"I did not know what a piledriver what ..."

"... And truthfully I still do not", Rick Parfitt says in the booklet of the Deluxe Edition of "Piledriver". The dictionary tells me: "piledriver" = "Piledriver". But actually that does not matter. Much more important is what lies behind "Piledriver" hides, and especially behind this new Deluxe Edition. What can we say?

At last, you might say. Finally there is a really good Remaster a status quo milestone of "Frantic Four" period. So much right away: This Deluxe Edition puts her 2005 Remaster counterpart loose in the bag. But more on that later.

"Piledriver" (1972) applies in full thirty albums of work status quo as a career crucial album, as the final emancipation of the band Status Quo of their early psychedelic pop hits. It was not the first album in the new boogie style (that was "Ma Kelly's Greasy Spoon"). Nor was it the first album in the "Frantic Four 'duty system (which was" Dog of Two Head "). But it was the first for Vertigo Records, a label that decided "hipper" than Pye Records. Pye had a single-oriented record label. With Vertigo we understood the signs of the times: Status Quo understood from now on as an album band, per album, there should be only a single. This single was the short, almost pre-punk "Paper Plane" which shot promptly in the British Top 10 - the status quo was last in 1968 with "Ice in the Sun" succeeded. The album increased the hardness of the status quo, but it was a total of less hard (or heavy) and also less consistent than his four successors ("Hello" to "Blue for You"). This greater diversity of style was clearly still a remnant of the previous albums; In other words, the status quo had not yet achieved a great success with their style, so they give that style is not as consistently as inserting the successors. In addition to "Paper Plane" only "Do not Waste My Time", "O Baby", "Big Fat Mama" and the Doors takeover "Roadhouse Blues" Heavy rockers, and except "Do not Waste My Time" have these songs hint at all hooks and eyes, the Status Quo affinity for progressive music. "A Year" is an impressive, moving power ballad that made me stylistically of pieces of Led Zeppelin ("Babe I'm Gonna Leave You"; "Stairway to Heaven") recalls or Aerosmith ("Dream On"). "Unspoken Words" is a delicate blues of British style. "All the Reasons" is also a rather soft number. But of course there are the loud parts, should make the status quo to the mark. "Piledriver" just marked this transition.

How Sjard Seliger has written in his review - and how I could now hear with my own ears - the new remastering is really very good. The sound enhancement that can bring such a remastering yes undisputed is finally no longer with an exaggerated emphasis on the highs and strong compression associated as it was with the 2005 remasters yet the case (especially bad it has since "On the Level" caught, really tired in the long run). No, here you have [who? In the booklet there is no mention of who has done the remastering ...] care not to distort the original nature of the shots and not to sacrifice the natural sound of an unnecessary level increase. Of course you should Status Quo listen loud - but there is the volume control!

The bonus material is rather aimed at the die-hard fans, said parts of the material probably already own. Obviously it seems here but no outtakes or demos to have given that you would here can draufpacken. The bonus tracks are divided into: BBC Sounds of the Seventies (London 11/20/72); John Peel Session (London 09/01/73); BBC 'In Concert' (Paris Theatre 03/01/73). Since the regular album indeed also was recorded "live" in the studio, the differences from the BBC sessions are not particularly serious. Details differ (eg logically missing the piano in "Do not Waste My Time"), but the non-fan would probably hardly notice the difference. The most interesting thing I find here "Softer Ride", which was already to be found on the B-side of "Paper Plane", but in 1973 his album debut "Hello!" experienced. The live recordings (with Bob Young on two songs on harmonica) are much more exciting, even if the sound quality is here weaker. For a bootleg sound quality would be great, no question; for an official publication, it is nevertheless acceptable. But this fall also not significant, because these recordings are of historical significance. The "Roll over lay down" -Live EP was indeed recorded in 1975; the "live" album even before 1976. Thus here is presented a band that had been playing in this form until three years - the Frantic Four in their early years. Three songs from the then new "Piledriver" album, as well as later Scrapped "Railroad" or "Someone's Learning". The latter is here, if I am not mistaken, even available for the first time ever as a live version. Interestingly, the concerts at that time (as well as later on "Live") with steam hammer "Junior's Wailing" began and ended with Chuck Berry's "Bye Bye Johnny". Of particular interest, as "Bye Bye Johnny" should be included only in "On the Level" as a studio version, so about two years later. Set setlist aside, the appearance also of musical terms is a treat. The band is very willing to take risks and play with "Someone's Learning" and especially the "Roadhouse Blues", who comes here on a record under 15 minutes, with the dynamism and enriches their songs like with long instrumental parts. That not there any sound sits - for free! You get a good idea of ​​the live power that Status Quo were then definitely. In this respect, the bonus material supplements the regular album very well, you get a few new perspectives to the band and its former development.

The package is, as usual, by the other Deluxe Editions, very nice. Well, the sticky deluxe band can Universal grease in the hair - what happened to the plastic slipcases ?! But the four-page digipack makes even what her; the various folding pages show photos, the single cover of "Paper Plane", concert cards and posters. The booklet comes with a text that can pass through the making of the album Revue; The band members also have their say; All songs are briefly discussed; some funny anecdotes complete the picture of an album that has been treated here exemplary. The lyrics and credits are taken directly from the original LP. The old Vertigo label be revived for the CDs.

So bottom line: a round thing! And I sincerely hope that it will remain a re-release not only in this. This Deluxe Edition is in fact a huge success.