Spare Parts

Following the wake of Picturesque Machstickable Messages From the Status Quo, Spare Parts tries to imitate the psychedelic sound that was so fashionable at the time. The disc is known for being one of the less-fortunate made by the British band, and they have even despised it on some occasions. In fact, 1969 was going to be the most dismal year in the story of Status Quo. Urged by Pye's request to reach the charts at any rate, the songs in the record reflect the band's frustrated attempts to please the company. The result is an irregular album that does not reach the imaginative sound of their earlier songs nor the brightness of their subsequent records. Beyond that, a friendly and deep listening reveals that Spare Parts is an underrated effort in some aspects. Some songs of their own -- like "Nothing at All," "So Ends Another Life," or even "Little Miss Nothing" -- and some borrowed compositions -- like "Are You Growing Tired of My Love?" (which scraped the Top 50 on the British charts) and "Mister Mind Detector" -- sound really inventive and they work as an excellent reflection of how pop music was trying to develop itself during those years. Although it could sound a little bit dated later on, Spare Parts deserved more attention than people were willing to afford it when it was released. This one was also their last record in which keyboardist Roy Lynes performed as an active member. A few months after Spare Parts was released, Status Quo initiated their metamorphosis toward the boogie rock that would make them rich and famous later on. ~ Robert Aniento