After releasing the last original album in 1993, Quireboys was on hiatus till "This is Rock N Roll" was released in spring 2001. "Well Oiled" only marks the fourth studio album from Quireboys and the recipe is the vintage one. Guitars, bass, drums and piano added with a charismatic Rock 'n' Roll voice and lots of Whiskey dust.
The trefoil
Spike, Nigel Mogg and Guy
Griffin are the only remaining original members. They are joined by Keith Weir, who also played on the fantastic live album "100 % Live 2002" and newcomers guitarist Paul Guerin and drummer Pip.
It obvious that Quireboys love Rock 'n' Roll and in my book the name Quireboys magnetizes whiskey, women and Rock 'n' Roll. Even though it's hard to find a niche in the traditional Rock 'n' Roll, Quireboys have succeeded in playing the style that is true to their hearts - and without exaggeration they are doing a pretty good job. Quireboys never tried to surpass their inspirations and classic Rock 'n' Roll bands, that clearly have inspired
Spike and the lads.
Album opener and first single
Good To See You is a straight Rocker following the vein of the last studio album "This is Rock 'n' Roll".
The Finer Stuff opens with a really cool organ playing the intro after which the guitar takes over. The riff is very
AC/DC like and so is the sound of the guitars. Guy
Griffin almost acts as Angus Young imitator on the solo. A good rocking song with a splendid melodic chorus.
Alright -
Lorraine Lorraine is the third rocker in a row.
Spike digs out the harmonica, Keith Weir is in the background on the rustic bar piano and overall the song proves Quireboys' strength - namely to make it rock and roll.
Too Familiar is a beautiful ballad. The guitar-work by Guy
Griffin and Paul Guerin is excellent and creates lots of emotion to
Spike's soulful vocals.
Spike's vocals have a special emotion that always makes Quireboys' ballads breathtaking, compare
I don't Love You anymore and
I Take No Revenge.
Too Familiar is not up there yet with the above mentioned ballads, but it certainly keeps growing.
The energy riff in
You've Got A Nerve reminds a bit of the title track from
This is Rock 'n' Roll.
You've Got A Nerve has some rocking beats. It also has the use of a twang guitar sound exemplified in second verse with the lyrics "
Stop telling your friends we're together again".
Who said Rock 'n' Roll was science? - A simple riff, great lead guitar, bombastic sound along with great chorus build on a classic Rock 'n' Roll riff is the recipe to
What's Your Name. It's plain, but a great song that Quireboys make rock big time.
Sweet As The Rain is a beautiful half-ballad with a great chorus. The riff is very in your face melodic and keeps you humming this song. Nigel Mogg lays a solid foundation again backed by Keith Weir, who adds emotion playing the organ.
Sweet as the Rain is definitely among album highlights and
Spike's hoarse voice sounds better than ever.
The Last Fence is a no-bullshit up-tempo rocker with a bluesy harmonica.
Spike reminds everyone of what the old song says; nothing hurts like the truth.
The album closes on a very positive note with the amazing
Black Mariah. The 6-minute song is a borderline case of typical Quireboys. There is something about the song that keeps attracting the listener's attention to the atmosphere of the song and the great chorus with female backing singers. The song builds up to the chorus with a great riff played repeatedly but with change of key.
Overall "Well Oiled" is a consistent and great album from Quireboys. These songs blend in perfectly with Quireboys' back-catalogue and on "Well Oiled" the piano and especially the organ is accentuated. Keith Weir really adds his flavor to the album just like Chris Johnstone on earlier albums. The album is smooth with plenty of favorites including
Black Mariah, The finer Stuff, What's Your Name, Lorraine Lorraine and Sweet as the Rain as my preferred tracks. Nevertheless, "Well Oiled" lacks smashing standout tracks like
7 o'clock and
I don't Love You anymore.
Spike is an amazing singer and when hearing his voice you are in no doubt that he breathes Rock 'n' Roll 24 hours a day. The sound on the album is a bit dark and the featured 9 tracks only add up to a playing time of 40 minutes. However, Quireboys focus on quality rather than quantity.
The title sums the essence of the album up. Quireboys is a well-oiled machine that once again produced a great classic Rock album, which never goes out of fashion.
Written by
Michael Monday, July 5, 2004
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