Suzi Quatro - Quatro (1974) [Remastered Reissue 2011 with Bonus tracks] RESTORED

Digitally remastered and expanded edition of the Glam Rock siren's 1974 sophomore album. Quatro spent six weeks at #1 in Australia as well as hitting #5 in Holland, #15 in Germany and even the Top 150 of her native USA. Amongst the five bonus tracks is the international smash hit 'Devil Gate Drive', which hit #1 in the UK, Norway, Ireland and Japan as well as #2 in Germany and Australia. Also added is the hit single version of 'The Wild One' which hit the Top Ten in England, Germany and Australia. Original LP artwork, detailed liner notes by 70's expert Phil Hendriks plus loads of pictures of rare European issue sleeves are a part of the deluxe artwork for an album that is finally getting a UK CD release in its own right!

After the electric vitality of its predecessor and the prepossessing energy of her first four singles, Suzi Quatro put out a second album that was a dreadful disappointment, the fault – one assumes – of having been cut so quickly after its predecessor that nobody involved in the process had time to even catch her or his breath. Just two Quatro/Tuckey originals make it on, and one of them, "Klondyke Kate", is little more than a throwaway, while Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman's contributions, too, are uncharacteristically lackluster – the still vital "Devil Gate Drive" notwithstanding, of course. Of course, there are mitigating circumstances. The Chinnichap duo itself was in transition at this time, trying to retool a super-successful but hideously hidebound writing formula toward a less glam-entrenched listening audience. The recently discovered Smokie was to be the prime beneficiary of this new attitude, but the next few Quatro singles, too, reflected the then-prevalent belief that "mature" songs were the way to go – and "mature", in those days, meant not having quite so much fun as they used to. Neither "Too Big" nor "The Wild One" are classic Quatro, even if the performances themselves are as committed as ever, while the dour mood conveyed by those efforts is only amplified by the strictly unimaginative choice in rock & roll covers that complete the set. Every bar band in the land cut its teeth on "Keep a Knockin'", "Trouble", "Move It", and "A Shot Of Rhythm and Blues". Very few were still playing them two albums later. Only a wild, and wildly unexpected rendition of "Hit the Road Jack" truly salvages the show, and that's not really saying much – novelty songs always stand out when there's nothing else to laugh at. Ultimately, of course, Quatro would be seen as a mere hiccup in a career that had many, many years left to run – and many more twists and turns to take. At the time, however, another monarch had quietly slipped from its throne, another spangle had dropped off the glam rock crown. It really was all rather sad.

~ Dave Thompson, all media guide

Tracklist:

01. The Wild One
02. Keep A Knockin'
03. Too Big
04. Klondyke Kate
05. Savage Silk
06. Move It
07. Hit The Road Jack
08. Trouble
09. Cat Size
10. A Shot Of Rhythm & Blues
11. Friday
12. Devil Gate Drive [Reissue Bonus track]
13. In The Morning [Reissue Bonus track]
14. I Wanna Be Free [Reissue Bonus track]
15. The Wild One (Single version) [Reissue Bonus track]
16. Shake My Sugar [Reissue Bonus track]


Original Album Produced by Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn
Recorded at Audio International Studios, London. Engineered by Pete Coleman.

• Suzi Quatro - lead vocals and bass
• Len Tuckey - lead guitar and backing vocals
• Alastair McKenzie - keyboards and backing vocals
• Dave Neal - drums and backing vocals

Original Release Date: October 1974
Remastered CD Re-Released: March 21, 2011
Label: 7T's Records, U.K.
Catalog No.: GLAM CD 119