Down 'n' Outz CD: "My Regeneration"

Sleeve and track listing

Frontiers Music SRL - FR CD 831.

1. Golden Opportunity
2. Storm
3. Overnight Angels
4. Career (No Such Thing As Rock 'n' Roll)
5. England Rocks
6. Shouting And Pointing
7. By Tonight
8. Apologies^{1, 2}
9. Who Do You Love
10. One More Chance To Run
11. 3,000 Miles From Here^{1, 2}
12. Good Times
13. The Flipside Of The Shameless Whelk^{1, 2}
14. By Tonight (Midnight Mix)²
15. Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding (Live)²

Originaly free with Classic Rock magazine issue 147

¹ bonus track on the 2010 retail version

² bonus track on the 2017 reissue

Review

When Mott the Hoople reformed in 2009 for their run of five sold-out nights at Hammersmith Apollo, they asked Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott if he could help in any way. He was delighted, and teamed up with various Quireboys to form the Down n Outz, who opened for Mott on the final night. That show was released on a DVD - indeed all concerned enjoyed the experience so much they decided to continue, and the result is this CD. Initally given away with issue 147 of Classic Rock, retail versions featured extra tracks.

The result is a hugely enjoyable selection of covers from (mostly) post-Hunter MOTT and Overnight Angels-era Hunter. The band stick close to the original arrangements, so the whole feels immediately familiar while fresh at the same time, with the guitars given extra bite and venom. The Overnight Angels tracks (Golden Opportunity, Overnight Angels and England Rocks) benefit most from this approach, Joe chosing them because it is by all accounts Ian's least favourite album.

The MOTT tracks are also strong with Storm and Shouting And Pointing being as powerful as they ever were. Actually, the whole album is a delight from start to finish and I can't really fault it. Covers albums can be throwaway affairs (Bowie's Pin Ups being a prime example), but trust me - this one's good and worthy of your hard-earned cash.