''Ain't Complaining'' is the eighteenth studio album by British rock band

Status Quo is a Latin phrase meaning the existing state of affairs, particularly with regard to social, economic, legal, environmental, political, religious, scientific or military issues. In the sociological sense, the ''status quo'' refers to the curren ...

. Initially released on the

Vertigo Vertigo is a condition in which a person has the sensation that they are moving, or that objects around them are moving, when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. It may be associated with nausea, vomiting, perspira ...

label on 6 June 1988, it was the group's first album on that label to fall short of the UK Top 10, breaking a streak of 12 studio albums in the process. It reached no higher than its entry position of number 12 in the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...

. The band would re-enter the Top 10 three years later with ''

Rock 'til You Drop ''Rock 'til You Drop'' is the twentieth studio album by English rock band Status Quo and their last on the Vertigo label after nearly 20 years. Singer and guitarist Francis Rossi produced the album. "Rossi is particularly fond of 1991's ''Rock ...

''. ''Ain't Complaining'' spawned three singles: the title track, the ballad " Who Gets the Love?" and the only UK Top 10 hit among them, " Burning Bridges", which partially incorporated the melody of the traditional folk song "Darby Kelly" within its distinctive instrumental breaks, without crediting it as such. Band members

John Edwards Johnny Reid Edwards (born June 10, 1953) is an American lawyer and former politician who represented North Carolina in the United States Senate from 1999 to 2005. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the vice presidential nominee under ...

and

Jeff Rich Jeffrey Dennis Rich (born 8 June 1953) is an English rock drummer, best known for playing with Status Quo between 1985 and 2000. Early life Born in Hackney, London, Rich attended Upton House Comprehensive School, and whilst there he ap ...

contributed compositions for the first time since joining Quo. "Another Shipwreck" had originally been a solo track by fellow band member

Andy Bown Andrew Steven Bown (born 27 March 1946) is an English musician, who has specialised in keyboards and bass guitar. He is a member of the rock band Status Quo. Career Bown's first major band was The Herd, along with Peter Frampton. After The H ...

from his 1978 solo album ''Good Advice'' and was released as a single with him singing lead vocals. On ''Ain't Complaining'', Rossi sings the song. An unusual move by Status Quo on this album was the use and endorsement of

Charvel Charvel ( ) is a brand of electric guitars founded in the 1970s by Wayne Charvel in Azusa, California and originally headquartered in Glendora, California. Since 2002, Charvel has been under the ownership of Fender Musical Instruments Corporat ...

guitars. "The music was too polite,"

Rick Parfitt Richard John Parfitt, (12 October 1948 24 December 2016) was an English musician, best known as a rhythm guitarist, singer and songwriter with rock band Status Quo (band), Status Quo. Parfitt began his career in the early 1960s, playing in p ...

later remarked of the album. "There was no weight behind what we were doing. The edge had gone; we weren't real anymore."

Track listing

2006 remaster bonus tracks

2018 Deluxe Edition

Disc one matched the regular album tracklist. Disc two # "That's Alright" – B-Side – 12″ version of "Ain’t Complaining" # "Lean Machine" – B-Side – 12″ version of "Ain’t Complaining" # "Halloween" – B-Side – 12″ version of "Who Gets the Love?" # "The Reason for Goodbye" – B-Side – 12″ version of "Who Gets the Love?" # "The Greatest Fighter" – Outtake* # "Running All Over the World" – Single # "Ain’t Complaining" – Extended # "Who Gets the Love" – Extended # "Rockin All Over the World" – 1988 Re-recording # "Burning Bridges" – Extended # "Running All Over the World" – Extended # "The Fighter" – Stand Up and Fight Remix – 4 Track Demo* # "The Fighter" – Army Remix – 8 Track Demo* Disc three (Live at Wembley, 07/07/1988; from BBC broadcast) # "Whatever You Want" # "Little Lady" # "Roll Over Lay Down" # "Cream of The Crop" # "Who Gets the Love" # "Hold You Back" # "Don't Drive My Car" # "Dirty Water" # "In the Army Now" # "Rockin' All Over the World" # "Don't Waste My Time" # "Bye Bye Johnny"

Personnel

Status Quo *

Francis Rossi Francis Dominic Nicholas Michael Rossi, (born 29 May 1949) is an English musician. He is the co-founder, lead singer, lead guitarist and the sole continuous member of the rock band Status Quo. Early life Rossi was born on 29 May 1949 in Fo ...

– vocals and lead guitar *

– vocals and guitar *

– bass *

– keyboards *

– drums Additional personnel * Bernie Frost – additional vocals *

Paul "Wix" Wickens Paul "Wix" Wickens is an English musician best known as keyboardist and musical director of Paul McCartney's touring band since 1989. In a career that started in 1973, Wickens has also worked with artists including Nik Kershaw, Bob Dylan, Joni ...

– additional keyboards *

Graham Preskett Graham Donald Harry Preskett is a British composer and musician who has been active since the early 1970s. He appeared on the Mott the Hoople albums ''Mott'' (1973) and '' The Hoople'' (1974), playing violin on both, and arranging and conducting ...

– country violin on "Cross That Bridge" and "Burning Bridges"

Charts

Certifications

References

{{Authority control 1988 albums Status Quo (band) albums Vertigo Records albums Albums produced by Pip Williams