Ma Kelly's Greasy Spoon - STATUS QUO***

Spinning Wheel/Daughter/Everything/Shy Fly/(April) Spring Summer & Wednesdays/Junior's Wailing/Lakky Lady/ Need Your Love/Lazy Poker Blues/Is It Really Me-Gotta Go Home

Ma Kelly’s Greasy Spoon was where Status Quo started to ditch pop psychedelia and embrace their trademark boogie rock sound. It would take the band three years to cast aside memories of their early lightweight image before they gained commercial musical credibility.

“The start of the blues, hard and boogie rocking Quo era. This album sounds like a rebellion against whatever Pye was trying to turn them into.”

“To me, the sound is raw but fresh. All the tracks sound distinctively different and are enduring. The exception may be the ballad, Everything, which seems out of place on this album.”

“My favourite Quo album, coming between their psycho-flower pop and the more denim clad boogie-bop dum-de-dum of later albums.”

“Ma Kelly's Greasy Spoon was the first Quo album to feature the classic heads down no nonsense boogie for which the band would become famous, and often derided. After the orchestrated pop of previous albums, this is an ugly, stripped down album with barely any frills and plenty of duff notes.”

“It is admirable in its total disregard for the sound that had established them prior to this release, and the fact that this was the style of music that the band truly wanted to play.”

“Dating from the halcyon days of 1970, when Status Quo were trying to shuffle off the psychedelic bubblegum pop image of the 'Matchstick Men' era. Ma Kelly's Greasy Spoon is a refreshing and pleasingly varied set which set down the markers where they would venture forth to become one of Britain's most enduring combos.”

“Quo dropped the pop for a harder sound on this record and even though they were still finding their feet it is a big improvement over previous LPs”

“This is where it really started, rammed full of some of the best hard driven blues boogie ever recorded. From the opener to the closing jam, this album proves that the rock and roll granddads of today were once a great band.”