Status Quo have issued a lyric video for And It’s Better Now.
The track originally featured on Hello, the band’s sixth album in 1973. It now appears along with 24 other Quo classics on upcoming acoustic album Aquostic (Stripped Bare).
And mainman Rick Parfitt, who has recovered following heart surgery in August, exclusively told Classic Rock that fans will be “taken aback” when they hear what they’ve done to some of their best-loved tracks.
He said: “The new arrangements of most of these songs are vastly different to the ones Quo fans will already know. People will be taken aback, and pleasantly so.”
Frontman Francis Rossi also revealed he initially wasn’t keen on re-recording the tracks, but changed his mind after hearing an early acoustic demo of And It’s Better Now.
He said: “It made me think, ‘Wow!’ I went from not wanting to be involved to really, really liking it. I’ve always liked Paper Plane, for example, but what we’ve done with it is really fucking nice. The new version of All The Reasons is as good as the original, or better. The same with Rain, which I really didn’t think would work in such a format.
“It’s a really fucking great record.”
Quo head out on an a UK tour in December, and have hinted they’ll consider playing acoustic dates to support the new album in 2015.
Parfitt said: “Let’s eat an elephant, as they say – one bite at a time. We’ll gauge the response and see what happens.”
Aquostic (Stripped Bare) launches on October 20 via Warner Bros and will be available on CD, double gatefold vinyl, box set and digitally.
UK tour dates
Dec 06: Liverpool Echo Arena
Dec 07: Glasgow SSE Hydro
Dec 08: Newcastle Arena
Dec 10: Leeds Arena
Dec 11: Nottingham Arena
Dec 13: Birmingham NIA
Dec 15: Plymouth Pavs
Dec 16: Cardiff Arena
Dec 18: Bournemouth BIC
Dec 19: London O2 Arena
Dec 20: Brighton Centre
Aquostic (Stripped Bare) tracklist
Pictures Of Matchstick Men
Down The Dustpipe
Nanana
Paper Plane
All The Reasons
Reason For Living
And It’s Better Now
Caroline
Softer Ride
Claudie
Break The Rules
Down Down
Little Lady
Mystery Song
Rain
Rockin’ All Over The World
Again and Again
Whatever You Want
What You’re Proposin
Rock N’ Roll
Don’t Drive My Car
Marguerita Time
Rollin’ Home
Burning Bridges
Rock ’Til You Drop
