'Ain't no room for a Kosher cowboy
in a town like New Orleans...'
in a town like New Orleans...'
When I was a kid growing up in the late 70s, I used to comb through discount record bins to find stuff not heard on Aerosmith/Supertramp-dominated FM radio of the day. And I often took a chance on something unknown, even just based on the cover art if the price was right- like $.99 back then in olden times. But I often came-across various LPs by British boogie-rockers Status Quo in those bargain-bins and thinking "who the hell is this... and why are their records always being dumped by the dozens?"
Never did buy them, perhaps spooked by the daunting oversupply I'd witnessed... but that's not without regret: years later I came to realize they were the band who did 1967's US/UK psychedelic-rock hit 'Pictures of Matchstick Men'- their only Top 40 hit in the States. Yet while in my mind they were has-been one hit wonders, Status Quo's true genius -and massive commercial success in the UK- came only after they switched from then-trendy psychedelic style to a more earthy, blues-based boogie rock in the vain of Canned Heat and early Humble Pie as the 1970s rock era dawned.
Once I got myself acquainted with their mega-hits in the UK i.e. "Paper Plane" (1972), "Caroline" (1973), "Down Down" (1975), "Rain" (1976), "Rockin' All Over the World" (cover of John Fogherty/1977) and "Whatever You Want" (1979), I would say without qualification that Status Quo is the finest English rock band to never make it commercially in the US. And that's hard for me to understand, as imo they absolutely kick ass... any rock fan owes it to themselves to check 'em out.
And as you might suppose, these guys are brilliant live... the two guitarists really are something else. Status Quo actually continue to tour up to the present day with both original frontmen, and the band has sold over 118M (!) records- their 60 UK chart hits unparalleled by any other group in history... any... ever:
Status Quo: Down the Dustpipe - 1970
Heading down the back turnpike, signposts are pointing west
Fell into the lonely dustpipe, hope my pickup can stand the test
But I'm doing all right now
Rolling down to the pipe now
Rolling down the dustpipe now, got a ten dollar bill in my jeans
Ain't no room for a kosher cowboy in a town like New Orleans
But I'm doing all right now
Rolling down the dustpipe
Guess I didn't make it in the city,
but that's just the way that it goes
but that's just the way that it goes
Lotta lunatics, crazy ghostmen, baby,
don't like the shape of my nose
don't like the shape of my nose
But I'm doing all right now
Rolling down the dustpipe
Rolling down the dustpipe now, got a ten dollar bill in my jeans
Ain't no room for a kosher cowboy in a town like New Orleans
But I'm doing all right now
Rolling down the dustpipe
Rolling down the dustpipe now, got a ten dollar bill in my jeans
Ain't no room for a kosher cowboy in a town like New Orleans
But I'm doing all right now.....