''Piledriver'' is the fifth studio album by the English rock band

Status Quo is a Latin phrase meaning the existing state of affairs, particularly with regard to social, political, religious or military issues. In the sociological sense, the ''status quo'' refers to the current state of social structure and/or values. ...

, released in 1972. It was the first to be produced by the group themselves, and their first on the

Vertigo Vertigo is a condition where a person has the sensation of movement or of surrounding objects moving when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. This may be associated with nausea, vomiting, sweating, or difficulties w ...

label. It peaked at number five in the UK and included several favourites that would be featured frequently in live concerts.

Background

The album was the first one the group recorded after they had switched labels from Pye to

Vertigo Records Vertigo Records is a record company with United Kingdom origins. It was a subsidiary of the Philips/Phonogram record label, launched in 1969 to specialise in progressive rock and other non-mainstream musical styles. Today, it is operated by Uni ...

. When recording for Pye, the studio staff had complained about the volume as it would overload the input levels on the recording desk and distort, but for ''Piledriver'', they could bring their touring gear into

IBC Studios The IBC Recording Studios were independent recording studios located at 35 Portland Place in London, England. In the 1960s and 1970s, the studios become internationally famous after being used by recording artists like the Kinks, the Who, Bee Gee ...

and record live at stage levels, giving them a much stronger sound.

Songs

The opening song, "Don't Waste My Time" was written by Francis Rossi and Bob Young in the soon-to-be trademark shuffle style the group would become famous for. The lyrics complain about a girl not being serious about a relationship and messing around. The song became a live favourite, and frequently got audiences bouncing around at gigs. "Paper Plane" was written by Rossi and Young; the lyrics included a reference to the Mercedes-Benz 600 used by the band, which they called a "three grand Deutsche car". It was the album's only single, with the B-side "Softer Ride" (written by Rick Parfitt and Alan Lancaster), was to become the first in a sequence of thirty-three Top 40 hits on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

when it peaked at #8 after its release in November 1972. The B-side would later be incorporated into the band's following album, ''

Hello! ''Hello'' is a salutation or greeting in the English language. It is first attested in writing from 1826. Early uses ''Hello'', with that spelling, was used in publications in the U.S. as early as the 18 October 1826 edition of the ''Norwich ...

'', released the following year. The group heard

the Doors The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most controversial and influential rock acts ...

' "

Roadhouse Blues "Roadhouse Blues" is a song by the American rock band the Doors from their 1970 album '' Morrison Hotel''. It was released as the B-side of "You Make Me Real", which peaked at No. 50 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100. "Roadhouse Blues" charted ...

" while touring

Bielefeld Bielefeld () is a city in the Ostwestfalen-Lippe Region in the north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population of 341,755, it is also the most populous city in the administrative region (''Regierungsbezirk'') of Detmold and the ...

, Germany, in 1970, and enjoyed its 12-bar shuffle, using it as a template for other songs. The group's arrangement was longer than the original, featuring another verse and three-part harmony vocals.

Packaging

The front cover showed a live shot of the band in their classic "heads down, no-nonsense boogie" mode. It was the first album to credit Francis Rossi under his real name; when signed to Pye he had been called "Mike".

Reception

The album was released in December the same year, and reached the highest position of #5 in the UK charts, spending 37 weeks there. In a retrospective review,

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

applauded the album as both crowd-pleasing and moderately ambitious, commenting that "Despite the name, most of the music on Piledriver is varied and subtle enough to be interesting." They particularly praised "A Year" and "Big Fat Mama". ''

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the crea ...

'' critic

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...

asserted that the band had no decent singer or guitarist, and criticized their attempts at ballads and blues as "boring".

Track listing

Details are taken from the

credits.

1990 bonus track

# "Joanne" (Lancaster) (B-side of "Caroline") – 4:11 # "Lonely Night" (Lancaster, Young, Rossi, John Coghlan, Parfitt) (B-Side of "Break the Rules") – 3:16

2005 reissue bonus track

# "Don't Waste My Time" ive Version(Rossi, Young)

2014 reissue bonus track CD

# "Don't Waste My Time" BC Sounds of the Seventies 1972– 4:24 Live # "Oh Baby" BC Sounds of the Seventies 1972– 4:25 Live # "Unspoken Words" BC Sounds of the Seventies 1972– 5:06 Live # "Paper Plane" BC Sounds of the Seventies 1972– 2:59 Live # "Softer Ride" BC Sounds of the Seventies 1972(Parfitt, Lancaster) – 4:03 Live # "Paper Plane"

ohn Peel Session 1973 Ohn is a Burmese name, used by people from Myanmar. Notable people with the name include: * Daw Ohn (1913–2003), Burmese professor in Pali * Ohn Gyaw (born 1932), Burmese Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1991 to 1998 * Ohn Kyaing (born 1944), Bur ...

– 2:57 Live # "Don't Waste My Time"

Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the " Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and developed rhythm and blues into th ...

) – 5:14 Live

Personnel

Status Quo *

Francis Rossi Francis Dominic Nicholas Michael Rossi, (born 29 May 1949) is an English musician, singer and songwriter. He is the co-founder, lead singer, lead guitarist and the sole continuous member of the rock band Status Quo. Early life Rossi was born o ...

– guitar, vocals *

Rick Parfitt Richard John Parfitt, (12 October 1948 24 December 2016) was an English musician, best known as a singer, songwriter and rhythm guitarist with rock band Status Quo. Parfitt began his career in the early 1960s, playing in pubs and holiday cam ...

– guitar, piano, organ, vocals *

Alan Lancaster Alan Charles Lancaster (7 February 1949 – 26 September 2021) was an English musician, best known as a founding member and bassist of the rock band Status Quo, playing with the band from 1967 to 1985, with brief reunions in 2013 and 2014. As ...

– bass, 12 string acoustic guitar, vocals * John Coghlan – drums, percussion Additional musicians * Bob Young –

harmonica The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica inclu ...

on "Roadhouse Blues" * Jimmy Horowitz – piano on "Roadhouse Blues"

Charts

Certifications

References

Citations Sources * * {{Authority control 1972 albums A&M Records albums Status Quo (band) albums Vertigo Records albums Albums recorded at IBC Studios