FRANCIS ROSSI of Status Quo – The Way We Were Vol.1 (2025) *HQ*
FRANCIS ROSSI of Status Quo is about to release ”The Way We Were Vol.1”, an illuminating collection of 17 previously unreleased demo / pre-production recordings, all taken from his own personal archive, and written by the powerhouse songwriting team of Francis Rossi & Bob Young.
Five are new songs never officially released, and have never before been heard outside the studio, whilst others went on to appear on a Status Quo or Francis Rossi albums. These early versions capture the purity of the initial ideas and provide a fascinating window onto the creative process that they then underwent, as they evolved into a final version.
Francis Rossi says, “People say you just can’t recreate a demo; it’s a real moment in time often with a relaxed feel that comes across in the song. A chord sequence or an idea can really shine. Collected on this album are demo recordings that I really like, or even that I now think are better than the recorded versions that people know already, and some alternate takes that really work in this format.”
There are songs featured that went on to appear on a series of Status Quo albums: 2002’s ‘Heavy Traffic’, 2005’s ‘The Party Ain’t Over Yet’, 2004’s ‘XS All Areas’, ‘In Search Of The Fourth Chord’ (2007), and Francis’ well-received second solo album of 2010 ‘One Step At A Time’. Others are previously unreleased.
A variety of styles, and indeed intentions, is on display here. What the songs all have in common is that they are presented in the manner in which they first emerged.
There’s a purity and a simplicity to these recordings, and whilst some went on to become rowdy rabble rousers, having received the full classic Quo treatment on some well-loved albums, here they are in the first blush of youth.
Whilst all of these songs are indeed demo versions, they have been carefully and comprehensively laid down – these are much more than sketches – sound quality is excellent.
‘The Way We Were Vol. 1’ lifts the lid on the creative process that has seen Francis Rossi, over an extraordinary career, create some of the greatest Classic Rock music ever.
Highly Recommended
1 – Gotta Get up and Go
2 – Pennsylvania Blues Tonight
3 – Scary Mary
4 – You’ll Come ‘Round
5 – Tongue Tied
6 – Electric Arena
7 – I Don’t Wanna Hurt You Anymore
8 – If You Believe
9 – Tallulah’s Waiting
10 – Money Don’t Matter
11 – Faded Memory
12 – Another Day
13 – Why I’m Walking
14 – Load on My Mind
15 – Strike Like Lightning
16 – Can’t Change the World
17 – Life Has Changed
BUY
amazon.com/Way-We-Were-Vol/dp/B0DZ9QBSPT
