''Quo'' is the seventh studio album by the English rock band

Status Quo is a Latin phrase meaning the existing state of affairs, particularly with regard to social, political, religious or military issues. In the sociological sense, the ''status quo'' refers to the current state of social structure and/or values. W ...

. Issued in May 1974, it features Francis Rossi,

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

, Alan Lancaster and John Coghlan, and reached #2 in the UK. Like its predecessor ''

Hello! ''Hello'' is a salutation or greeting in the English language. It is first attested in writing from 1826. Early uses ''Hello'', with that spelling, was used in publications in the U.S. as early as the 18 October 1826 edition of the ''Norwich C ...

'', it consisted entirely of songs written or cowritten by the group. The only guest musicians were Bob Young and Tom Parker, who played

harmonica The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica inclu ...

and piano respectively on "Break the Rules". 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." 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.

Track listing

2005 reissue bonus track

# Lonely Night (Rossi, Parfitt, Lancaster, Coghlan, Young) – 3:26

Personnel

;Status Quo * Francis Rossi – guitar, vocals *

– guitar, vocals * Alan Lancaster –

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

, vocals * John Coghlan –

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

;Additional personnel * Bob Young – harmonica * Tom Parker – keyboards *

– producers * Damon Lyon-Shaw – engineer and

mix Mix, mixes or mixing may refer to: Persons & places * Mix (surname) ** Tom Mix (1880-1940), American film star * nickname of Mix Diskerud (born Mikkel, 1990), Norwegian-American soccer player * Mix camp, an informal settlement in Namibia * Mix ...

* Richard Manwaring, Andy Miller – assistant engineers * Dave Field – illustration and design

Charts

Certifications

References

{{Authority control Status Quo (band) albums 1974 albums A&M Records albums Vertigo Records albums