Customer Reviews

Hello

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Many pleasures in life are privately enjoyed, yet publicly decried. Reading intentionally disposable magazines, watching mindless television, surfing the Internet--all relaxation in the form of guilty pleasures. In the realm of popular music, Status Quo is a guilty pleasure. Status Quo's fans concede that the group is an oddity, something that cannot be explained, but which nonetheless enjoys unparalleled success in Britain and embarks routinely on world tours (which, sadly, do not often include North America). The Hello! recording, in particular, has immediate historical relevance for North Americans, though. The Hello! album cover was the model for the Spinal Tap recording that would emulate it, just as Status Quo itself was the primary model for Spinal Tap, the band. Hello! is also the recording that cemented Status Quo's music in the rock annals. The songs exhibit the songwriting that launched the band's superstardom in most of the world. "Roll Over Lay Down" is a tongue-in-cheek lyrical paean to bed space, which, like all true art, remains open to interpretation, and, like all great guitar-rock, literally "takes off" in the middle. "Claudie" and "Reason for Living" display the Fender Telecaster-driven countryesque underbelly that, while certainly not in vogue with most heavy-rock fans in the early '70s, was nevertheless part of Status Quo's enigmatic musical recipe. "Blue Eyed Lady" embodies the '70s social scene, as it evidences the Gibson SG "growl" that was working its way into the mix. "Caroline" is perhaps the ultimate Status Quo song, a seemingly simple, deceptively easy, catchy rock'n'roll song, ala Chuck Berry. "Softer Ride" sublimely peels the onion of the Quo groove, while it captures the rebel philosophy, circa '73 (albeit ironic at this point for such a long-lived working band). "And It's Better Now" breathes the collective sigh of artistic success, with shades of the skiffle music that also informs the band's musical background. And lastly, "Forty-Five Hundred Times"--a quintessential Quo tour-de-force, starting in the jangly pathos of the Everly Brothers-like past before proceeding into the propulsive, stormy stamping ground that would itself later precipitate metal-rock music--rounds out the set. Hello! is the recording that Status Quo band members recommend as a starting place for those unfamiliar with their music. It would be accurate to say that those with an interest in popular music cannot truly appreciate its evolution without an understanding of the role Status Quo has played (and still plays) in that music. But, as Ray Liotta's character in the movie Corrina, Corrina quotes, "Writing about music is like dancing about architecture." And nothing could be truer when it comes to Status Quo. What makes their music outstanding is the phenomenological interaction of guitarist-songwriters Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt. Not unlike Beatles Lennon and McCartney, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. If you want to hear something that was (and still is) not quite like anything you've ever heard, click Hello!, and give the Matchstick Men a listen (don't forget to Turn It Up...).

If you grew up in the USA, you probably did not hear too much of Status Quo after their early hit in the sixties 'Pictures of Matchstick Men'. Generally, you can group their albums into three stages : Their 'Early years' which ended with their 'Dog of two heads' album - their 'Great year' which started with 'Piledriver' and ended with 'Back to Back' and then there are the 'It's all downhill from here' years which started with the 'In the Army Now' album and just won't end ! If you only want three Status Quo albums, buy their 1976 'Live' double CD, the 1979 'Whatever you Want' album (if you are lucky, you might find the 'Whatever you Want / Just Supposin' ' CD which unfortunately does not include the fantastic 'High Flyer' that was released on vinyl only) and buy this album - 1973's 'Hello !'. During this time period, Quo were on top of the world, or at least on top of Europe. They finally found their niche with 'Piledriver' and with this album they mastered their science. 'Roll over lay down' gets things started and is followed by `Claudie', which is one of Francis Rossi's finest moments. 'Reason for Living' is a hopping little Quo piece and 'Blue Eyed Lady' must be the most underrated Quo track ever. It shows, that these guys could really play ! Side two of the original vinyl album starts with THE Quo classic: 'Caroline'. 'Softer Ride' keeps on rocking' and the most quiet part of this album is 'And it's better now'. And then comes the 9 minute boogie explosion of 'Forty-Five Hundred Times' - I guarantee, these are some of the best 9 minutes you have heard from any rock group. If you still have some money left after buying the three albums mentioned above, get the 1974 release 'Quo' which is their hardest album ever (thanks to the major contribution of founding member and bass player Alan Lancaster) - but 'Hello' presents Status Quo at their best !

If anyone can listen to "Caroline", "Roll Over Lay Down" or "Forty Five Hundred Times" and not want to hear everything else available by this phenominal band, you don't know what Rock 'N Roll is. Everything they've done is no less than superb!!

...do yourself a favour and buy one the 70's Quo albums!
Hello, Piledrive, On the level ,Quo, live ,blue for you...all five stars.
It's a hundred percent BOOGIE, not too bright but so well done!
The rythm section is just a rollin' machine, a solid foundation to guitar harmonies and blasting solos.
Hello is one their finest work, not a single bad or even so-so song.
So buy it, turn the volume up to 11 on a 10 scale and let's BOOGIE!!

I remember reading about Quo in CREEM magazine back in the 70's. Oh yeah, I knew all about them as a band, huge in England/Europe, but basically ignored in the U.S. When you mention Status Quo to most Americans, the only thing that pops up is: Pictures of Matchstick Men".

Having read above such article in CREEM, I purchased "HELLO" on vinyl. I cranked up my old Pioneer receiver and was blown away...not a bad song on the entire disc. I kept buying their albums, and now replacing all w/the CD format. Killer, party Rock N' Roll. It's no wonder they have always been England's biggest band, outselling Zep 10 to 1...start here, then maybe Piledrive and Quo, but buy all their stuff; and RAWK OUT!

Can not fault the music, definite 5 stars. But, the overall sound of this "remaster"? The sound is very "treble heavy" & "harsh" sounding. I actually had to turn the treble EQ on my car stereo into the "negative" range. However, it may be the master tapes who are at fault here, so I'm not really laying blame. The remainder of the remastering is flawless. The guitars & vocals ring true with Lancaster's bass thumping away clearer than ever. If you are reading this, you are no doubt a Status Quo fan debating on whether to drop some extra cash on this "remaster". My advice? You gotta have it, so get it; there is a big here improvement over the original import cd release. If you can wait awhile, I'm sure zShops will even see some at a much lower cost in a few months.
New update...turns out the master tapes left much to be desired on the high end. Still a huge improvement and upgrade over the older releases. (I would actually upgrade my review to 4 stars, but the system won't allow it.) Plus you can find this on zShops now for a real good price. So what are you waiting for!

When you talk about albums that have made history, Hello is certainly at the top of my list! This is the album that sets Status Quo apart and has left behind all of the others for me. This band has defined real, fun, true and honest rock''n'roll. They basically have taken Chuck Berry's original rockin blues sound, and have polished and refined it with a heavier South London sound. Caroline should be up there with God Save the Queen as the British national anthem! Every year, millions attend the annual Status Quo Winter Tour covering Britain almost every night in November and December. Adolescents and Senior Citizens alike jump up and down, sing their heart out and, especially, smile and laugh for two hours. Quo (as they are called) have reliably delivered a simple message for 40 years: Let's Rock! It's too bad America has not really experienced this phenomena - it's worth the plane ticket to the UK! Besides Hello, I would recommend Piledriver, Quo, On the Level, Blue For You, and the more recent Heavy Traffic albums.

Next to "Quo", my favorite Status Quo album. This record always struck me as a blend between Chuck Berry & "Sweet Hitchhiker" era Creedence Clearwater; but with a cleaner, harder & more boogie-laden edge. Rossi & Parfitt blend their guitars perfectly while Alan Lancaster's bass & John Coghlan's drums lay down an ultra-solid, foot stomping musical foundation. If your a fan of early 70's British Rock (Slade, Foghat) this album is a definite "add to cart". You won't regret your purchase!
***2005 Update! Beware of "remastered" version with bonus track. The sound is not much better than this release and not worth the price.***

I can't help but wonder if Status Quo (at least for this particular album) is like the dorkier, British equivalent of Poco. Status Quo is, according to this album, a party band with slight blues and country tendencies, but mostly centered around hard rock. However that's not necessarily a bad thing. These songs are definitely catchy and fun. Hello *is* a great album.

It's just that, you know, Poco has (in my opinion at least) better songwriting skills. At least, I feel a stronger connection towards Poco's songwriting because they write songs that feel personal and emotional. Status Quo is all about throwing parties and having fun (which isn't a problem of course- it's just that there's literally *thousands* of party bands out there, so a band like Status Quo was almost immediately doomed to become forgotten.

Honestly, if you told me Status Quo was actually an American band, I would have totally believed it. They certainly SOUND American.

However, to give a compliment, Status Quo blows away Poco and most country rock artists in one category- the guitar solos, simply because the guitar playing is phenomenal. Very melodic licks from beginning to end, I can't help but wonder just how underrated of a guitarist the guy from Status Quo is. He deserves more attention and praise.

"Forty-Five Hundred Times" is probably the magnum opus of the entire album. The vocal melody is a bit weak, but when the guitar jam eventually arrives around the 4-minute mark, the song then completely morphs into something better and totally rocks the joint for the remainder of the song. I hate to ruin the positive momentum here, but some of those guitar licks *do* remind me of a certain Wishbone Ash song from their classic Argus album ("Time Was").

In fact a good portion of Hello reminds me of Wishbone Ash which is yet another British band that always felt influenced by the late 60's/early 70's American country movement. However given a choice between a secondrate American country/rock band like Pure Prairie League or a British version of the same thing... well, Status Quo is easily better thanks to the excellent guitar solos.

"Claudie" seriously reminds me of Neil Young's "Roll Another Number (For the Road)" in the way the vocal melody is sung, but it's a good song regardless. Actually I'm a really big fan of "Roll Over Lay Down". It's a fast-moving boogie rocker with magnificent vocals and guitar playing. An easy highlight. "Caroline" is a bit repetitive but all in good fun, so it's harmless.

Speaking of Wishbone Ash, the first few notes of "And It's Better Now" remind me of the early version of Wishbone Ash. It also sounds like an attempt to write a Beatles-like song with the amount of sincerity in the vocal melody. It's a good song. "Blue Eyed Lady" has the same Wishbone Ash-like intro before quickly morphing into what actually reminds me of early Aerosmith a little bit. Listen to that guitar riff and tell me it doesn't sound "rough and ready" like a typical 70's Aerosmith song. As for the vocal melody, well it's a bit generic but I like it anyway.

"Joanne" is a really good bonus track. It should have been on the regular album back in 1973 when the album was released.

Overall, Hello is a really likable album for rock fans- just don't expect originality or amazing songwriting skills. Expect a quality party album.

quo was at this point a rock band , not a heavy rock band. ALthough they have the classic hard rocker 'roll over lay down' on here the rest of the album is well crafted and sung rock songs. Some hard rock fan on here obviously misunderstood this bands mission statement because he gave it two stars because it's not a hard rock cd. Well this isn't a hard rock band , they are a rock n roll band. Although I do agree that 'ma kellys greasy spoon' and 'dog of two head' are great cds though.
The songs flow here with great lyrics and good song writing throughout. It's one of their best cds period for sure.