On the Level



On the Level is the eighth studio album of English rock band Status Quo. It features Francis Rossi, Richard Parfitt, Alan Lancaster and John Coghlan. The album's cover art features band members in an Ames room, and on the original vinyl release, the inner gatefold sleeve consisted of informal photos members of the group had taken of each other.

In November 1974 the band released the only single from the album, an edited version of a Rossi/Young song entitled "Down Down". The single gave the band their only #1 hit to date. Its b-side was the Parfitt/Young album track "Nightride".

When the album was released in February 1975, the group were more or less at the peak of their career, record sales-wise. The album entered the chart at #1. All tracks were written or co-written by the group and long-term collaborator Bob Young, apart from "Bye Bye Johnny", which was a Chuck Berry composition.

2005 reissue bonus tracks

 * 1) "Down Down" [Single Version] (Rossi, Young) — 3:50
 * 2) "Roll Over Lay Down" [Live Version] (Rossi, Parfitt, Lancaster, Coghlan, Young) — 5:41
 * 3) "Gerdundula" [Live Version] (Manston, James) — 2:35
 * 4) "Junior's Wailing" [Live Version] (White, Pugh) — 3:57
 * 5) "Roadhouse Blues" [Live Version] (Jim Morrison, John Densmore, Robby Krieger, Ray Manzarek) — 12:24

Personnel

 * Francis Rossi — guitar, vocals
 * Rick Parfitt — guitar, keyboards, vocals
 * Alan Lancaster — bass, guitar, vocals
 * John Coghlan — drums