“Drifting Away” (1974) – Status Quo * Written by Alan Lancaster and Rick Parfitt * 45: “Mystery Song” / “Drifting Away” * LP: Quo * Produced by Status Quo * Label: Vertigo (UK)/A&M (US)
The post-“Pictures of Matchstick Men” incarnation of Status Quo distinguished itself through a deep commitment to shallow boogie rock. (They’re perhaps the closest likely role models for Spinal Tap’s fictional trajectory). “Drifting Away,” though, appearing as the last song on side A of their 1974 Quo album, moves along with both characteristic insistence and uncharacteristic ease, drifting through the listener’s head long after the fadeout.