The Ballad of Mott the Hoople and Ian Hunter - Album by Album thread

Thanks John. Were you there? What did you think?

Tim

 

No, I wasn't there.

 

Ian was on BBC radio yesterday.

BBC Radio 2 - Johnnie Walker's Sounds of the 70s, Ian Hunter

 

I listened to this and enjoyed it; would have liked to hear more about what he is doing now as opposed to way back when, but it was Sounds of the 70s!

Tim

 

Mental Train is a-coming!

Mott the Hoople: Mental Train box set covering the Island Years | Tim Anderson's IT Writing

Tim

 

Thanks for the heads-up on this! Let's hope it gets a good remastering. Disc 5 looks iffy, and there could/should be more live stuff. I'm wondering if the tracks that were overdubbed for Two Miles From Heaven will be released in their original form.

Kris Needs' involvement is a good sign, I think.

It'll be nice to have the original B-side version of "Road to Birmingham". A shame they couldn't have put "Midnight Lady" on the Brain Capers disc - it sits better with that album than Wildlife.

But I reckon I'm in, as long as the remaster isn't botched.

 

The new setting is missing some of the outtakes from the previous Angel Air releases.

 

Yes, pretty disappointing.

Tim

 

Well, i "was" pretty excited to get this, but what is exactly missing from this box set, other than what the article said ?

 

From the Angel Air reissues, Find Your Way (bonus track on the first album), It would be a pleasure (bonus on Mad Shadows), and It’ll be Me (bonus on Wildlife).

All of these are also on Anthology.

Tim

 

To be clear, I am not saying the set is disappointing overall. Some of these albums are out of print and there are a lot of bonus tracks; it's nobody's fault that what exists is not that extensive and has already been thoroughly trawled for Two Miles from Heaven and the All the Young Dudes Anthology.

The biggest puzzle is why only one CD is offered for live performances, when these are so important to convey what early Mott the Hoople was all about.

Tim

 

Just glancing quickly over the track listing I don't see the outtakes Surfin' U.K. from Two Miles From Heaven, Find Your Way from the Angel Air reissue of Mott The Hoople, It Would Be A Pleasure from the Angel Air reissue of Mad Shadows, It'll Be Me from the Angel Air reissue of Wildlife and The Wreck Of The Liberty Belle another Angel Air outtake that was unfinished. There are some others as well from The Mott The Hoople Family album. The Chosen Few is one of them.

It looks like it is also missing the live version of When My Mind's Gone from the Croydon show.

 

I may well have to have this.

 

Thx for the heads up. Looks like I already have practically all of this so I'll pass though...

 

Mott's out-takes have never really grabbed me, so I think I'm okay with this - as long as it's not a brickwall job.

 

Someone posted this on Facebook today.



One to ponder: An album that should have been released in September 1971 (but wasn't).
MOTT THE HOOPLE "AC/DC".
With the band's dissatisfaction (and the failure) of "Wildlife" (March 1971), the band attempted to be more commercial and recorded / self produced twelve tracks through April, May and August. The tracks collectively was to be their fourth album titled "AC/DC". But due to the band's increasingly shaky standing with Island Records (Not to mention reconsidering the potential backlash of the album's title), the album / tracks were shelved and the band reunited with producer Guy Stevens in September resulting in the "Brain Capers" album. Several of the "AC/DC" tracks were later re-recorded and appeared on "Brain Capers" and "All The Young Dudes". But I actually prefer the versions originally done by the band. This would have been a helluva album. IMO, far superior to "Brain Capers" (less chaotic)..
Most Mott The Hoople fans will know these songs from retrospective compilations. Some consider these tracks nothing more than demos. They sound like finished product to my ears. Here is the potential album track listing (not including the possible inclusion of the 1971 non LP singles "Midnight Lady" and "Downtown".
1. One Of The Boys (original version)
2. Black Scorpio (Mamma's Little Jewel - original fast version)
3. The Debt
4. Long Red (Mountain cover)
5. Until I'm Gone
6. It'll Be Me
7. Mental Train (The Moon Upstairs - original version)
8. The Journey (original version)
9. How Long (Death May Be Your Santa Claus - original version)
10. There's An Ill Wind Blowing
The fake cover sleeve is derived from the inner sleeve of the UK release of "Brain Capers".

 

Rather late to the party but personally I see it has :

Phase 1: 1st Coming of Mott the Hoople
Phase 2: 2nd Coming of Mott the Hoople
Phase 3:Mainstream solo artist/Hunter-Ronson
Phase 4: Niche solo artist (but none the worse for it)

.......particularly for someone like me who doesn't always get the "hit" years of Mott, but skips from the sland days to Ian's solo career.

 

I've played the first 5 cds from the boxset and I'm more than happy with it ! Great sound quality to my ears and great great bonus unreleased tracks !!

Some more recording info/date would have been welcomed but it's still a real early MTH feast that every fan should get
Hope that other buyers will soon chime on...

 

I'm supposed to get mine today but seeing as it's still in Orlando [2 hours away] I don't think that's happening....
Would be great though, I've got the whole day to myself...

 

Amazon say I'll get mine Nov 6

 

I actually did get mine that day.
I ordered it from Amazon France because it was cheaper and came out on 10/19! Ha ha.

 

I was tempted but waiting for the UK one was cheaper for me

 

Just pre-ordered Mental Train from Amazon U.S. Psyched!

 

I have ordered too, based on reports of these being different takes from previous bonus tracks. Will review here in due course!

Tim

 

I kinda agree about two phases of Mott the Hooople but the difficulty is that the "phases" are not all that distinct. I guess phase two begins with All the Young Dudes (album); but there is still quite a bit of "old" Mott the Hoople in that album. The departure of Ralphs after the Mott album made just as big a difference as the Bowie influence IMO.

Tim