Heads-down-no-nonsense-mindless-boogie!!! That was the Quo’s mantra back in the good old days. Who needs more than three chords, right?! This is the last great Quo album – after this it was a steady decline into mediocrity.
Kicking things off in typical style with this live favourite, Is There A Better Way, with the aforementioned “mindless boogie”. I dare anyone not to get nodding and bouncing along. Sometimes all you need is a simple boogie to shake those blues away, which is exactly what the second track, Mad About The Boy, does to a T. No prizes for technicality here, just good old simple Rock n Roll. You forget what a great team Francis and Rick were. They complimented each other perfectly on vocals and guitar.
Next up is deep cut, Ring Of A Change, with its faster pace four-to-the-floor groove. Then we have the title track, Blue For You, which is the weakest track on the album. It feels out of place and sounds as though it belongs in 1962. Rain is next, which was a number one single, and quite possibly the best song the band ever recorded. Starting with that trademark hard driving groove, with a killer vocal from Rick, and an ear worm of a chorus. Superb middle eight with a couple of key changes thrown in to emphasize the killer groove. Name me a better song they did! I thank you!
Side 2 starts off with Rolling Home, which is a very fast blues shuffle with an almost Celtic middle section. That’s A Fact trundles on in next with its Bo Diddly groove. Next we have Ease Your Mind, with a Chas & Dave pub-rock vibe, and then on to the album closer, Mystery Song – what an all round monster tune it is! Weighing in at a whopping 6.44, it’s one of Quo’s longer tunes. A very quiet and melodic intro leads you into some serious dandruff shaking boogie of the highest order – this vies with Rain as their best tune. Absolute killer song!
So there we have it. Status Quo’s best effort. Does anyone remember the silly dance that went along with the Quo? The hands on the hips boogie head shaker thing???
8.5/10 from The Grooveman.
