Album review : STATUS QUO – Official Archive Series Vol.3 (2CDs)

Ear Music/Edel [Release date : 12.07.24]

If ever a band knew how to mine a rich back catalogue it’s Status Quo. We’ve said that before and no doubt we’ll say it again, and again.

This third “Archive” release, Live at Westonbirt Arboretum, was recorded 16 years ago this month. The gig was part of the ‘Forest Live’ programme, initiated by The Forestry Commission (once a UK wide organisation), and you can’t get much more rock’n’roll than that.

The recording has been remixed and remastered by studio tech wizard, Eike Freese (sometime guitarist with Kai Hansen’s band) at his Hamburg studios. The result is a notable punch and clarity to all 21 tracks of Quo’s live sound here.

Like Archive Volumes 1 and 2, Volume 3 displays the the band’s unchanging MO . . . just a bunch of denim clad boogie warriors, rehearsed to perfection, sparking off each other, talking to and playing to the crowd like they’ve known them all their lives (and in some cases, they have).

There’s some variation, but the set list from one volume to another hasn’t changed much. Quo know how to work a crowd.

The 10 minute ‘Proposin Medley’ is the set’s centrepiece, and if your head’s not nodding and your feet’re not tapping by the time that ten minutes is up, then check yourself for a pulse.

We’re again treated to solid gold crowdpleasers, ‘Paper Plane’ and ‘Roll Over Lay Down’. ‘Whatever You Want’ and ‘Rockin All Over The World’ aren’t far behind.

We also get the opportunity to devote more of our attention to the perfect pop-boogie of ‘Caroline’ and of course to the late Rick Parfitt’s major songwriting contributions to the Quo cannon, ‘Living On An Island’ and ‘Rain’.

And we shouldn’t forget their UK No.1 hits, ‘Down Down’ and ‘In The Army Now’. They’re all here.

Roll on Volume 4. ***1/2

Review by Brian McGowan

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

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Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)