Mott The Hoople and Ian Hunter

Ian Hunter LP/CD: "Shades of Ian Hunter - The Ballad of Ian Hunter and Mott The Hoople"

Sleeve and track listing

Columbia 474782-2. (3.5 stars!)

Disc 1

  1. All the Young Dudes
  2. One of the Boys
  3. Sweet Jane
  4. All the Way From Memphis
  5. I Wish I Was Your Mother
  6. The Golden Age of Rock 'n' Roll
  7. Roll Away the Stone
  8. Marionette (live)
  9. Rose
  10. Foxy Foxy
  11. Where Do You All Come From
  12. Rest In Peace
  13. Saturday Gigs

Disc 2

  1. Once Bitten Twice Shy
  2. 3,000 Miles From Here
  3. I Get So Excited
  4. You Nearly Did Me In
  5. All American Alien Boy
  6. England Rocks
  7. Wild n' Free
  8. Justice of the Peace
  9. Overnight Angels
  10. Golden Opportunity

Review

Columbia refused to release Ian's third album, Overnight Angels, in the USA, but with Ian enjoying renewed success with the Schizophrenic album, Columbia decided to release this 2-LP set to cash in on all the publicity Ian was getting.

Sides 1 and 2 are Mott, while sides 3 and 4 are Ian solo. Side 1 is a "Mott's greatest hits" collection, and side 2 is a B-sides and not-on-any-albums collection. It includes a previously-unreleased live version of Marionette. It was mixed for this collection by someone who didn't care - a better version is available on the Long Red unofficial CD and, of course, on the 30th Anniversary issue of the Live album.

Side 3 is a "best of" collection of Ian's first two albums, while side 4 is a collection of Overnight Angels material, including the non-LP single England Rocks. Interesting, given that Columbia had passed on it just two years previously....

This 2-LP set was issued as a 2-CD set in 1995, and is now deleted. Sound quality is average to poor. No bonus tracks.