Status Quo are delighted to announce the release of deluxe reissues of the ‘Heavy Traffic’ [3CD] and ‘Riffs’ [2CD] albums through UMC on 30 September 2022.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of ‘Heavy Traffic’ which was the band’s milestone 25th album. This collection marked the rekindling of the writing partnership of Francis Rossi and Bob Young, who between them of course penned many of the band’s classics. Francis described the process of recording these songs as akin to having “a new lease of life”, whilst the band felt at the time that the new album heralded, in the words of the late great Rick Parfitt, “a whole new era”. These albums also featured longstanding members Andy Bown and John ‘Rhino’ Edwards and were the first with Matt Letley, the band’s drummer between 2000 and 2013.

‘Heavy Traffic’ was very well-received upon release and gave the band a Top 20 chart hit in September of 2002. The album featured tracks such as the single ‘Jam Side Down’ for which the band filmed a truly epic video on the legendary HMS Ark Royal, as well as live favourites ‘All Stand Up’ and ‘Creepin Up on You’. This 3CD set features 2 bonus discs of bonus material with studio demoes, live performances and B-sides.

Hot on the heels of ‘Heavy Traffic’ came the ‘Riffs’ album in 2003. The album featured the band covering ten of their all-time favourite tracks, and it includes Quo versions of ‘I Fought The Law’, ‘Born To Be Wild’, ‘Takin’ Care Of Business’, ‘All Day And All Of The Night’ and more. On top of that, there were newly minted recordings of five of the band’s own most reliable crowd favourites; ‘Caroline’, ‘Junior’s Wailing’, Down The Dustpipe’, ‘Whatever You Want’ and ‘Rockin’ All Over the World’.

Both these deluxe editions come bolstered with an enhanced booklet containing new interviews with Francis Rossi and members of the band by Classic Rock’s Dave Ling, in which they discuss the making of each album.

The release of ‘Heavy Traffic’ did indeed herald something of a new chapter for the band. After the release of ‘Riffs’ the newly-invigorated band would go on to release a further seven well-regarded studio albums, giving the band two Top 20 hits in 2005 and 2007, followed by a run of five Top Ten albums!