Famous in the Last Century

Last updated

Famous in the Last Century
FamousIntheLastCentury StatusQuo.jpg
Studio album by
Status Quo
Released17 April 2000
RecordedAstria Studios and ARSIS Studios
Genre Rock
Length43:39
Producer Mike Paxman
Status Quo chronology
Under the Influence
(1999)		Famous in the Last Century
(2000)		 Heavy Traffic
(2002)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]

Famous in the Last Century is the twenty-fourth studio album by British rock band Status Quo, released in 2000. According to XS All Areas - band members Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt's duel 2004 autobiography - the idea to record a second covers album (following 1996's Don't Stop ) came from the band's then-manager David Walker, who said they should celebrate the millennium with an album containing twenty of their favourite hits from the past century. "Another bloody covers album!" grumbled Rossi. "We went along with it, as usual, but inside I felt like a fraud... for me it was the worst Quo album there had ever been - or ever will be!" [2]

Contents

"We didn't wanna do it," Rossi told Classic Rock magazine in 2002, "but it sold. I don't think we'll do another one." [3] However, the band issued another covers album, Riffs , in 2003.

Famous in the Last Century reached No. 19 on the UK Albums Chart, a better position than the previous Quo album of mainly original material, Under the Influence . Two singles from it – "Mony Mony" and "Old Time Rock and Roll" – were minor hits.

Jeff Rich left the band after recording this album and was replaced by Matt Letley.

A DVD & VHS of the same name was filmed at the Shepherd's Bush Empire on 27 March 2000. It is a mimed performance of the album. The group did a live gig after the filming of the video, and a few tracks from it were released as B-sides.

Track listing

  1. "Famous in the Last Century" (Bown) 1:04
  2. "Old Time Rock and Roll" (George Jackson, Thomas E. Jones III.) 2:57
  3. "Way Down" (Martine) 2:51
  4. "Rave On!" (Petty, William "Billy" Tilghman, Sunny West) 2:51
  5. "Roll Over Beethoven" (Berry) 3:07
  6. "When I'm Dead and Gone" (Benny Gallagher, Graham Lyle) 3:11
  7. "Memphis, Tennessee" (Berry) 2:31
  8. "Sweet Home Chicago" (R. Johnson) 2:44
  9. "Crawling from the Wreckage" (Parker) 2:42
  10. "Good Golly Miss Molly" (Blackwell, Marascalco) 2:05
  11. "Claudette" (Orbison) 2:01
  12. "Rock'n Me" (Miller) 2:46
  13. "Hound Dog" (Leiber, Stoller) 2:19
  14. "Runaround Sue" (DiMucci, Maresca) 2:29
  15. "Once Bitten Twice Shy" (Hunter) 3:40
  16. "Mony Mony" (Bloom, Bo Gentry, James, Ritchie Cordell) 2:58
  17. "Famous in the Last Century" (Bown) 1:15

Australia bonus tracks

  1. "Pictures of Matchstick Men" (1999 Version) (Francis Rossi) 3:23
  2. "Raining in My Heart" (Special Guest Brian May) (Boudleaux Bryant, Felice Bryant) 3:31
  3. "Fun Fun Fun² (With the Beach Boys) (Brian Wilson, Mike Love) 3:59
  4. "Whatever You Want² (Andy Bown, Rick Parfitt) 4:16

2006 remaster bonus tracks

  1. Gerdundula (live) (Manston/James)
  2. 4500 Times (live) (Rossi/Parfitt)
  3. Rain (live) (Parfitt)

Personnel

Charts

Chart (2000)Peak
position
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [4] 46
Scottish Albums (OCC) [5] 11
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [6] 20
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [7] 56
UK Albums (OCC) [8] 19

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Status Quo (band)</span> British rock band

Status Quo are a British rock band. The group originated in London and was founded in 1962 by Francis Rossi and Alan Lancaster while they were still schoolboys. After a number of name and lineup changes, which included the introduction of John Coghlan in 1963 and Rick Parfitt in 1967, the band became The Status Quo in 1967 and Status Quo in 1969. As of 2022, the group have been active for 60 consecutive years.

<i>Hello!</i> (album) 1973 studio album by Status Quo

Hello! is the sixth studio album by the British rock band Status Quo. Released in September 1973, it was the first of four Status Quo albums to top the UK Albums Chart.

<i>Just Supposin</i> 1980 studio album by Status Quo

Just Supposin' is the thirteenth album by Status Quo. Co-produced by the group and John Eden, it was recorded at Windmill Lane Studios, Dublin. Released on 17 October 1980, it entered the UK albums chart at number 4.

<i>Aint Complaining</i> 1988 studio album by Status Quo

Ain't Complaining is the eighteenth studio album by British rock band Status Quo. Initially released on the Vertigo label on 6 June 1988, it was the group's first album on that label to fall short of the UK Top 10, breaking a streak of 12 studio albums in the process. It reached no higher than its entry position of number 12 in the UK Albums Chart. The band would re-enter the Top 10 three years later with Rock 'til You Drop.

<i>Perfect Remedy</i> 1989 studio album by Status Quo

Perfect Remedy is the nineteenth studio album by English rock band Status Quo. In terms of British chart success, it marked a new low for the band, reaching a high of only No. 49 during a two-week run. The two singles from it, "Not at All" and "Little Dreamer", peaked at No. 50 and No. 76 respectively. In Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt's duel 2004 autobiography, XS All Areas, Rossi said that it sold well in Europe and Australia, but they were back to square one in Britain: "I don't know why it did so poorly. You could argue that the scene had moved on."

<i>Rock til You Drop</i> 1991 studio album by Status Quo

Rock 'til You Drop is the twentieth studio album by English rock band Status Quo and their last on the Vertigo label after nearly 20 years. Singer and guitarist Francis Rossi produced the album.

<i>Dont Stop</i> (Status Quo album) 1996 studio album by Status Quo

Don't Stop is the twenty-second studio album by English rock band Status Quo. A covers album, it includes guest appearances from Tessa Niles on tracks 6 and 14, The Beach Boys on track 1, Brian May of Queen on track 7 and Maddy Prior of Steeleye Span on track 15.

<i>Heavy Traffic</i> (album) 2002 studio album by Status Quo

Heavy Traffic is the twenty-fifth studio album by English rock band Status Quo, and their first to feature drummer Matt Letley. Released in 2002, it hit #15 in the UK.

<i>XS All Areas – The Greatest Hits</i> 2004 compilation album by Status Quo

XS All Areas – The Greatest Hits is an album by English rock band Status Quo, released in September 2004. It is a best-of compilation with two new tracks, "You'll Come 'Round" and "Thinking of You". A DVD collection of promo videos, live concert footage and television appearances from throughout the band's history to that point, also titled XS All Areas – The Greatest Hits, was released on the same day. The album and DVD coincided with the release of band members Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt's duel autobiography XS All Areas.

<i>The Party Aint Over Yet</i> 2005 studio album by Status Quo

The Party Ain't Over Yet... is the twenty-seventh album by English rock band Status Quo, released 19 September 2005. A DVD documentary on the making of the album and the band's history to that point, The Pary Ain't Over Yet...40 Years of Status Quo, was released on the same day.

<i>Under the Influence</i> (Status Quo album) 1999 studio album by Status Quo

Under the Influence is the twenty-third studio album by English rock band Status Quo, released in 1999.

<i>Never Too Late</i> (Status Quo album) 1981 studio album by Status Quo

Never Too Late is the fourteenth studio album by English rock band Status Quo, co-produced by the group and John Eden. Released on 13 March 1981, it had been recorded at the same sessions – at Windmill Lane Studios, Dublin – as its predecessor Just Supposin'. It reached number 2 in the UK Albums Chart.

<i>1+9+8+2</i> 1982 studio album by Status Quo

1+9+8+2 is the fifteenth studio album by the English rock band Status Quo, released on 16 April 1982. It was the first to include new drummer Pete Kircher, who had recently replaced John Coghlan, and also the first to credit keyboard player Andy Bown as a full member of the band.

<i>Riffs</i> (Status Quo album) 2003 studio album by Status Quo

Riffs is the twenty-sixth studio album by the English rock band Status Quo, released in November 2003. Ten tracks were cover versions of pop and rock standards, the other five were re-recordings of songs they had previously issued during the 1970s. The initial release also included a bonus 9-track DVD, featuring footage recorded for television programs and also the video for the 2002 Top 20 hit "Jam Side Down", from the band's previous album Heavy Traffic, recorded on HMS Ark Royal.

<i>Live at the N.E.C.</i> 1984 live album by Status Quo

Live at The N.E.C. was the second live album by rock band Status Quo which was recorded at the National Exhibition Centre. It had originally been released as part of the 3-LP box set From the Makers of... in 1982. In 1984 the recording became available as a separate album.

<i>In Search of the Fourth Chord</i> 2007 studio album by Status Quo

In Search of the Fourth Chord is the twenty-eighth studio album by English rock band Status Quo, released on 17 September 2007. The title is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the rumour that the group always plays the same three chords, and a reference to the album In Search of the Lost Chord by British rock band the Moody Blues. The album's artwork is a parody of the Indiana Jones films.

<i>Quid Pro Quo</i> (album) 2011 studio album by Status Quo

Quid Pro Quo is the twenty-ninth studio album by English rock band Status Quo, released in May 2011. The album debuted at number 10 in the UK Albums Chart and featured 14 new songs, as well as the 2010 version of their 1986 hit "In the Army Now" which was re-recorded in support of the Help for Heroes and British Forces Foundation charities. The accompanying Official Live Bootleg album features 12 older songs recorded by the band in concert in Amsterdam and Melbourne in 2010. In the UK the album was only available at branches of Tesco stores for its first week before being released conventionally on the band's Fourth Chord label on 6 June 2011.

<i>Bula Quo!</i> (album) 2013 soundtrack album by Status Quo

Bula Quo is the thirtieth studio album and the first soundtrack album by English rock band Status Quo, released on Monday 10 June 2013. It is the last Status Quo album recorded with drummer Matt Letley, who announced his departure from the band before the album had been released.

References

  1. ↑ Allmusic review
  2. ↑ Rossi, F., Parfitt, R., XS All Areas: The Status Quo autobiography (Sidgwick & Jackson, 2004)
  3. ↑ Ling, Dave (January 2002). "Again again again…". Classic Rock #36. p. 73.
  4. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Status Quo – Famous in the Last Century" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Status Quo – Famous in the Last Century". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  7. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Status Quo – Famous in the Last Century". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  8. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 8, 2023.

1. Rossi, F., Parfitt, R., XS All Areas: The Status Quo autobiography (Sidgwick & Jackson, 2004)

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.