Album review: STATUS QUO – Piledriver Deluxe Edition

Status Quo - Piledriver

Universal [Release date 24.03.14]

Status Quo are preparing for the second round of their ‘Frantic Four’ reincarnation and – hey – here comes an extended reissue of their 1972 album.  ‘Piledriver’ is important because it continued their journey from the rock/blues of previous albums (for Pye) toward the denim-clad rock boogie with which they are most associated.

A further step away from the psychedelic pop modelling of their late-sixties incarnation, and the transitional ‘Dog Of Two Head’,  the band produced this album themselves and  ‘Don’t Waste My Time’ and ‘Paper Plane’ presage the band’s run of single hits from the mid-seventies.  But  ‘A Year’ and ‘Big Fat Mama’ are equally impressive, together with a rousing cover of The Doors’ ‘Roadhouse Blues’.

This Deluxe Edition includes contemporaneous BBC material from 1972-3 although the In Concert of March 1973 surfaced on the boxed set released in 2010 along with three of the tracks from the Peel session of November 1972.  However, for completists,  there are additional tracks from that session and also two from January 1973 previously unreleased.  ***1/2

Review by David Randall

David Randall presents ‘Assume The Position’ on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio every Sunday at 22:00 GMT.


Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.

In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.

Josh Taerk Sunday Sessions 2024

Latest session: Sunday 25 February
Next session: Sunday 14 April

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio



David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 3 March 2024.


UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 5 March 2024.

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com


Power Plays w/c 18 March 2024

GYPSY’S KISS We’ve Come To Play
FM Out Of The Blue (Frontiers)
SHOTGUN MISTRESS Shot Down (indie)
ATTIC THEORY Violent Delight (indie)
FLOYA Yume (FiXT)
SAHAJI Tell Me All Your Feelings (indie)

Featured Albums w/c 18 March 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023
12:00-13:00 LEAVES’ EYES Myths Of Fate (AFM Records)
14:00-16:00 HOLLY LERSKI Sweet Decline (indie)


To see our Tweets you need to be logged in to a Twitter account



Popular (last 10 days)


This entry was posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues and tagged , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply