When it comes to the live album, the 1970’s was undoubtedly the decade with Slade, Kiss, Zeppelin and Lizzy all releasing era-defining albums. Yet, out of all the live releases that dropped in the ‘70s, no other album captured the spit, sawdust and sweat of a rowdy gig quite like Status Quo’s double set Live! did. Part of Live!’s charm comes from its authenticity; while some sources claim as much as 75% of Kiss’ Alive! was overdubbed, Live! does exactly what it say on the tin and presents Status Quo in all their flared denim, follicle flying glory, bum notes included, warts n’ all. Although this Super Deluxe Edition doesn’t tinker with the original too much, the sound is mixed and mastered (and approved by Francis Rossi) from newly discovered multi-track tapes, and adds full concert recordings from 27th, 28th and 29th October 1976 to show why Quo were, and remain, such a hot live ticket.

While most readers of The Midlands Rocks will be familiar with Live!’s introduction; the over-exuberant MC followed by the typically understated Rossi, many will be surprised with the sparkle that opening track ‘Junior’s Wailing’ (and, indeed, the whole album) displays. One issue that has been corrected from the original issue is the mix; while there was certainly nothing wrong with that which first graced Live!, that which furnishes this Super Deluxe Edition uses modern technology to fully separate all the instruments and subsequently the band sound far more powerful. It’s akin to a sports car getting a full, professional service; cuts such as ‘In My Chair’ are friskier, and the elongated jams on ‘Forty-Five Hundred Times’ race towards a frantic conclusion. As with the 2005 remaster the track list is re-sequenced in gig running order, so those who’ve spent years with their vinyl copies might find it strange hearing ‘Rain’ tossed into the set so early, but from a historical perspective it makes perfect sense and we finally get to hear the set as it was unfurled on that October evening, 1976.

A good live album should place the listener in the midst of the action, and that’s precisely what Live! does. There’s a very visual component to this release that’s enhanced by the new master; you can almost see the Frantic Four strutting their stuff as ‘Big Fat Mama’ pours from the speakers, the band weighed down by gravity with legs spread impossibly wide and guitars pointed towards the heavens whilst John Coghlan beats out a steady rhythm. The crowd participation during the likes of ‘Don’t Waste My Time’ and their infamous cover of ‘Roadhouse Blues’ only goes to solidify Live!’s reputation as the definitive live album, and on the strength of this reissue, that’s a hard assertion to argue against.

While even the most ardent Quo fan might struggle to listen to all these eight discs in one sitting, there is enough variation between the different sets to keep fans returning again and again. In fact, people will pick their favourite shows from each of the three performances and it would be interesting to hear why Francis and Rick Parfitt opted to cull the majority of this album from the first night. The wealth and quality of material on offer must have been quite perplexing and overwhelming, and what to pick for the final album would’ve been a difficult task. By delving deep into this set you can feel some of the magic that was crackling the air during those three evenings and the full sets also allow us to hear Francis Rossi’s between song banter, an important aspect of the Quo experience that was curtailed on Live! due to time constraints.

Presented in a 7” box format with 8 CD’s in fold out sleeves, a 24-page booklet with notes by Classic Rock scribe Dave Ling, this set solidifies Live! As the quintessential live album. Period.

• Live! (Super Deluxe Edition) is released via Demon Group on 16th May 2025.
  
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Track List:

Disc One – Live (CD 1)

1. Introduction/Junior’s Wailing
2. Backwater/Just Take Me
3. Is There A Better Way
4. In My Chair
5. Little Lady/Most Of The Time
6. Rain
7. Forty-Five Hundred Times
   

Disc Two – Live! (CD 2)

1. Roll Over Lay Down
2. Big Fat Mama
3. Don’t Waste My Time
4. Roadhouse Blues
5. Caroline
6. Bye Bye Johnny

Disc Three – 27th October 1976 (CD 1)

1. Introduction/Junior’s Wailing
2. Backwater
3. Just Take Me
4. Is There A Better Way
5. In My Chair
6. Little Lady
7. Most Of The Time
8. Rain
9. Forty-Five Hundred Times

Disc Four – 27th October 1976 (CD 2)

1. Roll Over Lay Down
2. Big Fat Mama
3. Don’t Waste My Time
4. Roadhouse Blues
5. Caroline
6. Bye Bye Johnny

Disc Five – 28th October 1976 (CD 1)

1. Introduction/Junior’s Wailing
2. Backwater
3. Just Take Me
4. Is There A Better Way
5. In My Chair
6. Little Lady
7. Most Of The Time
8. Rain
9. Forty-Five Hundred Times

Disc Six – 28th October 1976 (CD 2)

1. Roll Over Lay Down
2. Big Fat Mama
3. Don’t Waste My Time
4. Roadhouse Blues
5. Caroline
6. Bye Bye Johnny

Disc Seven – 29th October 1976 (CD 1)

1. Introduction/Junior’s Wailing
2. Backwater
3. Just Take Me
4. Is There A Better Way
5. In My Chair
6. Little Lady
7. Most Of The Time
8. Rain
9. Forty-Five Hundred Times

Disc Eight – 29th October 1976 (CD 2)

1. Roll Over Lay Down
2. Big Fat Mama
3. Don’t Waste My Time
4. Roadhouse Blues
5. Caroline
6. Bye Bye Johnny