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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 (3:34)
  2. One of the Boys (2:49)
  3. Sweet Jane (3:16)
  4. All the Way From Memphis (3:04)
  5. I Wish I Was Your Mother (4:54)
  6. The Golden Age of Rock 'n' Roll (3:27)
  7. Roll Away the Stone (3:11)
  8. Marionette (live) (5:14)
  9. Rose (3:57)
  10. Foxy Foxy (3:31)
  11. Where Do You All Come From (3:27)
  12. Rest In Peace (3:56)
  13. Saturday Gigs (4:18)

Disc 2

  1. Once Bitten Twice Shy (4:45)
  2. 3,000 Miles From Here (2:48)
  3. I Get So Excited (3:50)
  4. You Nearly Did Me In (5:45)
  5. All American Alien Boy (7:10)
  6. England Rocks (2:54)
  7. Wild n' Free (3:09)
  8. Justice of the Peace (3:03)
  9. Overnight Angels (5:17)
  10. Golden Opportunity (4:34)

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.