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Mott The Hoople and Ian Hunter

Martins Folly CD: "From Hope"

Sleeve and track listing

Johnson's Wax Records. (4 stars!)

  1. Everything You Do
  2. You're A Star
  3. I Wish I Was Your Mother
  4. Glad To See Me?
  5. Time Won't Happen To Me
  6. The Idiot And The Oddity
  7. Yeah, I'm Sorry
  8. Come Close
  9. Scene Shifter
  10. A Concept Of You
  11. Riviera Suite
  12. Just Like That, The Song Was Over
  13. Martin's Lament

Review

This is, I'm told, the third release from Martin's Folly, and the result is thirteen tracks that surprise and delight the listener. Eschewing the standard rock "formula" of two guitars, we instead have a four-piece consisting of vocals/guitar, bass, keyboards and drums. The result is a sound that is refreshingly different from the standard rock fare.

Everything You Do (no relation to the Bryan Adams number) is a strong mid-tempo opener. I Wish I Was Your Mother is an excellent cover of the Mott The Hoople classic, and features a guest vocal from the song's author, Ian Hunter. Mott fans will love it.

These guys' influences are the great rock bands of the 60's and 70's - Zeppelin, The Who, Mott The Hoople, Queen, Neil Young/Crazy Horse, Motorhead... and yet they sound completely original and not derivative at all. At times tho' the style is completely retro (and refreshingly better for it), with early-70's style electric piano on Time Won't Happen To Me (the guitar solo is tasty as well) and the instrumental Riviera Suite.

At other times the sound is light, pared down with acoustic guitars like on Glad To See Me and Come Close both of which remind this listener of mid to late-80's REM.

All in all, a good album. Recommended.