The success of Rhino’s 1998 Nuggets boxset justified a follow-up. The sequel covers the rest of the world since the first volume only chronicled the USA.
Nuggets II: Original Artyfacts from the British Empire and Beyond, 1964–1969 emerged in 2001. It features music from countries such as Iceland, Uruguay, and Japan. I’m profiling and rating each of the 109 tracks, working backwards.
Track 75—Pictures of Matchstick Men by Status Quo
From: London, England
9
Credits
3/21. PICTURES OF MATCHSTICK MEN – The Status Quo (U.K.)
(Francis Rossi)
PERSONNEL/FRANCIS ROSSI: vocals, guitar * RICK PARFITT: guitar * ROD LYNES: organ * ALAN LANCASTER: bass * JOHN COGHLAN: drums
Produced by JOHN SCHROEDER
Recorded in London, England
Pye single #7N-17449 (1968)
Status Quo
Status Quo are one of the best-known bands on Nuggets. They’ve released over 100 singles, scoring 22 Top 10 hits and 35 additional Top 50 hits in the UK. Yet they make sense on Nuggets – unlike their later boogie-rock hits, the psychedelic ‘Pictures of Matchstick Men’ appeals to music nerds.
At decade’s end Quo traded in their velvet, paisley, and lace for blue jeans and transformed into the unkillable boogie-rock Leviathan they’re known as today–at least in Europe. Ironically, in the U.S.A. they’re still best known for this nasal psych-pop nugget.
Mike Stax, Nuggets II liner notes
The band spent much of the 1960s searching for a breakthrough. They formed as the Paladins at Sedgehill Comprehensive School in 1962. At one point, they were named Traffic, but had to cede the name to Steve Winwood’s band.
Pictures of Matchstick Men
Rick Rossi wrote ‘Pictures of Matchstick Men’ on the toilet, the place in his house where he could find peace and quiet.
I wrote it on the bog. I’d gone there, not for the usual reasons… but to get away from the wife and mother-in-law. I used to go into this narrow frizzing toilet and sit there for hours, until they finally went out. I got three quarters of the song finished in that khazi. The rest I finished in the lounge.
L. S. Lowry’s artwork inspired ‘Pictures of Matchstick Men’. Lowry was known for his stylised artworks, where his people cast no shadows.
‘Pictures of Matchstick Men’ is a psychedelic classic. It’s notable for its use of flange, a recording technique that mixes two identical recordings, with one recording slightly delayed. In the 1970s, a flange guitar pedal became available, but in the 1960s, studio engineers created the effect.
The Aftermath
The Status Quo’s second single flopped, even though it’s similarly excellent.
The band simplified their name (becoming just Status Quo) and their sound.
Meanwhile, Camper Van Beethoven topped the US Modern Rock tracks chart in 1989 with their cover of ‘Pictures of Matchstick Men’.
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For a change, “Pictures of Matchstick Men” is a Nuggets song I recognized right away. While it’s very different and arguably more sophisticated than Status Quo’s fun three chord boogie rock, I’ve always loved it. “Back Veils of Melancholy” was new to me, and I have to agree it sounds pretty good as well. Camper Van Beethoven’s cover is also pretty neat. The use of the violin is a clever idea and works very well.
Yup, might be the only song from Nuggets II that I’ve heard on the radio. I like Camper Van Beethoven’s Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart a lot.
I never knew of this psychedelic side to Status Quo, interesting.
It’s their only hit song in the US. Lots of hits in the UK though.
I remember this song and liked it a lot.
Yup, a psychedelic classic!
I love this song… now I’m getting into a lot of their UK hits. This one is a definite marker in time.
I’ve never warmed much to the later stuff – any favourites?
One of their earlier songs I like is Ice In The Sun….during their later period I like Down, Down and their version of Rockin’ All Over the World is pretty good as well.