Status Quo - Live at the N.E.C. (1984) [FLAC] {2006 reissue, bonus tracks}

Mercury Records, 983 393-6.

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TRACKS:

01. CAROLINE (5:30) 
(Francis Rossi/Bob Young)

02. ROLL OVER LAY DOWN (5:59) 
(John Coghlan/Alan Lancaster/Rick Parfitt/Francis Rossi/Bob Young)

03. BACKWATER (4:36) 
(Alan Lancaster/Rick Parfitt)

04. LITTLE LADY (3:26) 
(Rick Parfitt)

05. DON'T DRIVE MY CAR (4:27) 
(Andrew Bown/Rick Parfitt)

06. WHATEVER YOU WANT (4:27) 
(Andrew Bown/Rick Parfitt)

07. HOLD YOU BACK (4:46) 
(Rick Parfitt/Francis Rossi/Bob Young)

08. ROCKIN' ALL OVER THE WORLD (3:50) 
(John Fogerty)

09. OVER THE EDGE (4:27) 
(Keith Lamb/Alan Lancaster)

10. DON'T WASTE MY TIME (4:18) 
(Francis Rossi/Bob Young)

11. DIRTY WATER [bonus track] (4:10) 
(Francis Rossi/Bob Young)

12. DOWN DOWN [bonus track] (5:19) 
(Francis Rossi/Bob Young)

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CD liner notes by Dave Ling, from "Classic Rock Magazine":

Playing onstage is an environment in which Status Quo have always excelled. The choice of venue is irrelevant. Whether ensconced in a huge arena, comfortable theatre or small club, there's no substitute for watching the band cranking out their timeless good-time boogie-rock; legs akimbo and heads down, hair flailing and sweat a-flying.

It took a great deal of time for the quintet's almost telepathic musical understanding to develop, likewise guitarist/vocalist Francis Rossi's almost unparalleled ability to hold an audience in the palm of his hand. At the time of writing, Status Quo have assimilated a quite incredible 43 years of stagecraft. But back in 1982, the band were busy celebrating what had seemed a far more believable watershed... their 20th anniversary.

Rossi, guitarist/vocalist Rick Parfitt, bassist/vocalist Alan Lancaster and keyboard player Andrew Bown had easily survived the previous year's shock resignation of drummer John Coghlan, appointing ex-Original Mirrors man Pete Kircher as a replacement and notching up a first chart-topping release in six years with their 12th studio album, the cunningly titled anniversary disc '1+9+8+2'.

Status Quo set out on their biggest tour till that point, kicking off at the Deeside Leisure Centre on April 23, and selling out no less than seven nights at London's prestigious Hammersmith Odeon. They also announced a headline spot at 1982's Castle Donington Festival, on a bill completed by Gillan, Saxon, Hawkwind, Uriah Heep and Anvil.

But the tour's most famous date remains a show that took place at Birmingham's cavernous NEC Arena on 14th May, 1982. The second of their two gigs at the Midlands venue was attended by Prince Charles, Princess Diana and another 11,998 fans - a first taste of live rock music for the heir to the nation's throne. All proceeds from the concert went to the Prince's Trust, a charity set up to help disadvantaged 14-30 year-olds develop confidence, learn new skills, find work, or start their own businesses. It was hoped that the performance would raise £70,000. The first 50 minutes of the show were to be broadcast live by the BBC, the whofe show aired the following week on the BBC's much-missed Friday Rock Show.

During the afternoon, Quo visited a Birmingham Branch of HMV Records to sign copies of '1+9+8+2', their proud manager Colin Johnson telling the press: "This is the highest the band can go. It's the first time they've been introduced to royalty. They're very excited and a  little nervous, but they're going to let Prince Charles do all the talking."

Like many of the band's fans, I made the trip from London to Birmingham, the trains from Euston filled by hairy boogie-heads in party-time mood. Inside the hall, the crowd began to chant "Charlie, Charlie". The gig was due to commence at 9.25 pm prompt, directly after The Nine O'Clock News, with John Simpson - though only if coverage wasn't extended by fresh developments in Britain's war with Argentina over the Falkland Islands. Charles was scheduled to arrive at the NEC Arena at 8.10 pm, where he was met by the Lord Lieutenant of the West Midlands, the Earl of Aylesford. Fortunately, everything ran like clockwork.

With an estimated audience of 12 million viewers, Quo felt it necessary to air their best songs, so re-jigged the set-list they'd been playing on the rest of the tour. Naturally, this must have added to the nerves the group were feeling. The show began with the group's specially recorded version of the National Anthem. 'Caroline' and 'Roll Over Lay Down' kicked things off as usual, but on the night Rossi held out his hand and told the crowd: "Look at that, steady as a rock." Before Lancaster took the microphone for 'Backwater', Francis added: "No messing around tonight... very important night." Other songs seen by the viewers included 'Little Lady', 'Don't Drive My Car', 'Whatever You Want', 'Hold You Back', 'Rocking All Over The World', 'Over The Edge' and 'Don't Waste My Time'.

The live link-up completed, Quo seemed to relax a little, getting down to business again with 'Forty Five Hundred Times', 'Big Fat Mama', 'Roadhouse Blues', 'Rain', 'Down Down' and 'By By Johnny'. This version of 'Live At The NEC' includes two bonus tracks songs from the latter part of the gig, namely 'Dirty Water' and 'Down Down'.

Of course, the worlds of rock music and royal protocol are light years apart. Nobody really knows for sure whether Prince Charles and his entourage boogied along to the 20-minute-plus version of 'Forty Five Hundred Times', and other occupants of the Royal Box have so far refused to spill the beans. Diana was well known for liking softer rock music such as Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles and ABBA.

In the newspapers the next day, Francis Rossi reported Charles' wish that he'd worn jeans instead of a two-piece grey suit, white shirt and dark tie. Pete Kircher had apparently offered to lend Charles a pair of his own. Nevertheless, Rossi remains full of admiration for the Prince. "I will never really believe he was a fan of Status Quo, he's just a bloke doing his job for the Prince's Trust," he told me in 2002. "But the last time he came to see us at the Royal
Albert Hall he chose to stay for longer than he had to, and had an extra drink. So he's not the schmuck that he's sometimes painted as."

But the most relevant comment of all came from Lancaster, who defiantly stated: "Even this honour is not as important to us as our fans. They made us - not the radio or the critics who slagged us off every time."

London, 28th November 2005