How time flies! It barely seems like a moment since we put up our review of “The Accidental” in January 2026, which proved a success for Rossi, reaching No. 5 on both the Official UK CD Album Chart and the Independent Album Chart.
This is one busy artist at the moment, too. Rossi embarks on a UK tour between September and November 2026 and, between March and May 2027, will also be welcoming audiences to his Quo Song Book – Past, Present, Future tour. All tour dates and further information can be found via the artist’s website linked at the end of this article.
Press Release:
“The Way We Were Vol. 2″ shines a light on the songwriting partnership of Francis Rossi and longtime collaborator Bob Young. Five of the 17 recordings have never been heard outside the studio. Others would later appear on Status Quo’s “Heavy Traffic” (2002), “The Party Ain’t Over Yet” (2005), “In Search Of The Fourth Chord” (2007), and “Quid Pro Quo” (2011), Francis Rossi’s solo album “One Step At A Time” (2010), and the Rossi/Rickard release “We Talk Too Much” (2019). Released today alongside the album announcement, “My Little Heartbreaker” is the original demo of the song later released on “In Search Of The Fourth Chord.” Captured at the point of creation, these recordings preserve Rossi’s original arrangements, lyrics, and melodies before they evolved into the finished recordings familiar to Francis Rossi and Status Quo audiences.
Francis Rossi says, “Some ideas, sketches, and demos just don’t survive long enough to become something that could be finished off effectively—and the reasons are not always good ones. I could listen to this for hours, and I need to find out if other people feel the same. That’s why I am putting this album series out there. There’s something that I tell any of the musicians that I work with, even those of my kids who record things: once you write a song, it exists and it will always be there.”
My Review
Released on September 25, 2026, The Way We Were Volume 2 is available on the major streaming platforms as well as on physical CDs.
As many of these songs appeared later in various forms on Quo albums, I am not individually pointing readers towards each subsequent release. Instead, I am reviewing each track as it appears here, mindful that these are unfinished demos. What matters for this review is the listening experience of these versions, rather than an analysis of how each song eventually developed into the finished recordings known to Quo fans.
“My Little Heartbreaker” takes me back immediately to the early days of Status Quo, nodding towards the late sixties. Quo fans will have no doubt heard the finished track, but this version has that appealing ‘not quite polished’ feel while retaining a fun jukebox groove. There is almost a sense of something being put on while the Only Fools and Horses gang are sitting in the pub!
“I Cried” has a neat chorus and bass beat. I found myself wanting things to be a little sharper on the production side, but as a demo it is an interesting working version of a track that clearly has possibilities. There is a bluesy riff here and enough character to keep things moving.
“I Ain’t Ready” delivers a guitar sound that quickly has you tapping your foot. Like the early openers, it has plenty to offer the Quo fan base and is one I could imagine working well live. One of the pleasures of dipping into this collection is hearing musicians who are clearly comfortable with what they do and enjoying the process of putting these songs together.
“Never Say Never” is a little paint-by-numbers, with something of a “Roll Over Lay Down” feel about it. You can bounce along to it, and the chorus is catchy enough, while the 4:18 running time allows room for a lengthy instrumental section in the middle.
“The Winner”—”When you are a winner, you know you can do it all over again”—sings Rossi in this pop-rocker with its sing-along chorus. It is an interesting curio for Quo fans hungry for more material to explore.
“I’m Watching Over You” moves into “Whatever You Want” territory, with that distinctive Quo beat and sound. It has a neat backbeat and rhythm and feels very much at home within Rossi’s musical language.
“Walk In The Sun” was one I particularly liked. It almost infuses a little country into its bluesy rock feeling and was the track I connected with most strongly so far. I should point out that while I like Quo and have a couple of their albums, I am not a massive fan with an encyclopedic knowledge of the band’s catalogue. Even so, this has a solid radio feel, despite being presented here in demo form.
“Crazy For You” — “Back in Town Again”—sings Rossi as he searches for the special one. There is more than a little rock ’n’ roll here, with a repeated riff and a foot-tapping chorus that keeps the track moving.
“Heavy Traffic” can slow us down, but we keep on rolling! This is another open-road number—preferably enjoyed from the cab of a lorry—with that uncomplicated rock ’n’ roll feel. It almost belongs to the cassette era, when you could imagine playing a few tracks like this on a long journey. A few, perhaps, but not necessarily all night!
“Diggin’ Burt Bacharach”—I remember sharing a university flat with a lad who had a Burt Bacharach tape, and perhaps the title helped, but this was another track that caught my attention. Coming in at just 2:34, it is a nippy little number with plenty of energy. The guitar works particularly well throughout, and, importantly, it doesn’t overstay its welcome.
“You Let Me Down” is the longest track on the album at 5:04. It has a more laid-back, roll-along feeling and consequently feels rather more intimate. By no means a ballad, it has a stripped-back quality, with the drums more prominent in the mix. It sounds like a track being worked on—which, of course, is precisely what it is.
“If You Believe (Alternate Demo)” came and went a little more quietly for me. Positioned quite late in the album, it didn’t quite demand my attention in the same way as some of the earlier tracks, although there are some enjoyable harmony touches between the vocals and guitar.
“Sinking In Blue” caught me more readily. This easy-going soft-rock number has a real sense of community about it. I could imagine it playing in the background while a few friends meet socially at home. Again, though, this is a raw version, and the unfinished nature of the recording is very much part of the listening experience.
“Syncopated” is an instrumental running to 4:46, giving the music plenty of time to breathe and change direction. Arriving in the latter section of the album, it provides a welcome musical doorway into the final tracks.
“Little By Little” returns to the energy of the seventies Quo. The vocals are somewhat clouded by the demo recording, and this is clearly a track that would benefit from further work, but the riff is enjoyable and the beat is easy to get into.
“Tallulah’s Waiting (Alternate Demo)” has a great drum beat and rhythm, although once again the vocals are somewhat lost in the mix. It reminded me a little of “Rain”, with a similar atmospheric feeling running through it.
“Everybody Wants To Get High (Instrumental)” brings the album to a close. This previously unheard demo is an enjoyable pop-rock instrumental and provides a suitably energetic final note.
The Verdict
The Way We Were Volume 2 is perhaps best approached not as a conventional new Francis Rossi album, but as an invitation into the songwriting room. These are sketches, working versions, and unfinished recordings, and their appeal lies partly in hearing songs before they became the polished recordings that Quo audiences would eventually know.
There are tracks here that will immediately appeal to the committed Quo fan, while others are more intriguing as pieces of the creative process. For the casual listener, the rough edges and similarities in musical territory may make this a collection to dip into rather than devour in one sitting. But that is perhaps missing the point.
Rossi has opened the archive door and allowed us to hear the songs while they were still finding their feet. Sometimes the magic is in the finished recording; sometimes it is in hearing how that recording began. For Quo fans, The Way We Were Volume 2 offers plenty of the latter.
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You can Stream music from Francis Rossi here
By Anna-Louise Burgess
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