Status Quo are still going strong today. They may be better-known for their heads-down, no-nonsense, mindless boogie but they had their roots in the mid to late 1960s where they created a wonderful piece of British psychedelia with the single Pictures of Matchstick Men. This reached number 7 in the UK and number 12 in the US.

The album failed to make the charts. Indeed, Status Quo did not reach the album charts until 1973's Piledriver. However, a listen to Picturesque Matchstickable Messages from the Staus Quo shows that this is a very good album, albeit a mix of covers of reworked versions of the hit single. The CD re-release contains both stereo and mono versions of the album as well as BBC session tracks and interviews from Status Quo and the two earlier, though seemingly identical, Spectres and Traffic Jam. As such, this is an excellent document of the early development of Status Quo.

The success of the band led to the first album. Picturesque Matchstickable Messages from the Status Quo really carried on where the first single had left off. Starting with the second single Black Veils of Melancholy the album has a very similar feel to the single. Melancholy does sound very similar to the first single, particularly the lead guitar sound. The third single Ice in the Sun retains the lead guitar sound but takes the Status Quo forward with another highly commercial track.

There are a number of outstanding album tracks such as Paradise Flat, Sunny Cellophane Skies and When My Mind is Not Live.

There are a number of cover versions on the album. The Bee Gees' Spicks & Specks is available in three versions: the album version, a BBC session version and a BBC version as Traffic Jam. Also on the album is the Lemon Pipers' Green Tambourine. The session tracks include a Spectres and Status Quo version of Van Morrison's Gloria and I (Who Have Nothing) that is probably better associated with Shirley Bassey. Judy in Disguise is a Status Quo session track that is a cover of John Fred & His Playboy Bands' classic.

I Don't Want You is a BBC session Traffic Jam number only. This is a very strong track that has organ to the fore rather than guitar.

Release Date: September 1968

CD release: 2003

Castle CMEDD 718

Essential Tracks:

• Pictures of Matchstick Men
• Ice in the Sun
• Paradise Flat

Track Listing:

Disc One Mono LP

1. Black Veils of Melancholy
2. When My Mind is Not Live
3. Ice in the Sun
4. Elizabeth Dreams
5. Gentleman Joe's Sidewalk Cafe
6. Paradise Flat
7. Technicolour Dreams
8. Sheila
9. Spicks & Specks
10. Sunny Cellophane Skies
11. Green Tambourine
12. Pictures of Matchstick Men
13. To Be Free (Bonus track)
14. Make Me Stay a Bit Longer (Bonus track)
15. Auntie Nellie (Bonus track)

BBC Sessions

1. Interview with Brian Matthew
2. Pictures of Matchstick Men
3. Things Get Better
4. Spicks & Specks
5. Judy in Disguise
6. Interview
7. Make Me Stay a Bit Longer

Disc Two Stereo LP

1. Black Veils of Melancholy
2. When My Mind is Not Live
3. Ice in the Sun
4. Elizabeth Dreams
5. Gentleman Joe's Sidewalk Cafe
6. Paradise Flat
7. Technicolour Dreams
8. Sheila
9. Spicks & Specks
10. Sunny Cellophane Skies
11. Green Tambourine
12. Pictures of Matchstick Men
13. Auntie Nellie (Bonus track)

BBC Sessions

1. Gloria (The Spectres)
2. Interview with Francis Rossi
3. I (Who Have Nothing) (The Spectres)
4. Neighbour, Neighbour (The Spectres)
5. I Don't Want You (Traffic Jam)
6. Almost But Not Quite There (Traffic Jam)
7. Spicks & Specks (Traffic Jam)
8. Gloria (Status Quo)
9. Interview with Alan Lancaster
10. Black Veils of Melancholy (Status Quo)
11. Bloodhound (Status Quo)