Mott The Hoople: Greatest Hits

Mott The Hoople were my favourite band as a teenager in the mid seventies. It began for me with the All The Young Dudes single in 1972 and I stuck with them for the remaining just over two years of their rollercoaster career. These were their "glam" years", the years of "the suits and the platform boots" as gloriously-referenced in their valedictory final single, Saturday Gigs. At the time I had no knowledge of their earlier Dylanesque rock period from 1969 to 1972 under the producership of the madcap genius that was Guy Stevens, before David Bowie gave them the legendary shot in the arm. I have come to those challenging, but interesting albums over subsequent years. 

So, like many groups who had a "glam phase" there are two incarnations of Mott The Hoople. Those early albums have a real appeal to them, but the three glam years saw the very best of the group as they became momentarily famous something that never really sat quite right with them. They were an honest, hard-working, uncompromising and often shambolic band. They were maybe the Newcastle United of rock music - passionately supported, salt of the earth, and occasionally inspired. But they were never quite as good as they might have been, were they, or maybe they were just what they were - a good time rock band who never let us down, despite what they said in The Ballad Of Mott The Hoople. Like The Clash in 1977, they were, briefly, the right band in the right place at the right time. Their laddish appeal suited me right down to the ground. 

I finally got to see them live on the final night of their farewell tour in 2009 at the Hammersmith Odeon where they had played all those years before. I had been just a bit too young to see them in 1972-74. I read an interview with Queen's Brian May (Queen opened for Mott in 1973) and he said "Mott The Hoople - God bless 'em....". Indeed. He speaks for everyone there. Listen woman - it's time for Mott The Hoople.

Shall we travel a mighty long way down rock and roll then.....

The album only covers the 1972-74 period, ignoring Mott's 1969-1971 period on the Island label, somewhat unfairly, but that said, the stuff on there is pretty much the band's best. 

Ian Hunter's extended, insistent piano introduction to the iconic All The Way From Memphis gets things going - and how! It is an absolutely stonking, storming track that tells the tale of Mick Ralphs losing his guitar while on tour in the USA. Roxy Music's Andy Mackay provides a superb saxophone solo and the "insane violin", as described on the credits, is provided by Graham Preskitt. The slightly camp "all the way from Memphis" lines are from bassist Overend Watts. The song provided the group with their third hit single. Unfortunately, the single version edited the piano intro, which was utter sacrilege, in my book. Thankfully the album version has it in all its beautiful, clunking glory. 

A more than welcome second chart hit for the band, from May 1973, is the catchy and gleefully singalong Honaloochie Boogie, which was, eight months after All The Young Dudes, proof that Mott could write chart hits in their own right. "My hair gets longer as the beat gets stronger, wanna tell Chuck Berry my news..." was a killer line that I always liked. 

Now we got all reflective with one of Mott's many standout big-production Hunter-penned ballads, the dramatic album track from 1973's Mott album, Hymn For The Dudes. The song name-checked their breakthrough chart hit from the previous summer, All The Young Dudes, of course. Quiet, acoustically-backed verses lead into some deliciously overblown chorus parts at the song's climax. Check out Mick Ralphs' stunning guitar solo at the song's apex and Dale "Buffin" Griffin's drumming. Love it. 

Born Late '58, bassist Overend Watts' contribution to 1974's The Hoople album, is a bit of a "Ringo song", his dull, expressionless voice not a patch on Hunter's, although many long time fans seem to love it. It shouldn't really be on here, in my opinion, there were certainly better candidates out there - Jerkin' Crocus, Rock 'n' Roll Queen, Drivin' Sister or Sweet Jane to name but four. 

Now, here we go then, All The Young Dudes. I have heard the title track hundreds (probably thousands) of times since 1972, but I never tire of it. That guitar intro always, without fail, gives me goosebumps. You still can't beat the bit at end either where Hunter shouts out "hey you, you with the glasses...". Once more, like Sweet Jane from its album, it is a track that successfully merges acoustic and electric guitars. Incidentally, a sometimes overlooked bit of trivia is that Bowie's first offering to bassist Overend Watts was Suffragette City. He returned a few days later with a "great new song" for Mott and kept Suffragette for himself and the Ziggy Stardust album. There are also stories that have circulated over the years that he also offered them Drive-In Saturday and that Mott turned it down. Who knows? Anyway, they chose Dudes and the rest is history.

There now follows, thankfully, the original single version of Roll Away The Stone. Quite why they decided to re-record the song for inclusion on The Hoople is unclear as the original had so much more "oomph" to it, anyone can hear that. I loved the song in 1973 and hey, whaddya know? I still do. 

Ballad Of Mott is a corking, non-single "slowie" as Hunter details the band's past travails, name checking each member. It is a marvellously evocative and moving song written by Hunter for the band's fans and he addresses them in the lyrics - "you know all the tales we tell, you know the band so well". He also says that "somehow we let you down...". No, Ian, you didn't. Not at all. Never. 

The lead-off single from The Hoople, The Golden Age Of Rock 'n' Roll is a lesser All The Way From Memphis, with its similar piano intro, but is nonetheless an enjoyable retro rock 'n' roll romp. It is full of blaring saxophone together with a really strong Hunter vocal and wailing female backing vocals - not from the wonderfully-named, previously-used Thunderthighs but from Sue & Sunny. It is a real get up off your arse number. Mott were pretty much guaranteed hits now too and it duly became Mott's fifth consecutive hit single. Every time I hear it, it takes me right back to April 1974. 

Foxy Foxy was a stand-alone single from the summer of 1974, released as Mott's briefly shining star was gradually starting to fade. It is a glorious serving of Spectoresque majesty that broke the rockin' mould of previous single releases. Once more, I loved it to death upon first hearing. My band were my band. 

As if I needed any more convincing, the lads gave us one last, great valedictory hurrah as they sadly split up but left us fans with this moving and totally nostalgic (even then) "thank you" message - Saturday Gigs. In so many respects, this was the best Mott The Hoople record of all. In true Hunter storytelling fashion it details the band's years from 1969 to 1974 in semi-joyful but also astonishing sad style, complete with saxophone, guitar and drums backing the singalong "goodbye" fade-out. I defy any Mott The Hoople fan or anyone who was there in 1973-74 not to feel a little tearful when they hear this.

"Don't wanna be hip - but thanks for a great trip".

No, thank you - Ian, Mick, Overend, Buffin, Verden, Ariel, Morgan et al.

Me - I've wanted to do this for years.....