Search - Mott the Hoople :: Mott the Hoople

Mott the Mott

Kim Fletcher | Pattaya, Chonburi Thailand | 11/08/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Under the guiding eye of late sixties pop guru Guy Stevens a band called "The Silence" hailing from that Rock `n' Roll back water Hereford were signed to the newly formed Island records in Britain. After a few days rehearsal, Guy decided that original lead singer and hardman Stan Tippins was not the man for the job. He was removed and installed as road manager/roadie/minder to be replaced through a Melody Maker small ad by a certain Mr. Ian Patterson on the basis of a half hour audition, where Ian spluttered his way through a version of Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone" and Sonny Bono's "Laugh at Me". The band themselves were not impressed, but Guy Stevens thought he could see something, and probably recognized a kindred spirit, subsequently enrolled the young man in the band.The band, without playing a single gig, were then put into Morgan Recording Studios in Willesden High Road North London and were given a complete makeover.They were re-named "Mott the Hoople", after the Willard Manus novel. Only lead guitarist Mick Ralphs was allowed to keep his own name, Ian Patterson was told to stop straightening his naturally curly red hair, let it grow long, lose 2 stones in weight (he was way too pot bellied to be a pop star), to wear sunglasses permanently (to supposedly give him that bit of Rony Orbison mystic, but must of left him feeling a bit of a gherkin in the pub at night), and renamed Ian Hunter. Peter O. Watts was told to drop Peter and stick with his middle name therefore becoming Overend Watts. Terry Allen, too, was told to drop his first name and adopt his mother's maiden name becoming Verden Allen. Unluckiest of all, of course, was the drummer (if there is going to be somebody to draw the short straw it's always going to be the man with the sticks). Mr. Dale Griffin esq. became quite simply "Buffin", now a well respected music producer. 35 years later he still gets called Buffin and hates it. After eleven days of rehearsal and getting to know each other, Guy took them to a recording studio and gave them 7 days to record their debut album - and this in the days when bands took up to six months to record an album. This sounded absurd, but you have to add to this that the rest of the band had only just met their new front man and weren't even sure if they liked him. Guy Stevens, their new mentor, was dragging them in a new direction, a direction they knew was innovative, but had no idea where it was going. They had never been in a proper recording studio before and had only got two songs written, which Stevens wouldn't let them put on the album anyway.Confused yet? Imagine how these five young lads felt, who had just become a rock band called Mott the Hoople. But enthusiasm they had by the bucket load, and record they did. In seven days the new album was down on tape.
Mott the Dog."

Mott The Mott Part Two

Kim Fletcher | Pattaya, Chonburi Thailand | 11/16/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"With seven days to record their debut album, producer/mentor Guy Stevens deemed a song a day to keep up with his idea of a schedule. The flaw to this, of course, was that the band didn't have any of their own songs to record, so they just jammed on songs they knew. All five members of the band were huge fans of Ray Davies and the Kinks. Their first number one single was "You Really Got Me" (a song often credited as giving heavy metal its guitar sound). So after a brief run through the tapes were switched on to lay a backing track down. The original take was frenzied nonsense some ten minutes long getting faster and faster until total chaos prevailed. If you think the Van Helen version of this from their debut album was heavy, have a listen to this little baby, it clear takes the top of your head off. When vocals were attempted Guy Stevens and equally mad studio engineer Andy John's deemed them totally unnecessary, chopped off the final 6 minutes of the studio jam and used this as a stunning instrumental opening track for Mott the Hoople's debut opus.Next day, day two, and they needed track two. After much debate Doug Sahm's "At The Crossroads" was chosen because it had a cool title, had never been released in England, was a great song, but mostly because the band were afraid of what Guy Stevens would do if they didn't come up with something by the end of the day. Surprisingly the result was remarkable, very vibrant with the boys leaving the indelible Mott the Hoople stamp on it.Day three saw track three, a song Ian Hunter sung at his first audition with the band, Sonny Bono's "Laugh at Me", done much slower than the original. From the tone of Ian Hunter's voice you can tell that when he sings "I don't care if you laugh at me" this is a line he really means. Day four and track four was needed. By this time, obviously, the boys were full of confidence and Ian Hunter came up with an original song called "If The World Saluted You". It was really very much in Bob Dylan vein, being a thinly disguised re-write of "The times they are a-changing". However, with the new title "Back Sliding Fearlessly", it gave you the sound of the band and Hunter's lyrical imagery blending beautifully.That evening Stevens took Mick Ralphs aside and told him that as lead guitarist with the band he should go home and write a guitar driven Rock `n' Roll anthem to record for day 5.I'm not making this up. The very next day Ralphs walked into the studio and taught the rest his new song "Rock `n' Roll Queen", which was played at every Mott the Hoople concert over the next five years. (Anybody who has ever heard this song blasted out at Tahitian Queens Rock `n' Roll Happy Hour on Friday will verify this is an all time riff laden classic).Day six and seven were taken up with Mott the Hoople's first epic, opening with Ralphs lead guitar jam "Rabbit, Foot, and Toby Time" and leading into "Half Moon Bay", which laid down the templeplate for the Mott the Hoople sound; Hunter's rasping vocals; Ralphs soaring guitar, Allen's atmospheric organ; and the rock solid rhythm section of Watts and Buffin.The album closes with "Wrath and Roll". The final two minutes of "You Really Got Me" jam, bringing the album to a frantic conclusion.For a debut album, "Mott the Hoople" ranks amongst the best, extraordinary, considering it was recorded under such circumstances. Sounding as fresh now as it did thirty three years ago.
Mott the Dog."

Explosive debut from band named after MacManus novel..

Wayne Klein | My Little Blue Window, USA | 04/27/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Mott The Hopple was an exmplosive combination of raw power, Dylanesque histronics, Chuck Berry inspired riffs and personsal introspective lyrics. The band's first album, while it lacks the quality self penned material that would show up on Brain Capers, Wildlife and Mott, nonetheless, hints at the band's amazing abilities as intuitive musicians. One thing they did have in common with Bowie was their ability to constantly reinvent themselves. One listen to this album, then Mad Shadows and Wildlife and any listener would understand that this was a band that didn't recognize the walls so frequently erected around genres and styles.Highly recommended. The guitar blast of You Really Got Me will clean the cobwebs out of your ears!"