Francis Rossi - 'The Accidental'

Rock Metal Machine
2 hours ago
2 min read

Unplanned… maybe; however, this is a stunning showcase for one of the UK’s most beloved songwriters – Rossi’s best non-Quo album to date.

The frontman of Status Quo has nothing to prove. He has penned countless UK hits, been active in the business since the sixties, and explored his penchant for melody, Country, Pop and Rock with his solo releases. However, with his newest effort ‘The Accidental’, Rossi has brought his guitar back to the fore, on what is a great Rock album.

Working with his son’s schoolfriend Hiran Ilangantilike, the pair began writing, with no plan of what to do with the songs. However, the sessions went so well, they inspired Rossi to keep going, and end up with an unplanned record, hence the title. Opener ‘Much Better’ has a strong guitar line and infectious chorus, while the jaunty ‘Go Man Go’ could be a latter-day Quo track. ‘Push Comes To Shove’ keeps the tempo up and weaves in another textbook Rossi chorus, while the Bob Young co-write ‘Back On Our Home Ground’ allows Rossi to show his guitar chops on a Blues workout.

Guitarist Andy Brook, who accompanied Rossi on his ‘Tunes And Chat’ and ‘Songbook’ acoustic tours, co-wrote ‘Dead Of Night’, a fun Pop/Rock number which shows Rossi is a master of melody, while ‘Going Home’ is possibly the biggest departure – written by Emlyn Price and actor Michael Kitchen, Rossi heard the demo and couldn’t get it out of his head. In fairness, the same happened to me… it’s a real earworm.

‘Bye My Love’, another Bob Young co-write, could be a Quo song, and ‘Something In The Air (Stormy Weather)’ is a great foot tapper, and shows Rossi trying his hand at something different… with great effect. The aforementioned Brook, who also plays on, engineers and co-produces the album, also co-wrote ‘Picture Perfect’, a fitting Rossi solo song – upbeat, melodious and catchy.

‘November Again’ dances along on a throbbing bassline, and ‘Things Will Get Better’ marries an optimistic lyric with an uncharacteristic, but effective vocal and relentless rhythm from Quo’s John “Rhino” Edwards and Leon Cave. ‘Oh So Good’ is exactly that, greeting you like an old friend, with ‘Beautiful World’ meshing a Quo feel with Rossi’s knack for a memorable hook. The album rounds out with the sole ballad, the piano driven ‘Time To Remember’, which ends the record with a lovely, warm feeling.

Unplanned… maybe; however, this is a stunning showcase for one of the UK’s most beloved songwriters – Rossi’s best non-Quo album to date.