fueled rock & roll hits like "Caroline," "Down Down," and "Paper Plane," Status Quo were, and still are, the ultimate party band. When T. Rex were prancing about on-stage with feather boas and glitter, Quo were wearing blue jeans and t-shirts and playing head-down, floor-shaking Rock & Roll. When the Rolling Stones were jetsetting all around the world with beautiful models, Quo were treading the boards, playing sweaty blues-based rock and perfecting the ultimate three-chord symphony. For some reason, Foghat's brand of boogie rock clicked in the States (albeit briefly) while Quo were only able to build a cult following. Sadly, even the casual American fans who bought their classic 1973 album Hello! probably have no clue that, 35 years later, Quo are still going as strong as ever. Pictures: 40 Years of Hits may not readdress the situation in the U.S. (since it's not released here), but hopefully, this fantastic collection will make its way into the hands of the curious, the casual fan, and the hardcore Quo nutter. Released in three formats, (two CDs, two CDs/one DVD, or four CDs), Pictures is the best Quo compilation on the market...and trust me, there are more Quo comps (Quomps?) out there than you can possibly imagine. This two CD/DVD edition contains the same two CDs found in the double-disc version, but adds a bonus DVD that contains interviews with veteran Quomen Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt, plus music videos for 13 of their singles released since the late '80s. The music on the audio discs is where the meat of this collection lies: all their biggest hits, most of their medium hits, and a few choice mini-hits as well. The psych years are covered by the aforementioned "Pictures of Matchstick Men" and "Ice in the Sun," but once "Down the Dustpipe" jumps out of the starting gate, the now-classic Quo sound takes shape and the rest of this musical journey across two shiny discs is filled with hook-filled Rock & Roll that may be formulaic at times, but is also very worthwhile. There is one new track here, the holiday-themed "It's Christmas Time," which has got to be one of the best original rock & roll Christmas songs to come along in decades (certainly the best since the Three Wise Men/XTC's "Thanks for Christmas"). All hail the Quo! [A two-CD/DVD set was also released.] Steve "Spaz" Schnee, All Music Guide

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