Aquostic II - That's A Fact! - Status Quo (October 2016)

Aquostic II – That’s A Fact!  - Status Quo

Fourth Chord Records Ltd

Released 21st October 2016

Deluxe Version

Deluxe Edition 
CD1

1. That's A Fact
2. Roll Over Lay Down
3. Dear John
4. In The Army Now
5. Hold You Back
6. One For The Road
7. Backwater
8. One Of Everything
9. Belavista Man
10. Lover Of The Human Race
11. Ice In The Sun
12. Mess Of The Blues
13. Jam Side Down
14. Resurrection
15. Lies
16. Little Dreamer
17. Living On An Island
18. Is Someone Rocking Your Heart?
19. Rockers Rollin'

Deluxe Edition CD 2 [Live In Stuttgart]
01. And It's Better Now
02. Pictures Of Matchstick Men
03. Don't Drive My Car
04. Claudie
05. Whatever You Want
06. Rocking All Over The World

The album is also released as a 14 track CD and a 20 Track Double Vinyl Album (Which includes For You which is not on the CD).

Aquostic II – That’s A Fact! - Standard Edition
01. That’s A Fact
02. Roll Over Lay Down
03. Dear John
04. In The Army Now
05. Hold You Back
06. One For The Road [New Song]
07. Backwater
08. One Of Everything [New Song]
09. Belavista Man
10. Lover Of The Human Race
11. Ice In The Sun
12. Mess Of The Blues
13. Jam Side Down
14. Resurrection

Status Quo

Aquostic Live in Hyde Park
for BBC Radio 2

11th September 2016

 Setlist

 1. Pictures Of Matchstick Men
2. Paper Plane
3. Caroline
4. What You're Propsin'
5. Claudie
6. That's A Fact
7. Hold you Back
8. Rollin' Home
9. Down Down
10. Whatever You Want
11. Rockin' All Over The World
12. Burning Bridges

**********************

The first Aquostic album from Status Quo was a real surprise and actually quite brilliant. It was strange hearing them in this way (not that they hadn't done acoustic driven songs before because they had) for a complete album and live. It showed that there was more to the Quo than the 12 Bar Boogie that was often their lot.

With the news that they are out on the road under the banner of The Last Night Of The Electrics Tour one is left to ponder what future Quo shows will be like. Rick Parfitt, due to health issues is not on the road but is still involved in other capacities. They are off to Australia in 2017 and will be performing their Aquostic material.

The second Aquostics album was released five days ago and once again opinion is divided with some saying it's "just a Francis Rossi solo album" (there's a few reviews on Amazon that are saying that) and others are more welcoming (Read Dave Wilson's review for Get Ready To Rock!).

I understand that some might be upset with the style of songs like Roll Over Lay Down, Dear John, Backwater (which I'm more used to hearing Alan Lancaster singing), but I guess that they are so new to our ears that they take a bit of getting used to.

Whilst not as strong as the first Aquostic - Stripped Bare album Aquostics II - That's A Fact! does have some good moments. Some interesting string arrangements turn up in unexpected places like That's A Fact that first appeared on the Blue For You album and Hold You Back (which was on the Rockin' All Over The World album) which when it starts you think it sounds like a mad folk song!

All in all it's not a bad album but you'll have to get used to this sound because this might just be what the Status Quo of the future sound like!