HEADS DOWN NO NONSENSE MINDLESS BOOGIE

In the last days of 2016, in a year when the world of music lost a lot of iconic and beloved musicians, the festive season bought more. One being the legendary Rick Parfitt, rhythm guitarist, occasional vocalist and songwriter of iconic UK boogie rock'n'roll band Status Quo. Rick had suffered more than a few health problems over the last couple of decades, including a quadruple heart bypass, and yet another heart attack in the summer of this year, which resulted in his retiring from live work. He had led a notorious hellraising lifestyle, as had his Quo partner Francis Rossi, but let's not allow that to detract from the music. In recent years the band had become a bit of a joke to some, releasing several albums of below-par cover versions, and a ridiculous feature film, Bula Quo!, but back in their 1970's heyday they were unstoppable and untouchable, both on record and onstage. After their psychedelic beginnings in the late 60's, the classic "Frantic Four" line up of Rossi, Parfitt, bassist Alan Lancaster and drummer John Coghlan - who reunited a few years ago for a couple of tours - released cracking hit single after hit single - "Paper Plane", "Caroline" "Down Down", "In My Chair" "Roll Over Lay Down" and more - and several hard rocking, high charting albums. I have a particular fondness for those songs due to their being in my Dads' record collection, and i think they still stand out as classic rock. They lost their way in the 80's, but the hits didn't dry up until the latter part of the decade. Even amongst the ensuing albums of covers and gimmicks, they were still capable of surprises. The image of Parfitt, head down, almost punching the strings on his white Fender Telecaster, providing the chugging backbone of the classic Quo sound, is one that will endure. R.I.P Rick Parfitt, hope you're rocking it up somewhere.