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Track Listings
| 1. Two Way Traffic (Rossi/Edwards) |
| 2. Rock 'n' Roll 'n' You (Rossi/Bown) |
| 3. Dust To Gold (Rossi/Bown/Edwards) |
| 4. Let's Rock (Parfitt/Morris) |
| 5. Can't See for Looking (Parfitt/Bown/Edwards) |
| 6. Better Than That (Rossi/Young) |
| 7. Movin' On (Rossi/Young) |
| 8. Leave A Little Light On (Parfitt/Morris) |
| 9. Any Way You Like It (Bown/Crook/Edwards) |
| 10. Frozen Hero (Rossi/Bown) |
| 11. Reality Cheque (Parfitt/Edwards) |
| 12. The Winner (Rossi/Young) |
| 13. It's All About You (Rossi/Young) |
| 14. My Old Ways (Rossi/Young) |
Product Description
Review
As British as damp holidays and warm ale, Status Quo are a national institution. For many, success is fleeting and careers against the clock. Yet the Quo press on, core duo Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt having boogied down to their unfaltering brand of good-time rock’n’roll for too many years for a man to count on their hands and toes – and then those of their best mate, too. Borders have shifted and walls have fallen, trends have moved at a rapid rate, yet the Quo remain the same, steadfastly committed to their own cause. And now, with the release of their 29th (29th!) studio album, all anyone can really do is stand back and congratulate them. Cool, the Quo are not, and arguably never have been. But Quid Pro Quo nails precisely what fans of the band have been conditioned to expect, not putting a foot wrong across its 14 new tracks.
The 2010 version of In the Army Now is a pale shadow of the band’s 1986 number two hit – but it’s tacked onto the end here as a bonus, wisely, so as not to interrupt the flow of the record proper. Which is, largely, driving rock for driving to, the sort of fare that sounds great blasted from car speakers on an open highway, the horizon there for the chasing. And those songs that aren’t so comfortable on the move, they’re well suited to after-hours enjoyment down the local – Rock ‘n’ Roll ‘n’ You, Any Way You Like It, The Winner and Let’s Rock are all cuts which would go down a storm on the jukebox at any lock-in. They are perfectly crafted group sing-alongs, each satisfyingly substantial of rousing chorus. Maybe don’t let ‘em loose when the young ‘uns are in, but once they’ve sauntered off to their town-centre discos, pop your pennies in and get selecting.
Bob Young’s consistently upbeat (co-)writing – he’s as important to Quo today as Rossi and Parfitt – ensures that this set never slips from third gear. True, it never really puts pedal to the metal either, but why risk the wheels falling off at this stage? Quo set out to make music their fans enjoy, experimentation a long-forgotten notion; brilliantly, though, they manage to sound like they’re having a blast throughout. This is not the time for seeking new audiences: Quid Pro Quo continues their amazing career in style, never running any risk of alienating those who’ve been along for the ride since day one. Rocket science it’s not, but the alchemy is as reliable as it ever was.
--Mike Diver
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Product Description
2 CD SET. CD1 INCLUDES TRACKS : TWO WAY TRAFFIC, ROCK 'N' ROLL 'N' YOU, DUST TO GOLD, LET'S ROCK, CAN'T SEE FOR LOOKING, BETTER THAN THAT, MOVIN' ON, LEAVE A LITTLE LIGHT ON, ANY WAY YOU LIKE IT, FROZEN HERO, REALITY CHEQUE, THE WINNER, IT'S ALL ABOUT YOU, MY OLD WAYS, IN THE ARMY NOW (2010).
CD2 (LIVE DISC) INCLUDES TRACKS : WHATEVER YOU WANT, DOWN DOWN, DON'T DRIVE MY CAR, HOLD YOU BACK, PICTURES OF MATCHSTICK MEN, ICE IN THE SUN, BEGINNING OF THE END, ROLL OVER LAY DOWN, CAROLINE, ROCKIN' ALL OVER THE WORLD.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
43 of 45 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
As a long-time Quo fan, I really like this album but this comes as no surprise to me. To me, Quid Pro Quo sounds like the culmination of Status Quo rediscovering their soul (their `Quoness' if you like) that started with Under the Influence in 1999, continued with Heavy Traffic in 2002 and was consolidated on The Party Ain't Over Yet (2005) and In Search of the Forth Chord (2007). After the best part of 20 years of trying not to be the Quo we know and love, the period from 99 onwards was, for the most part, a return to Quo rocking out in a way only they can, interspersed with gentler moments - just like the classic period in the early 70s.
Quid Pro Quo (in parts) is the heaviest of these new Quo classics and has plenty of `attack' and aggression akin (to me at least) to On the Level or Blue for You. While I don't adore every track, those I do like I believe will become Quo classics. Two Way Traffic is fast and raucous in a way that reminds me of Is There A Better Way from Blue for You; Dust to Gold and Frozen Hero (my two favourite tracks) have that unmistakable Quo hardness and shuffle but sound quite contemporary. Movin' On is another track that wouldn't have sounded out of place on On the Level or Blue for You such is it's pace and heaviness, but also its catchy melody. These tracks are, I believe, special and could quite happily sit alongside Caroline, Roll Over Lay Down, Backwater etc. in the Quo `Hall of Fame'.
In addition to these, Rock n Roll n You, Leave a Little Light On, Let's Rock and Better than That rock along quite nicely for me and are as enjoyable as anything Quo have ever done.
What stops Quid Pro Quo from getting the full 5 stars (which I don't give out often) for me is that while I love the aforementioned tracks, some of the others I could take or leave. I don't understand why artists now pack as many songs on an album as possible (I have one by Tori Amos that has something like 23 tracks!). If Quid Pro Quo had stuck to 10 or 12 tracks, then I would be talking about one of the finest Quo albums period. Then again, the few tracks I could live without will probably be some Quo fans' faves such is the band's wide appeal, so don't let this put you off.
Furthermore, what makes the truly classic Quo albums classic is the mix of lighter tracks with the full-on 12 bar onslaught. There is no track akin to All the Reasons, A Year, Gurdundula, Lonely Man, Living on an Island etc. to break up the album and for this reason it's a 4 star rather than 5 star album.
In conclusion, for me, Quid Pro Quo is a very welcome addition to my Quo collection containing some really classic tracks. If this was to be Quo's final album (which is possible) then it's not a bad way to bow out with the crunching guitars, catchy melodies and 12 bar mayhem reminding me why I loved them in the first place.
Quid Pro Quo (in parts) is the heaviest of these new Quo classics and has plenty of `attack' and aggression akin (to me at least) to On the Level or Blue for You. While I don't adore every track, those I do like I believe will become Quo classics. Two Way Traffic is fast and raucous in a way that reminds me of Is There A Better Way from Blue for You; Dust to Gold and Frozen Hero (my two favourite tracks) have that unmistakable Quo hardness and shuffle but sound quite contemporary. Movin' On is another track that wouldn't have sounded out of place on On the Level or Blue for You such is it's pace and heaviness, but also its catchy melody. These tracks are, I believe, special and could quite happily sit alongside Caroline, Roll Over Lay Down, Backwater etc. in the Quo `Hall of Fame'.
In addition to these, Rock n Roll n You, Leave a Little Light On, Let's Rock and Better than That rock along quite nicely for me and are as enjoyable as anything Quo have ever done.
What stops Quid Pro Quo from getting the full 5 stars (which I don't give out often) for me is that while I love the aforementioned tracks, some of the others I could take or leave. I don't understand why artists now pack as many songs on an album as possible (I have one by Tori Amos that has something like 23 tracks!). If Quid Pro Quo had stuck to 10 or 12 tracks, then I would be talking about one of the finest Quo albums period. Then again, the few tracks I could live without will probably be some Quo fans' faves such is the band's wide appeal, so don't let this put you off.
Furthermore, what makes the truly classic Quo albums classic is the mix of lighter tracks with the full-on 12 bar onslaught. There is no track akin to All the Reasons, A Year, Gurdundula, Lonely Man, Living on an Island etc. to break up the album and for this reason it's a 4 star rather than 5 star album.
In conclusion, for me, Quid Pro Quo is a very welcome addition to my Quo collection containing some really classic tracks. If this was to be Quo's final album (which is possible) then it's not a bad way to bow out with the crunching guitars, catchy melodies and 12 bar mayhem reminding me why I loved them in the first place.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
5 stars without any hesitation. I ordered this 10 Jun and it only arrived at noon today. Why the delay? And why is there no (apparent) retail outlet except Tesco?? It's no way to promote/publicise/sell one of the best Quo albums for a while. Anyway - from the opening riffs of "Two Way Traffic" I had what my wife calls the "Quo Grin" - I just can't stop smiling and moving. Nearly all the tracks are good "Movin On/Leave a little light/Frozen Hero" are personal faves. I own ALL their records (inc the many repeat compilations - more than Elvis I suspect), and have watched/heard all the changes and ups and downs, and this I assure you dear readers is an "Up". The best live band in the world give us a bonus here-not the best live recording but still very good if predictable, but that's what we want, and what makes Quo so great. Buy this, fans or not. It's great.
21 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
OK, you can ignore the five stars if you want, but I happen to love this album and 'I love it' is Amazon's five star criteria, so there. I'll be the first to admit, however, that the five studio albums Quo made between 1972 and 1976 plus 'Quo Live' are head and shoulders above anything they've done in the last thirty years, and this doesn't change that.
The good news though is that this is the band's heaviest offering since '1+9+8+2'. Quo regained some of their old ground with 'Heavy Traffic' around ten years ago and their two albums since largely held it, but all three occasionally betray Francis Rossi's pop leanings. That weakness is virtually extinguished on 'Quid Pro Quo', which is most certainly a rocker. Rossi and Mike Paxman produced the album, endowing it with a hard sound that brings out the band's familiar rhythms to maximum effect. Most of the tracks are taken at an above average to high tempo and there are no slow blues or limp ballads.
The album could do with the odd stand out track. The songs themselves are all what might be described as good to very good album tracks but there are no killers. The whole is totally dependent on style and production.
Lyrics in Quo's 'classic' period rarely amounted to much, but it never mattered. It's noticeable, however, that Rossi is quite articulate these days, whereas Rick Parfitt still writes cliches, as 'Let's Rock' demonstrates.
As for the live disc, well, how many versions of the old favourites do you want? Still, 'Down Down' and some of the others still offer thrills, so I'll take it.
But five stars? Yeah, I know. But against the dull, dismal stuff that pollutes the airwaves these days, 'Quid Pro Quo' is a breath of fresh air to blow all that away. The rest are playing at it; this is a reminder of the real business.
The good news though is that this is the band's heaviest offering since '1+9+8+2'. Quo regained some of their old ground with 'Heavy Traffic' around ten years ago and their two albums since largely held it, but all three occasionally betray Francis Rossi's pop leanings. That weakness is virtually extinguished on 'Quid Pro Quo', which is most certainly a rocker. Rossi and Mike Paxman produced the album, endowing it with a hard sound that brings out the band's familiar rhythms to maximum effect. Most of the tracks are taken at an above average to high tempo and there are no slow blues or limp ballads.
The album could do with the odd stand out track. The songs themselves are all what might be described as good to very good album tracks but there are no killers. The whole is totally dependent on style and production.
Lyrics in Quo's 'classic' period rarely amounted to much, but it never mattered. It's noticeable, however, that Rossi is quite articulate these days, whereas Rick Parfitt still writes cliches, as 'Let's Rock' demonstrates.
As for the live disc, well, how many versions of the old favourites do you want? Still, 'Down Down' and some of the others still offer thrills, so I'll take it.
But five stars? Yeah, I know. But against the dull, dismal stuff that pollutes the airwaves these days, 'Quid Pro Quo' is a breath of fresh air to blow all that away. The rest are playing at it; this is a reminder of the real business.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Better but not a classic
I would give this 3.5 stars if i could. I have been a Quo fan since the mid 70`s and in truth i am suprised to read some of the reviews saying some tracks would not be out of place... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Swedgeman
Finally, after 20 years of waiting...
Even listening to the last few albums that where "a bit" better than the previous garbage, we've all been mystified as to where the Quo magic disappeared to. Read more
Published 2 months ago by G. P. Bartley
Quid Quo Pro Review
The Quo are sticking to what they know; and that's what works for them. Myself and some of the other Sixth Formers at Queen Elizabeth School think they did an Awesome/ Superb job.
Published 2 months ago by quizpubbob
Don't dust them off - they're still gold
I've followed Quo for as long as I can remember. Some of their early pop album tracks are genuine hidden gems. Their harder sound produced the no. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Mr. David Watson
Great rock 'n roll!
Even though I like the Quo I bought this CD on a whim. And what a surprise - it definitely exceeded expectations. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Ewan
AT LAST, AT LAST....!!
....after over 30 years and a couple of promising pointers on the last two albums, the Quo have finally got their mojo back! Read more
Published 5 months ago by Big Dave
Great - maintaining the Status Quo!
The studio disc starts with Two way traffic and it is a great rocker with words you can easily learn and sing along with. and so it continues. Read more
Published 6 months ago by The Earl of Kinberley
worth every quid
Francis Rossi's recovery anthem Dust to Gold, track 3 on Quid Pro Quo, is a brilliant illumination on his struggle and triumph over his drug demon. Read more
Published 6 months ago by allimay
Quo are back!
I am a long time Quo fan and have followed them since Ma Kelly's Greasy Spoon (a few years ago now). I love their 70's period and even endured the covers phase. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Duncan McDonald
They've done it again!
Brilliant Quo! Still bringing out real Quo-style music, but not too samey. Although why they did a 2010 version of In the army now, beats me - in my opinion, it's not as good as... Read more
Published 7 months ago by AOD
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