CD Title: In Search of the Fourth Chord
Year: 2007
Website: statusquo.co.uk
MySpace: myspace.com/statusquo40
Label: Whichever label Quo is on now!
Featured on: Loucifer Speaks Exclusive
Rating: 8.5 / 10
More Links: Interview with Pip Williams (2008), Interview with John Eden (2008), Scooter vs Status Quo Forum Thread, Status Quo forum thread, "In Search of the Fourth Chord" Thread, Status Quo Exclusive Thread.
My friend Steve (quo on the forum) has been on at me for ages to listen to this album, but I've always had a huge pile of CDs waiting to be listened to and reviewed first. "ISOTFC" kept getting pushed to the bottom of the list, until recently when I randomly decided to give it a go.
I'd been told by Steve that this was a brilliant album, whereas my boyfriend Mark advised me that Status Quo used to be much better. So, who was right?
The fact is that I can't really compare this album to any of the band's previous releases - simply because I'm not too familiar with them. Therefore I'm going to review this album as I would with any other release by a band that I didn't know too well. I have a few preconceived ideas of how I expect Status Quo to sound (like pretty much everyone else on this planet I've heard "Whatever You Want", "Rockin' All Over The World", "Down Down" and "Caroline"), but I'm going to push these ideas out of my mind for the sake of this review. I'm going to listen to this album with a fresh outlook.
The album opens with a woman speaking saying "Let's listen to the music and try to identify the chord". First of all, I've got to say that this album already gets Brownie points because the band are able to take the piss out of themselves! The first track, "The Beginning of the End", was one that I was relatively familiar with - mainly because it was played at Steve's wedding. It's a memorable and upbeat track that seems to have lodged itself in my brain for the rest of my life. I can't tell you the amount of times that I've found myself singing the chorus without even realising I'm doing it.
The piano in "Alright" works really well and brings a really good rock 'n' roll feel to the track. Unfortunately, this track doesn't manage to meet the dizzy heights of the previous track and I found it to be quite forgetable.
"Pennsylvania Blues Tonight" is by far my favourite track on the album. It's very different to what I was expecting (even though I was meant to be leaving all expectations at the door... but hey, I'm only human!) and it has that all-important 'replayability' (if that's not a word then it definitely should be... OK, as of now it's a word).
The next track, "I Don't Want To Hurt You Anymore", has a strange Country vibe that I'm not overly keen on (although, that's not to say that I don't enjoy Country and Rock mixed together - I loved Jeff Walker's solo effort!), but the track is saved by the guitar solo at the end. While it's not the most amazing guitar solo ever, it suits the song really well and proves that you don't have to be a widdly-diddly guitar player that hits every single fret in order to produce a good solo.
"Electric Arena" is a really cool bluesy sounding track. It's the kind of song that I could listen quite happily while sitting in the dimly lit room and sipping on a lovely Jack Daniels.
"Gravy Train" (which is, unsurprisingly enough, not actually about gravy!) had me tapping my foot from the get-go. I'd imagine that this could prove to be a very popular live track. There's a bit of a blues vibe here as well, and it compliments the track really well.
The celtic influence in "Figure of Eight" brings yet another dimension to the album. This track is shockingly addictive. You have been warned!
Status Quo return to the Blues-Rock sound for "You're the One for Me". This took a couple of listens for me to get into, but it's definitely worth it. Sadly it's not as memorable as some of the other tracks here, but it can still stand up pretty well on it's own.
Unfortunately "My Little Heartbreaker" didn't do anything for me... I guess it's true that you can't win them all. The song was just little bit too cheesy for my tastes.
Quo redeem themselves again with "Hold Me". The band seem to be at their strongest when they've got that little bit of blues mixed in with the standard Classic Rock. It's certainly a style that suits them well.
The vocals on "Saddling Up" make it stand out from the other tracks on the album - they seem a little bit deeper. I can also imagine this one becoming a live favourite at gigs, if it's not already. It's hard not to imagine the crowd singing along to "Saddle up, saddle up".
By the time "Bad News" comes on we've reached the point where most bands would end their albums. There are very few these days that go over 12 tracks, but Status Quo seem to be determined to give you your money's worth. "Bad News" is another addictive track that the band can add to their increasing arsenal.
I will make no apologies here... I can't stand "Tongue Tied". I just get the feeling that it was added to the album as a token ballad. Anyway, that's enough of that, moving on...
Status Quo end the album on a high with "I Ain't Wasting My Time". Guitars, harmonica, piano, drums - all the right ingredients are there! Another of the best tracks on the album.
Overall, this is a good solid album. Admittedly there are tracks here that I enjoyed more than others... and there are some tracks here that I wish weren't on the album at all. But, as a whole, it's an album that works fantastically well. I was always put off Status Quo because I've reached a point where I absolutely can't stand "Whatever You Want" and "Rocking All Over the World". Perhaps it's because they've been criminally over-played and because over time they've gathered quite a lot of the 'cheese factor'. C'mon, you can't expect a song to be used on an Argos advert and still retain 100% of it's credibility. Luckily, "In Search of the Fourth Chord" has proved that Status Quo aren't a gimmick. Yes, they're willing to have a laugh (sometimes at their own expense!), but they're also very competant songwriters and musicians. Since listening to this album, I've found myself having a listen to some of the band's older albums and I have to say - I've found quite a few gems there and I'm very impressed.
They may not be the coolest band around... and you may catch your relatives dancing badly to them at weddings and other social functions... but they definitely shouldn't be dismissed without at least having one listen to them first.