Mott

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Mott
Studio album by Mott the Hoople
Released	20 July 1973 21 February 2006 (reissue)
Recorded	February–April 1973 except track 1, 22 December 1972 at Air Studios and Abbey Road Studios, London
Genre	Glam rock
Length	45:10
Label	Columbia Records(US), CBS Records(UK)
Producer	Mott the Hoople
Mott the Hoople chronology
Rock and Roll Queen (1972 UK, 1974 US) Mott (1973) The Hoople (1974)
Alternative cover
U.K. album cover

Mott is a 1973 album by British band Mott the Hoople. "All the Way from Memphis", an edited version of which was released as a single, received considerable airplay on U.S. radio and captured the band many overseas fans, as well as reaching the UK Top 10.

Background

It was clear by the time Mott was released that Ian Hunter had become the dominant figure of the band. Aside from the lead track, the album includes introspective songs such as "Ballad Of Mott The Hoople", which exposes Mott’s near break-up, and the peculiar "I Wish I Was Your Mother", featuring multi-tracked mandolin, in which Hunter sings of his wish to see his love as a child. Hard rockers are given their due with "Whizz Kid", "Drivin’ Sister", "Violence" and "Honaloochie Boogie", the last-named being another UK single. A fine performance is delivered by Hunter in the almost religious "Hymn For The Dudes."^{[citation needed]}

The album has featured different covers in the UK and U.S. releases, as well as remastered tracks on some editions. The US cover featured a photo of the four band members with the word "MOTT" on it, with "Mott The Hoople" written in the O. The UK front cover featured a motif based on the bust of a Roman Emperor, with a strange text. Initial copies had a gatefold sleeve with the Emperor motif printed on a transparent plastic sheet. The emperor motif would appear again of the inner sleeve of The Hoople, the band's next and final album in both the US and UK. A remastered and expanded version was released by Sony's Columbia/Legacy imprint in the United States in 2006.

A song written by Verden Allen, "Son of the Wise Ones", was originally going to be recorded for the album, but after he left the band, he refused to let the band perform it.^{[citation needed]}

Reception

In 2003, the album was ranked number 366 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.^[1]

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]
Robert Christgau	A−[3]
Pitchfork	7.4/10[4]
PopMatters	favourable[5]
Rolling Stone	very favourable[6]

Track listing

All songs written by Ian Hunter, except where indicated

Vinyl LP

Side one

1. "All the Way from Memphis" – 4:55
2. "Whizz Kid" – 3:05
3. "Hymn For The Dudes" (Verden Allen, Hunter) – 5:15
4. "Honaloochie Boogie" – 2:35
5. "Violence" (Hunter, Ralphs) – 4:37

Side two

1. "Drivin’ Sister" (Hunter, Ralphs) – 4:42
2. "Ballad Of Mott The Hoople (26th March 1972, Zürich)" (Hunter, Dale "Buffin" Griffin, Peter Watts, Ralphs, Allen) – 5:40
3. "I’m A Cadillac / El Camino Dolo Roso" (Ralphs) – 9:40
4. "I Wish I Was Your Mother" – 4:41

CD

1. "All the Way from Memphis" – 5:02
2. "Whizz Kid" – 3:25
3. "Hymn For The Dudes" (Verden Allen, Hunter) – 5:24
4. "Honaloochie Boogie" – 2:43
5. "Violence" (Hunter, Ralphs) – 4:48
6. "Drivin’ Sister" (Hunter, Ralphs) – 3:53
7. "Ballad Of Mott The Hoople (26th March 1972, Zürich)" (Hunter, Dale "Buffin" Griffin, Peter Watts, Ralphs, Allen) – 5:24
8. "I’m A Cadillac / El Camino Dolo Roso" (Ralphs) – 9:41
9. "I Wish I Was Your Mother" – 4:52

Bonus tracks (2006 reissue)

10. "Rose" (Hunter, Ralphs, Watts, Buffin) – 3:56 B-side of "Honaloochie Boogie"; produced by Mott The Hoople
11. "Honaloochie Boogie" (Demo version) – 3:07
12. "Nightmare" (Demo) (Allen) – 3:36
13. "Drivin' Sister" (Hunter, Ralphs) – 4:30 Live 1973 at the Hammersmith Odeon; produced by Dale "Buffin" Griffin

Personnel

• Ian Hunter – lead vocals, piano, guitar
• Mick Ralphs – guitar, lead vocals, organ, moogotron, mandolins, tambourine
• Pete "Overend" Watts – bass guitar, backing vocals
• Dale "Buffin" Griffin – drums, vocals, percussion, backing vocals

Additional personnel

• Paul Buckmaster – electric cello on "Honaloochie Boogie"
• Morgan Fisher – piano, synthesizer, backing vocals on "Drivin' Sister" (live)
• Mick Hince – bells on "I Wish I Was Your Mother"
• Andy Mackay – saxophone on "All The Way From Memphis" & "Honaloochie Boogie"
• Graham Preskett – violin on "Violence"
• Thunderthighs (Karen Friedman, Dari Lalou, Casey Synge) – backing vocals on "Hymn For The Dudes"

Charts

Album

References