Mott The Hoople and Ian Hunter

Mick Ronson CD: "Just Like This"

Sleeve and track listing

NMC PILOT50. (4.5 stars!)

  1. Just Like This (5:28)
  2. I'd Give Anything To See You (5:59)
  3. Takin' A Train (6:17)
  4. Hard Life (6:33)
  5. (I'm Just A) Junkie For Your Love (2:51)
  6. Crazy Love (6:59)
  7. Hey Grandma (4:58)
  8. Is That Any Way (3:47)
  9. I've Got No Secrets (4:53)
  10. Hard Headed Woman (4:08)
  11. Roll Like The River (6:11)
  12. Angel No. 9 (5:34)

Running time: 63m 44s

Review

By late 1976 Mick Ronson, who had played with David Bowie, Mott The Hoople, Ian Hunter and Bob Dylan, had finally split with his long-time manager Tony DeFries. Wanting to record again, he put a band together and after a few rehearsals, entered Bearsville Studios to record an album's worth of material.

Record company politics ensured the album never completed mixing, and the band soon folded. Now, over 20 years later, these tracks have been rescued from the vaults, mixed properly and given a proper release. And about time too, as these tracks represent perhaps some of the finest work Mick ever comitted to posterity in the studio.

Better than any of his previous solo albums (Slaughter On 10th Avenue, Play Don't Worry and Heaven And Hull) this is the album you felt Mick should have released but never did. Crunching rock guitar, beautiful soaring solos, great songs, it's all here.

The packaging includes a 20-page booklet with sleevenotes as always by Campbell Devine, together with comments by Suzi Ronson, Ian Hunter, Shane Fontayne and Bobby Chen. Early copies of the album come with a bonus CD (42m 56s) with the following demos and alternate mixes:

  1. Crazy Love (6:42)
  2. I'd Give Anything To See You (Right Now) (5:28)
  3. Takin' The Next Train (6:17)
  4. Hard Life (ballad version) (3:55)
  5. Junkie (3:08)
  6. Hey Grandma (4:40)
  7. Just Like This (7:07)
  8. Ronno's Bar and Grill (5:38)

All are worthy versions in their own right, excepting Ronno's Bar and Grill, which is best described as alcohol-fuelled studio banter.