Band : Status Quo
Album title : In The Army Now (2010)
Label : Edel
Distributor : V2
Release date : 29/09/2010
Release : CD

No...this ain't no re-issue of the 1986 album, but the band did make a reworked version of the album's title track (the band is actually very supportive of the British Military) with the aid of the Corps Of Army Music Choir...and originally that was released as a 5-track single on Sept. 29 of last, the 4 remaining songs (“Caroline”, Whatever You Want”, and 2 versions of “In The Army Now”) from live recordings. Apparently, all proceeds from the sales of these releases are to go to the worthwhile causes of the Help For Heroes and British Forces Foundation organisations.

This mini-album version has a different track-list. Besides the 2010 version of the title track, you get a radio edit of same, plus the songs “Caroline” and “Whatever You Want” as on the original single...but the're nó 3rd version of the title track, and in stead you get further live versions of “Beginning Of The End”, “Down Down”, “Burning Bridges”, “I Ain't Waisting My Time” (oh wait, that's a studio version, that), and “One By One” (and so's this one...quite acoustic too). Say, now I'm getting it: the 3rd version of the title track must've been the video, of course!

Personally, I have no love or hate for the British Military, although it's my conviction that they aid in keeping up a “status quo” situation which harkens back to days when landlords were absolute masters over life and death of their lower classes (a situation which the clerical part of the Christian Religion – not talking about the faith, which is quite alright when you're not being fanatic about it! – aided considerably to establish and uphold)...but this is about music, and as far as the music is concerned, this is a very nice release. And then there's the two new studio songs, of course. As far as the live staples go, you can find those on most of the band's live albums...or will certainly find them in the set-list of the band's European tour which starts on October 9 in Annecy, France (us Belgians are left out, and the closest gig in the tour would be at Amsterdam's Heineken Music Hall on October 19).

Please allow me not to rate this...I've been a fan of this band since I first heard 'em on the Nationale Hitparade, back in the early '70s (and yeah, I knów that's a Dutch program, but us Belgians never had ourselves a decent music program n the telly, did we?)

Tony.