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Mott

 

  • Artist: Mott the Hoople
  • Rating: StarStarStarStarStar
  • Release Date: 1973
  • Total Time: 45:10
  • Genre: Rock

Review

All the Young Dudes actually brought Mott the Hoople success, but you wouldn't know that from its sequel, Mott. Ian Hunter's songs are a set of road tales fraught with exhaustion, disillusionment, and dashed dreams, all told with a wry sense of humor so evident on Mott's earlier work. This is no ordinary road album where a band whines about the perils of traveling -- it's more of a wry commentary on rock & roll itself, which, as Hunter notes, is a "loser's game." Mott doesn't sound that way, though -- it's as winning and infectious as rock & roll gets. Even with the undercurrents of ironic despair and restrained hostility, this is a fun record (partially because of that despair and hostility, of course). This sounds better, looser, than All the Young Dudes, as the band jives through "All the Way from Memphis" and "Honaloochie Boogie," beats the living hell outta "Violence," swaggers on "Whizz Kid," and simply drives it home on "Drivin' Sister." Apart from the New York Dolls (who, after all, were in a league of their own), glam never sounds as rock as it does here. To top it all off, Hunter writes the best lament for rock ever with "Ballad of Mott the Hoople," a song that conveys just how heartbreaking rock & roll is for the average band. If that wasn't enough, he trumps that song with the closer "I Wish I Was Your Mother," a peerless breakup song that still surprises, even after it's familiar. It's a graceful, unexpected way to close a record that stands as one of the best of its era. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
All the Way from Memphis Ian Hunter Mott the Hoople (4:55)
Whizz Kid (Lyrics) Ian Hunter Mott the Hoople (3:05)
Hymn for the Dudes (Lyrics) Ian Hunter, Verden Allen Mott the Hoople (5:15)
Honaloochie Boogie Ian Hunter Mott the Hoople (2:35)
Violence (Lyrics) Ian Hunter, Mick Ralphs Mott the Hoople (4:37)
Drivin' Sister (Lyrics) Ian Hunter, Mick Ralphs Mott the Hoople (4:42)
Ballad of Mott the Hoople (26th March 1972, Zürich) Ian Hunter, Verden Allen, Dale Buffin Griffin, Mick Ralphs, Pete Watts Mott the Hoople (5:40)
I'm a Cadillac/El Camino Dolo Roso Mick Ralphs Mott the Hoople (9:40)
I Wish I Was Your Mother Ian Hunter Mott the Hoople (4:41)

Credits

Ian Hunter (Guitar), Ian Hunter (Arranger), Ian Hunter (Keyboards), Ian Hunter (Vocals), Paul Buckmaster (Cello), Alan Harris (Engineer), John Leckie (Engineer), Andy Mackay (Saxophone), Mott the Hoople (Main Performer), Graham Preskett (Violin), Bill Price (Engineer), Thunderthighs (Vocals), Pete Watts (Bass)
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Wikipedia: Mott (album)
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Mott
Studio album by Mott the Hoople
Released July 20, 1973
February 21, 2006 (reissue)
Recorded February-April, 1973
Genre Glam Rock
Length 45:10
Label UK CBS Records
USA Columbia Records
Sony Records (reissue)
Producer Mott the Hoople
Professional reviews
Mott the Hoople chronology
All the Young Dudes
(1972)
Mott
(1973)
The Hoople
(1974)
Alternate USA cover
Alternate USA 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.

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."

The album has featured different covers among the number of UK and U.S. releases, as well as remastered tracks on some editions. A US cover featured a photo of the four band members. In the UK the front cover featured a motif based on the bust of a Roman Emperor, and initial copies had a gatefold sleeve with the Emperor motif printed on a transparent plastic sheet. A remastered and expanded version was released by Sony's Columbia/Legacy imprint in the United States in 2006.

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

Contents

Track listing

All songs written by Ian Hunter, except where indicated

  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" (Hunter, Mick Ralphs) – 2:43
  5. "Violence" (Hunter, Ralphs) – 4:48
  6. "Drivin’ Sister" – 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) – 7:51
  9. "I Wish I Was Your Mother" – 4:52

Bonus tracks (2006 reissue)

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

Personnel

Additional personnel

Charts

Album

Year Chart Position
1973 Billboard Pop Albums 35

 
 
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Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Mott (album)" Read more

 

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