Status Quo – Just Supposin’ & Never Too Late Deluxe Editions (Remastered & Expanded 2017)

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Music That Never Dies, Expanded…

Reviewed by Brian McGowan. Released by EarMUSIC on 26 May 2017.

The band’s apparent desire to pay some attention at least to the shifting tides of music evolution is evident on 1980’s magnificent Just Supposin’ album. ‘Don’t Drive My Car’ bends a Steely Dan influence into an appealing pop song with dark dramatic textures, and the fabulously un-rock’n’roll ‘Rock’n’Roll’ is a song that engagingly juggles heavyweight lyrical motifs – love, loyalty, fame and mortality – using a bittersweet, Lennon like narrative and a playful, tuneful balladic style.

Elsewhere, the band’s songwriting pluralism guaranteed product quality – indeed four tracks were released as singles during the course of 1980.

The band were going through something of songwriting purple patch at this time – Just Supposin’ and “follow up” album, Never Too Late (released 1981) were recorded back to back, and the subsequent Never Too Late tour provided 4 live tracks – from The Le Mans gig, 1981, previously unreleased – used on the bonus second disc in the Just Supposin’ Deluxe Edition here.

With me so far?

Let’s complicate things even further – the Deluxe edtn of Never Too Late is a 3 CD affair, with the band’s entire 1981 St Austell concert spread over the second and third discs, plus some arcana – tracks from a flexi disc uniquely released in Austria and an acoustic instrumental demo of ‘Something ‘Bout You Baby’.

Clearly, over the five CDs that span these two Deluxe Editions there are rich pickings to be had, fan or no fan. From the muscle flexing addition to the band’s juggernaut boogie, ‘What You’re Proposin’ to the explosive, breakneck rock’n’roll of ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’, all bricks in the wall of Quo’s career durability. The live stuff will, of course, be particularly attractive if you attended any of the gigs during the band’s mammoth UK& European tour in ’81. For inquisitive others, these Deluxe Editions might well be a good starting point.

Just Supposin’: 9 out of 10

Never Too Late: 9 out of 10

statusquosupposindeluxe500Just Supposin’:

CD One:

  1. What You’re Proposin’
  2. Run To Mummy
  3. Don’t Drive My car
  4. Lies
  5. Over The Edge
  6. The Wild Ones
  7. Name Of The Game
  8. Coming And Going
  9. Rock’n’Roll

CD Two:

  1. AB Blues
  2. Coming And Going (demo)
  3. Don’t Drive My Car (Live Le Mans 1981)
  4. Over The Edge (Live Le Mans 1981)
  5. Something ‘Bout You Baby (Live Le Mans 1981)
  6. What You’re Proposin’ (Live Le Mans 1981)

statusquoneverdeluxe500Never Too Late:

CD One:

  1. Never Too Late
  2. Something ‘Bout You Baby
  3. Take Me Away
  4. Falling In Falling Out
  5. Carol
  6. Long Ago
  7. Mountain Lady
  8. Don’t Stop Me Now
  9. Enough Is Enough
  10. Riverside

CD Two:

  1. Rock’nRoll (single version)
  2. Don’t Stop Me Now (Austrian Flexi disc)
  3. What You’re Proposin’ (Austrian Flexi disc)
  4. LP Overview  (Austrian Flexi disc)
  5. Something Bout You Baby (Austrian Flexi disc)
  6. Something Bout You Baby (demo, acoustic instrumental)
  7. Caroline (Live St Austell, 1981)
  8. Roll Over Lay Down (Live St Austell, 1981)
  9. Backwater (Live St Austell, 1981)
  10. Little Lady (Live St Austell, 1981)
  11. Don’t Drive My car (Live St Austell, 1981)
  12. Whatever You Want (Live St Austell, 1981)
  13. Hold You Back (Live St Austell, 1981)
  14. Something Bout You Baby (Live St Austell, 1981)
  15. Rockin’ All Over The World (Live St Austell, 1981)
  16. Over The Edge (Live St Austell, 1981)

CD Three:

  1. Rock’n’Roll (Live St Austell, 1981)
  2. Dirty Water(Live St Austell, 1981)
  3. 4500 Times (Live St Austell, 1981)
  4. Big fat Mama (Live St Austell, 1981)
  5. Don’t Waste My Time (Live St Austell, 1981)
  6. Roadhouse Blues (Live St Austell, 1981)
  7. Rain (Live St Austell, 1981)
  8. Down Down (Live St Austell, 1981)
  9. Drum Solo (Live St Austell, 1981)
  10. Bye Bye Johnny (Live St Austell, 1981)