On The Level
Encyclopedia
On The Level is the eighth Status Quo studio album. It features Francis Rossi, Richard Parfitt, Alan Lancaster and John Coghlan. The album's cover art features band members in an Ames room
, and on the original vinyl release, the inner gatefold sleeve consisted of informal photos members of the group had taken of each other.
In November 1974 the band released the only single from the album, an edited version of a Rossi/Young song entitled "Down Down
". The single gave the band their only #1 hit to date. Its b-side was the Parfitt/Young album track "Nightride".
When the album was released in February 1975, the group were more or less at the peak of their career, record sales-wise. The album entered the chart at #1. All tracks were written or co-written by the group themselves, apart from "Bye Bye Johnny", which was originally a Chuck Berry
song.
Ames room
An Ames room is a distorted room that is used to create an optical illusion. Probably influenced by the writings of Hermann Helmholtz, it was invented by American ophthalmologist Adelbert Ames, Jr...
, and on the original vinyl release, the inner gatefold sleeve consisted of informal photos members of the group had taken of each other.
In November 1974 the band released the only single from the album, an edited version of a Rossi/Young song entitled "Down Down
Down Down
"Down Down" is a popular song by the English rock band, Status Quo.Written by Francis Rossi and Bob Young and produced by Status Quo, "Down Down" was one of Status Quo's two number one singles in the UK Singles Chart so far...
". The single gave the band their only #1 hit to date. Its b-side was the Parfitt/Young album track "Nightride".
When the album was released in February 1975, the group were more or less at the peak of their career, record sales-wise. The album entered the chart at #1. All tracks were written or co-written by the group themselves, apart from "Bye Bye Johnny", which was originally a Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
song.
Track listing
- "Little Lady" (ParfittRick ParfittRichard John Parfitt, OBE is best known for being a singer and the rhythm guitarist in the English rock band Status Quo.-Career:...
) - 3:03 - "Most of the Time" (RossiFrancis RossiFrancis Dominic Nicholas Michael Rossi, OBE is a British musician best known for being a co-founder of the English rock band Status Quo, in which he sings lead vocals and plays lead guitar.- Career :...
/YoungBob Young (artist)Robert Keith Young is an English musician and author, who became famous for being the unofficial fifth member of the rock band Status Quo.- Collaborations with Status Quo :...
) - 3:22 - "I Saw the Light" (Rossi/Young) - 3:40
- "Over and Done" (LancasterAlan LancasterAlan Lancaster is a bassist and a founding ex-member of the English rock band, Status Quo...
) - 3:55 - "Nightride" (Parfitt/Young) - 3:54
- "Down DownDown Down"Down Down" is a popular song by the English rock band, Status Quo.Written by Francis Rossi and Bob Young and produced by Status Quo, "Down Down" was one of Status Quo's two number one singles in the UK Singles Chart so far...
" (Rossi/Young) - 5:25 - "Broken Man" (Lancaster) - 4:14
- "What to Do" (Rossi/Young) - 3:07
- "Where I Am" (Parfitt) - 2:45
- "Bye Bye Johnny" (BerryChuck BerryCharles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
) - 5:21
2005 reissue bonus tracks
- "Down Down [Single Version]" (Rossi/Young) - 3:50
- "Roll Over Lay Down [Live Version]" (Rossi/Parfitt/Lancaster/CoghlanJohn Coghlan (drummer)John Robert Coghlan was an original member of the English rock band, Status Quo.The son of a Glasgow-born father and a London born half-French mother, Coghlan grew up in Dulwich, and was educated at Kingsdale Comprehensive school until leaving school at 15 to begin an apprenticeship as a...
/Young) - 5:41 - "Gerdundula [Live VersionDog Of Two HeadDog of Two Head is a 1971 rock album by Status Quo released by Pye Records, their fourth studio album. At the time of recording, the band consisted of Francis Rossi, Rick Parfitt, Alan Lancaster and John Coghlan....
]" (ManstonFrancis RossiFrancis Dominic Nicholas Michael Rossi, OBE is a British musician best known for being a co-founder of the English rock band Status Quo, in which he sings lead vocals and plays lead guitar.- Career :...
/JamesBob Young (artist)Robert Keith Young is an English musician and author, who became famous for being the unofficial fifth member of the rock band Status Quo.- Collaborations with Status Quo :...
) - 2:35 - "Junior's Wailing [Live VersionMa Kelly's Greasy SpoonMa Kelly's Greasy Spoon is the third album by English rock band Status Quo. It was the first album by the band to leave behind their early psychedelic sound and begin experimenting with the hard rock style which remains their signature sound....
]" (White/Pugh) - 3:57 - "Roadhouse Blues [Live VersionRoadhouse Blues"Roadhouse Blues" is a blues-rock song written and recorded by the American rock band The Doors. The song, which appeared on the B-side of "You Make Me Real", was first released as a single from the album Morrison Hotel in March 1970 and peaked at #50 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100...
]" (MorrisonJim MorrisonJames Douglas "Jim" Morrison was an American musician, singer, and poet, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band The Doors...
/DensmoreJohn DensmoreJohn Paul Densmore is an American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the drummer of the rock group The Doors.-Early life and The Doors:Born in Los Angeles, Densmore attended Santa Monica City College and Cal...
/KriegerRobby KriegerRobert Alan "Robby" Krieger is an American rock guitarist and songwriter. He was the guitarist in The Doors, and wrote some of the band's best known songs, including "Light My Fire," "Love Me Two Times," "Touch Me," and "Love Her Madly."...
/ManzarekRay ManzarekRaymond Daniel Manzarek, Jr., better known as Ray Manzarek , is an American musician, singer, producer, film director, writer, co-founder and keyboardist of The Doors from 1965 to 1973, Nite City from 1977–1978 and Manzarek-Krieger since 2001.Manzarek is listed #4 on Digital Dreamdoor's "100...
) - 12:24
Chart positions
| Chart | Year | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
1975 | |
Personnel
- Francis RossiFrancis RossiFrancis Dominic Nicholas Michael Rossi, OBE is a British musician best known for being a co-founder of the English rock band Status Quo, in which he sings lead vocals and plays lead guitar.- Career :...
- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Rick ParfittRick ParfittRichard John Parfitt, OBE is best known for being a singer and the rhythm guitarist in the English rock band Status Quo.-Career:...
- guitar, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, vocals - Alan LancasterAlan LancasterAlan Lancaster is a bassist and a founding ex-member of the English rock band, Status Quo...
- bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, guitar, vocals - John CoghlanJohn Coghlan (drummer)John Robert Coghlan was an original member of the English rock band, Status Quo.The son of a Glasgow-born father and a London born half-French mother, Coghlan grew up in Dulwich, and was educated at Kingsdale Comprehensive school until leaving school at 15 to begin an apprenticeship as a...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....