The 1986 Listening Post - Status Quo - In the Army Now

Status Quo - In the Army Now

#339/2019 LISTENING POST ADMIN DISCOVERY

August 29 1986

Status Quo

In the Army Now

Genre: Glam Rock/Power Pop

4.5 out of 5

Highlights:

Rollin’ Home

In Your Eyes

In the Army Now

Dreamin’

Red Sky

REQUISITE 80S COVER:

Ian Hunter’s “Speechless”. A dynamite piece of Glam Rock. 

When this record fired up I was, first, struck by how much the opener sounds like Dave Edmunds. Until I read that it was written by John David, a frequent collaborator of Edmunds’. And Edmunds produced that track as well as the other David penned track, “Red Sky”.  So, that makes a lot of sense.

Then it hit me that I don’t think I’ve ever heard a Status Quo record. It’s like they don’t exist anywhere. Nobody writes about them. They don’t get any love. But…they are beloved. I know this because I kept hearing their name mentioned in conjunction with Queen. 

But they don’t sound like Queen. 

Except that they do! When Queen is at its most cheeky (Think: “Good Company”) they could be bill-mates with these guys.

AND they kind of remind me of The Bay City Rollers and I have a great deal of affection for those Scottish kids as well. And, of course, early Sparks.

How did these guys escape me? 

No idea. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o3GSAG-HOw&list=PLBJ7ztNazTVB7ksm8D_mnP71tByNBLZ2D