Mott music - 30 years old and still as fresh as ever!!
Kenneth S. Steinhorn | Los Angeles | 03/28/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Between 1972-1974, Mott the Hoople, who had actually been around since about 1969, put out three successive albums that even today are considered classics by many rock critics and Mott fans. This was their peak. When Mick Ralphs left to form Bad Company and Ian Hunter left for a solo career in about 1975, the band rapidly disappeared but not their music. This CD is made up of the highlights from those albums. If you are a Mott fan and for some reason do not have copies of the albums("All the young dudes", "Mott" and "The Hoople) or the complete anthology CD, then by all means buy this! Keep in mind there is another greatest hits LP but this one contains two songs I feel put it a little ahead of the other-their cover of Lou Reed's "Sweet Jane" and "Crash Street Kids", a hard-rocker that sounds as though Kiss stole from it. If you are not a Mott fan but enjoy the pure rock-n-roll styles of Chuck Berry or Jerry Lee Lewis and other groups of the 70's like Kiss and Cheap Trick and even today's rockers like the Strokes, give this a listen. The best way to listen to this is to get in the car, pop in the CD, crank it up and hit the gas pedal. Don't expect any important social messages though some songs talk about how Ian Hunter dealt with the ups and downs of being a rock and roll star. The big drawback to this CD is that there is no booklet discussing the band or lyrics. It was obviously geared to fans that already were familiar with Mott and just wanted to listen, not read. To me, Mott is a lot like junk food-the nutritional value may be zilch, but the taste will satisfy and you'll go back again and again! Enjoy."
Get in the car, crank it loud, hit the pedal, and enjoy!!
Kenneth S. Steinhorn | Los Angeles | 03/23/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
"First, if you are expecting a ""crisp" CD sound, this may disappoint a bit. It sounds like vinyl and does not seem to be taken from any "master tapes." However, this CD is just plain fun! Mott had its heydey in the early 70's with three albums on the Columbia label, "All the young dudes," "Mott", and "The Hoople." The album is comprised of songs from these so in my opinion, this is Mott at their best. It makes for a very nice collection. I like this album more than the other greatest hits CD since this one includes "Sweet Jane" and the now-we-know-where-Kiss-got-its-chords-from "Crash Street Kids". If you are a fan of Mott, this album, since it only contains 10 tracks, combined with Ian Hunter's solo album "You're never alone with a schizophrenic" should satisfy completely. If you are not familiar Mott and just want old-time-rock-n-roll with pianos, saxaphones, lots of guitar, and a sense of party and fun, then get this. Note: As pointed out in the previous review, do not get this CD if you want to read about the band, no info is included. Just expect to listen!!"
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1