Mott The Hoople Buyer's Guide

Introduction

This page is inspired by the Buyer's Guide column in each month's issue of Classic Rock magazine. I hereby acknowledge Classic Rock for giving me the idea, but the work herein is entirely my own.

Mott The Hoople formed in 1969 when Hereford band The Silence signed to Island Records and were paired with Shropshire lad Ian Hunter. They soon became a must-see live band based on their explosive live shows, but couldn't translate their live drawing power into album sales. Faced with mountaing debts they split in 1972 following a disastrous gig in Zurich.

Bassist Overend Watts phoned David Bowie looking for a gig. Instead of contributing to their demise Bowie instead offered to help them first by gifting Suffragette City (refused - not good enough) and then All The Young Dudes (grabbed with both hands). Mott's commercial breakthrough (on both sides of the Atlantic) was not without cost, as first organist Phally quit in early 1973 (not enough of his songs were being used) and then (August 1973) guitarist Mick Ralphs left (to form Bad Company).

New members Ariel Bender (guitar) and Morgan Fisher (keyboards) helped propel Mott to new heights of success in '73 and '74 (especially in America) but a feeling crept in that despite the enormous morale boost he'd given them Bender was not right musically. The band considered splitting again when the Bowie cavalry arrived again this time in the shape of Mick Ronson. His skills as a guitarist and a musical arranger were beyond compare but problems arose during a European tour causing Ian Hunter to leave to pursue a solo career.

Since then Mott's reputation grew and grew but there was always resistance in some quarters to a reunion. Either Mick Ralphs was too busy with Bad Company or more recently Overend Watts wanted nothing to do with the music business. Finally, some 35 years after disbanding, everyone was pretty much in agreement it being a case of "if we don't do it now, we never will". October 2009 saw the original lineup reunite for five sold-out nights at Hammersmith Apollo. Sadly, illness meant that drummer Dale Griffin could only take part in the encores - his place being taken by Martin Chambers (of The Pretenders). A second set of reunion concerts took place in November 2013.

Fans yearned, however, for Morgan Fisher and Ariel Bender to be included. Their patience was rewarded when the surviving members of the 1974 lineup (billed as "Class of 74") reunited for three European festivals in the summer of 2018. A USA and then UK tour followed in the Spring of 2019. With Dale Griffin and Overend Watts having passed away Ian, Ariel and Morgan were backed by the Rant Band, and the shows were very well received. Sadly, a further USA tour in October/November 2019 was cancelled after Ian was hit by a severe bout of tinnitus. And that, my friends, would seem to be that.

Mott The Hoople only released seven studio albums and one live album in their 70's heyday. This poses a problem when I need to find ten albums for this article. Happily we have been blessed with several archive and historical releases giving me more than enough albums to choose from without too much track duplication.

Essential (classics)

• Mott. Mott's 1973 album is a delight from start to finish. All The Way From Memphis (Tony Blackburn hated it - surely a recommendation of some sort?), Hymn For The Dudes (cautioning that fame is only fleeting), Ballad Of Mott The Hoople (as heartfelt a letter to the fans as you'll find anywhere) - every track's a winner. A solid gold classic in every way.
• Brain Capers. Mott's Island swansong is a hard-hitting rock album from start to finish, capturing the sort of energy the punks would discover six years later. Just one highlight (of many) is The Moon Upstairs which includes their '**** you' statement to Island: "We ain't bleeding you, we're feeding you - but you're too f***ing slow". Easily the fan's favourite from the pre-Bowie era.

Superior (reputation cementing)

• All The Young Dudes. Mott's breakthrough album is a strange one. Yes, it gave them overdue commercial success and contained their top-three hit All The Young Dudes, but David Bowie's production techniques somehow throttled the band despite the excellence of the songwriting.
• The Hoople. The follow-up to 1973's Mott is now seen as a notch or two down on its glorious predecessor. Yes, The Golden Age of Rock 'n' Roll is a fine lead-off track (and a hit single to boot) and Marionette is a fabulous rocker (and highlight of their '74 shows) but with new axe-man Ariel Bender strangely disconnected in the studio the album failed to hit its mark.
• Live. The official live album from 1974 showcases late-era Mott. Now available in expanded 2-CD form, the Uris Theater, New York City disc is powerful and businesslike, but it is the Hammersmith Odeon disc that captures perfectly the "expect the unexpected" essence of a great rock gig. The band were on a roll and knew it. And yes, it includes the trademark Mott 'riot' that brought the show to a close.
• A Tale Of Two Cities. This historic release showcases the original pre-fame Mott. First up is a show recorded for Swedish radio Despite being told "not too loud, please" they still turn in a powerful performance. Then we get the Tower Theater, Philadelphia show from 1972. David Bowie introduced the band and joined them on state for the encore. This was Mott's first headlining gig Stateside, and a piece of rock history.

Good (worth exploring)

• Two Miles From Heaven. This fabulous colection of rare/unreleased tracks came out with little fanfare in 1980. Fans drooled with anticipation and were not disappointed. This is no collection of half-baked ideas (usually there's a reason stuff doesn't get released) but a worthy collection of tracks in its own right. But we were left with one question - could there be more in the vaults? In the fullness of time we were rewarded: yes, there was more, much more...
• Mad Shadows. Mott's 1970 album is a strange one. A hard-rock album shows Mott trying to capture their live sound in the studio and almost succeeeding. Thunderbuck Ram sets the tone, a 100mph adrenaline-soaked rocker that doesn't let up for a moment. Walkin' With A Mountain (a live staple for years to come) segues neatly into Jumpin' Jack Flash when Mick Jagger was spotted in the control room. Contrast that with the bleak When My Mind's Gone, a stream-of-consciousness ballad legend has it recorded when Hunter was hypnotised.
• Live 2013. 2013 saw Mott's second (after 2009) and final set of reunion shows. It shows that after all these years Mott still 'had it'. The accompanying DVD finally captures the band on film but only hints at what they were like in their prime when they were young and hungry.

Avoid

• ...Featuring Steve Hyams. In 1977 the nucleus of the band was asked to help a friend on some demos he was recording. Nothing came of it, but some 20 years later the demos crept out under the Mott The Hoople name. Try saying "The Who featuring Steve Hyams" (when you know Roger Daltrey is nowhere to be seen). Nope, doesn't work for me either. Avoid!

Playlist