I think Ima gonna buy this Ian Hunter- Shrunken Heads, the clips sound so damn good.

I don't know much about Mott. Anybody have intro suggestions?

All the Young Dudes sounds pretty great front to back, a good start?

Definitely grab Mott. I really like all of Ian's solo albums too. Although I should say that Rads is really the guy to talk to here.

I like Mott, but that's all I have at the moment.

Mott is good. I like Brain Capers a little better, and it's probably my favorite of theirs.

I honestly found All the Young Dudes to be a little disappointing once I finally got it. I don't really know why.

The s/t is pretty good, too.

(Mang, I've been hoping someone asked this question.)


I'm a big Mott the Hoople fan, but I'm not a fan of every aspect of the band. It was always a schizophrenic entity, mainly because at the beginning, when they were a bunch of Brit blooze-pop nobodies called Silence, their manager (Guy Stevens, soon to be better known for producing the Clash's London Calling) brought in a new singer/songwriter/ band leader by the name of Ian Hunter Patterson (who immediately stripped off the Patterson portion of his name). This new guy had his own ideas about the band's direction - he was a Jerry Lee Lewis devotee who pulled the band towards a combination of Dylan and the Stones - and Ian Hunter's input is BY FAR the best thing about MtH. In my opinion anyway - I'm sure Mick Ralphs' mother thinks differently.

Mott the Hoople - solid debut, includes the best version ever of Doug Sahm's "At The Crossroads", shows Ian Hunter at possibly his most Dylanesque.

Mad Shadows - oppressing, depressing, and heavy, Mad Shadows is a little tough to get into. Includes the great "Walkin' With A Mountain".

Wildlife - this is mostly Mick Ralphs' record, full of mediocre approximations of country rock and British blooze (not to mention the horrendously cliched Ralphs lyrics), but it also includes a Hunter gem called "The Original Mixed Up Kid".

Brain Capers - this one was produced by Guy Stevens (and engineered by Andy Johns, fresh from working with the Stones), and finally the band puts it together and let Hunter take over completely. Includes the amazing "Death May Be Your Santa Claus", the hard rock Dylan of "Sweet Angeline", the epic "The Journey", the near-metal of "The Moon Upstairs", the just plain weird "Wheel of the Quivering Meat Conception", and also cool covers of Dion's "Your Own Backyard" and the Young Bloods' "Darkness Darkness".

All The Young Dudes - the story here is that the band almost called it quits - the live show was a spectacle but they couldn't sell any albums - and Bowie stepped in to save them. He wanted to give them "Drive-In Saturday", but Hunter held out for "All the Young Dudes". Anyway, the song was a hit (of sorts), and the album is a much more subdued thing than the Brain Capers beast. Even though it includes some great songs like "One of the Boys", "Sucker", "Jerkin' Crocus", and "Momma's Little Jewel", it also has one of the worst versions of the VU's "Sweet Jane" ever put on vinyl and the Mick Ralphs classic rock readymade "Ready for Love" (later turned into gold/corn by Ralphs next band Bad Company).

Mott - almost exclusively a Hunter album, this is the band's apex. They'd reluctantly joined Bowie's glitter circus and bitched about it the whole way. "All The Way From Memphis" apologizes for being poor and white and stealing black music, "Violence" gives voice to the upcoming punk revolution, "Hymn for the Dudes" eulogizes that previous Bowie hit, "The Ballad of Mott" explains that "rock and roll is a loser's game", and "I Wish I Was Your Mother" retreats back to Dylan. The only low point on the disc is Mick Ralphs' "I'm A Cadillac/ El Camino Dolo Roso", which starts out okay and descends into 8 minutes of wank.

The Hoople - this is the band cracking under fame. Mick Ralphs had left to form Bad Company, and Ariel Bender was brought in on guitar. His solos are more Eddie Van Halen than Ralphs. This album has some of Hunter's best songs ("The Golden Age Of Rock and Roll", "Pearl 'n' Roy", "Roll Away The Stone") combined with some self-indulgences like "Trudi's Song" and "Alice". "Crash Street Kidds" is a virtual rewrite of Mott's "Violence", and the song "Marionette" is allegedly responsible for giving Queen the idea for "Bohemian Rhapsody". The recent reissue includes GREAT bonus tracks - the last two (non-album) Mott singles "Foxy Foxy" and "Saturday Gigs", plus the only song recorded by MtH while Mick Ronson was in the band (a version of "Lounge Lizard" that truly smokes - if only they'd have stuck together for that next one!)

Mott the Hoople Live - the double disc reissue of this is pretty great, with the Hammersmith disc being a particular standout (including guest appearances by Bowie and Mick Jagger).

And then there's the whole Ian Hunter solo catalogue.

Edit: got the Bowie thing a little wrong - he didn't offer "Suffragette City", he offered "Drive-In Saturday" (which makes way more sense that Hunter turned it down).

Brain Capers is the call. Although, actually, several of Hunter's solo albums are better to me.

I was fortunate enough to see them live in their prime. Great, great band. And the Ian-Mick tension was great.

Ride on my friends... until you fail.

I was listening to You're Never Alone with a Schizophrenic yesterday. Such a great album, comparable to anything Mott did. And one of my favourites is the Hunter/Ronson Yui Orta.

Rads, jou are de mang! What a breakdown.
Thanks man.

and yeah that sweet jane does suck

thanks too, DeeJ

I got some delving to do.

I wonder if they're ever going to release a remastered The Hoople. I've never even seen a trace of that album online.

Yeah, I've never been able to find it, but apparently it's out there (or so says Wikipedia and this guy).

radcliffe. our national treasure.

Just wanna say this thread got me to be a big fan. And, Ian Hunter is one talented badass! It must be a season or something because I've been listening to Mott the Hoople all day.

Also, Capn' did you ever get a comp of Mott the Hoople?

I did not. Some live stuff that didn't make it when I changed computers, and that's it.

I have an awesome compilation that Radcliffe made; i can up it if you like.

If YB has'nt yet I'm working on it getting it to you. Just got home about an hour ago.



All the Young Dudes 3:29 Mott The Hoople All the Young Dudes 3/15/12 4:15 PM Rock
Midnight Lady 3:27 Mott the Hoople Radcliffe's Mott Mix 3/15/12 4:16 PM JaIL
It'll be me (Demo) 2:55 Mott the Hoople Radcliffe's Mott Mix 3/15/12 4:16 PM JaIL
Momma's Little Jewel 4:27 Mott The Hoople All the Young Dudes 3/15/12 4:17 PM Rock
Ballad of Mott 5:21 Mott the Hoople Radcliffe's Mott Mix 3/15/12 4:17 PM JaIL
I Wish I Was Your Mother 4:42 Mott the Hoople Radcliffe's Mott Mix 3/15/12 4:18 PM JaIL
The Debt (demo) 4:14 Mott the Hoople Radcliffe's Mott Mix 3/15/12 4:18 PM JaIL
Sucker 4:58 Mott the Hoople Radcliffe's Mott Mix 3/15/12 4:19 PM JaIL
Walkin With A Mountain 3:46 Mott the Hoople Radcliffe's Mott Mix 3/15/12 4:20 PM JaIL
Pearl N' Roy 4:22 Mott the Hoople Radcliffe's Mott Mix 3/15/12 4:20 PM JaIL
All the Way from Memphis 4:55 Mott the Hoople Radcliffe's Mott Mix 3/15/12 4:20 PM JaIL
Drivin' Sister 3:30 Mott the Hoople Radcliffe's Mott Mix 3/15/12 4:21 PM JaIL
Sea Diver 2:53 Mott The Hoople All the Young Dudes 3/15/12 4:21 PM Rock
The Golden Age of Rock N Roll 3:23 Mott the Hoople Radcliffe's Mott Mix 3/15/12 4:22 PM JaIL