First of all, it needs to be pointed out that this recording is not the 1972 classic by Ian Hunter and the boys, nor the Mott the Hoople three-CD box set released in 1998 both entitled All the Young Dudes. Rather, this is a collection of popular Mott songs like "Honaloochie Boogie," "All the Way From Memphis" and "Roll Away the Stone" re-recorded with anonymous personnel posing as Mott the Hoople (without authorization) coupled with five original tracks penned by Gerry Chapman and ex-Animal Danny McCulloch. It has been reported that those two individuals are at the center of this scam. A scam because this (and other recordings) was marketed as a Mott the Hoople reunion in which they perform their old standards. From a musical standpoint this group of shadow musicians do a fairly good Mott impersonation, although they do exude a discernable sterility. The saxophone player more closely resembles David Sanborn poppiness than the original Andy Mackay and David Bowie sax lines. Vocally, this singer sounds more like a poor Huey Lewis impersonator (replete with British accent) than an Ian Hunter clone. The original tunes are decent but the method by which they were released is unconscionable, sullying the reputation and minimizing the contribution of one of rock & roll's classic bands. ~ Dave Sleger, All Music Guide
