AUGUST ALBUM OF THE MONTH
Time for a party – and at any time that you want. After a summer of endless studio album releases, the feel-good festival season kind of made it appropriate to turn attention to an album release that captures the irreplaceable magic of a live show, and that spontaneous connection between band and audience. This new summer release does just that – with CDs capturing two landmark Quireboys shows, plus a bonus DVD.
I’ve had a lot of ‘full-circle’ moments with Quireboys music in the last year. Last December, Spike’s band was voted ‘Band of the Year’ with Great Music Stories, the 10th band to win it, but they were also the first, way back in 2015. And last week as I wrote this review on holiday, by complete coincidence I was in the very same room in the same hotel as I was in spring 2015, when I listened to the band’s back catalogue, ahead of my first radio interview with the band before the first Ramblin’ Man Fair. These 10 year ‘full circle’ moments are uncanny – but in a nice way.
Rockpalast is iconic for benchmark live recordings, and this Quireboys Live at Rockpalast double live album presents Spike’s band at two different points in its ongoing evolution. A band that outlives fashions, critics, and the seismic changes to the music industry. Four decades on, Spike’s band just keeps moving forward. The positive reception to their latest album together with their run of festival headline slots evidences Quireboys are as loved and relevant to British rock n roll today as they were in the 80s and 90s.
From Spike’s notes in the CD booklet, it is clear that Rockpalast had a special influence on Spike as a young guy, so fitting that this release marks two chapters in the band’s live story over the last 40 years. In Spike’s sleeve notes, there’s also a funny story about a missing white boot – but you’ll have to buy the CD set to find out more about that.
The CD set captures two sets from different points in the band’s career. The 1990 Rockpalast show captures energy and excitement of a band at their early peak, you can feel the confidence from their debut album translating into their live performances, as they set out to take on the world without an ounce of fear. The second live set is from 2007, a different band line-up for Spike’s band and a heavier guitar sound but also a wonderful set. The earlier 1990 set I preferred; it has a looser, more rock n roll sound – a bit more space in the music perhaps – that is closer to the latest Quireboys album, ‘Wardour Street’. Whilst the 2007 set captures the sound of a tight live unit with seasoned experience, a band that knowshow to win over a crowd – the earlier 1990 release captures the feeling of excitement of a young band on a steep rise.
From both live sets, one is struck by the enduring legacy of the debut album ‘A Bit of What You Fancy.’ Whilst many (now called) Classic Rock bands can still hang their live sets on one or two hits from the 80s, I can’t think of many instances when the entirety of an 80s album has endured so strongly on stage for more than four decades.
And thinking about legacy, there are some benchmark recordings from the 1990 set. ‘Roses and Rings’ is one of a number of songs played faster, and it’s arguably better for it. And for me ‘I Don’t Love You Anymore’ is maybe the best live recorded version available on CD. And for fans of the band’s live releases, there’s a few surprise gems to look forward to as well.
And a final note, and perhaps one more about healing. A few years ago, the band split, or failed takeover attempt, had a sad consequence it splitting the fans for a time – many of whom had been together and followed Spike’s band for decades. With this live release there is a reminder that the recorded catalogue of music, its truth and its legacy as music, lives beyond band politics. For fans it is – and always should be – about the music. With this release spanning different eras of the band’s evolution, united by Spike’s notes, there is a reminder to us all that we can and should all celebrate the full Quireboys catalogue. I talked about ‘full circle’ moments at the start of this piece, but for the Quireboys themselves there is a full circle moment too. The latest album ‘Wardour Street’ represents a return to the essence of what made the music on the debut album so great. Musically they are natural bedfellows and that’s underscored by the reforming of the original band members to write the new material. As bookends, ‘A Bit of What You Fancy’ reminds us what has been achieved, ‘Wardour Street’ underlines what is still possible – and everything in between is all there to be enjoyed as part of one of rock n roll’s great British music stories. Yeee-haw!
For more details on the new live release visit:
https://quireboysofficial.com/news/quireboys-rockpalast.htm
Archive interviews with Spike
A few of the many interviews with Spike/Quireboys up on Great Music Stories for listen again
