Search - Mott the Hoople :: Mott the Hoople

My Favorite Album

James L. Viland | Detroit, MI | 08/29/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a great album, with original mix of everything other bands always wanted to be. Mick Ralphs guitar has such personality, they didn't even need lyrics on the Kinks "You Really Got Me". Hunter's voice does have a Dylan quality, but the songs are more musical, and, aiming back at the critics; they aren't even Dylan's songs. This band had great musical intelligence and ability on their own, as well as borrowing tastefully from resources and contemporaries of the time. Producer, Guy Stevens, had a great vision and ear, and although he drove the band nuts, had genious for sound. He was a strong advocate and defender of the band, sadly passing away at such an early age. I enjoy listening to the album with Ralphs guitar, Verden Allen's Hammond organ/Leslie speaker, Ian Hunter's voice and Jerry Lee Lewis style piano, Overend Watt's interesting powerful bass, and Buffin's raucious drumming. Much of the album has an easy listening, swashbuckling tone. "Half Moon Bay" is the cornerstone piece with its rolling, soothing sound of the sea and a classical bridge. I imagined the organ sound reflecting the texture of the lizard on the back of the album. "Rock and Roll Queen" is a great rocker with searing lead guitar by Ralphs that just does not quit. Just when you think it might be peaking out, he kicks it up another notch, and then another, until fading out frantically at the end of the song. A lot of energy that still gets me buzzing when I hear it. "Cross Roads" and "Laugh At Me" are other favorites, building from mellow slow beginnings to rocking high energy finales. I especially liked the tiny backgound voices on "Laugh At Me", singing the band's name, "Mott the Hoople!", just after the intense and colorful lead guitar kicks in. "Cross Roads" ends with slide guitar work that sounds inspred by the Stones, "Monkey Man", which in turn was inspred by the Beatles, "Hey Jude". Any of these songs could have been hits, and could still be today...



I attended a concert in 1971 at the Eastown Theater in Detroit. They played cuts from this album as well as Mad Shadows and the yet to be released Wildlife. We jumped on stage with them during "Rock and Roll Queen" and they seemed to enjoy it. They were playing before Johnny Winter, and had just been preceded by one of their favorite groups, Leslie West and Mountain. Leslie came down into the audience (no seats, just standing room) and I heard him commenting how tight and powerful MTH was on stage. I was thrilled to hear MTH do a live version of Mountain's "Long Red" on the live double album released many years later. It took me instantly back to the concert.



I originally purchased Mott the Hoople's first four albums when they came out, 1970 - 1971. I purchased the original CDs when they became available but was very disappointed in the sound quality. I have waited for 20 years to hear these cds with sound quality like the vinyl original albums had, and now even better. A real treat to have the added previously unreleased tracks, especially Neil Youg's "Ohio", which may have also fitted well on Mad Shadows, where Mick Ralphs had more vocals. Over all this one and Mad Shadows have always been my two favorite albums. This version is great with the sound quality and extensive bigraphical notes from Buffin. Anyone that likes Bob Dylan's sound, the Beatles or early Rolling Stones needs a copy of this finely remastered CD. It seems Angel Air was the missing link this band could have used when making albums."

Borrowing From Many Great Sources

Hondo Most | San Clemente, CA | 02/06/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"From 1969, this was Mott's best album, a level they never subsequently reached again. They combined the music of Bob Dylan, Procol Harum, the Who, and the Band in a dense, rocking sound covered by Ian Hunter's best Zimmy imitation. The borrowed material was all over the map, from the best cover version of the Kinks' 'You Really Got Me' to a soulful, dirge-like cover of Sonny Bono's 'Laugh at Me' to a psychedelic rendering of Sir Doug Sahm's 'Crossroads.' The band's own 'Rock and Roll Queen' is a classic that will get at least two parts of your body moving, and their 'Half Moon Bay' could easily have been additional cut on Procol Harum's 'Shine on Brightly.'

They rocked and had a hard edge, but they forgot all the great influences on subsequent albums and slipped ingloriously into glam rock. A shame, because they definitely had the right idea."

Silence To Thunder

PHILIP S WOLF | SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CA. USA | 06/01/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"In 1969 the Midlands group: Silence, was in search of a new lead singer. Mick Ralphs, Pete Watts, Verden Allen and Dale Griffin had decided that Stan Tippins, the vocalist for Silence, was not projecting the image and voice that would propel Silence to the top of the charts.



Enter a bass guitarist/vocalist: Ian Hunter Patterson. The group wanted their new singer to play piano and sing a bunch. Ian, could barely play piano but had a rough Dylan voice and style, that the band was searching for. Eleven days after Ian met Silence, the group was in the studio working on this album. Changes were in order. First the name of the new singer was shortened to Ian Hunter, Dale Griffin, became: Buffin, Pete Watts was now: Overend Watts. The band name of Silence was re-christened: Mott The Hoople.



This startling debut record opens with a cover of The Kinks: "You Really Got Me." Not happy with the vocal track, the instrumental track was used as it was deemed more powerful. "At The Crossroads" By Doug Sahm & "Laugh At Me" by Sonny Bono spotlight Ian Hunter's vocal skills as a Bob Dylan type singer as backed by a Rolling Stone's style band. The Ian, penned: "Backsliding Fearlessly" is the first original song on the record, and it is a gem. "Backsliding" features a smoldering vocal and relentless piano that is all anchored by the pounding beat...the first glimse of what Mott The Hoople were to become.



Side two opens with the first classic MTH song: "Rock And Roll Queen." With the guitars of Mick Ralphs, and shared vocals between Ian and Mick, this is now a BAND and here is right where it all begins. "Rabbit Foot & Toby Time" is a short jam that leads in the album's centerpiece: "Half Moon Bay" a sweeping 11 minute ballad orchestrated by the mighty organ of Verden Allen. Ian's voice croaks and cracks, and is very perfect for this music...."Half Moon Bay" is a must-listen for any rock music fan, this is a great, great song. A short bit of studio madness puts a rap on the original album entitled: "Wrath And Wroll" by producer/looney Guy Stevens.



Two bonus tracks are included on this edition of Mott The Hoople's debut. They are: "Ohio" a live version of the Neil Young classic, and an instrumental by Mick called: "Find Your Way." They are nice to have been included, but it is still the original record that is the star here.

Mott The Hoople, would go through lot's of changes in the five years, that they existed as band. But, this over-looked debut of a record, is a great begining for an even greater rock band.

Four Stars !!!"