Mott the Hoople's Masterpiece

08/26/2010
. (Gibson.com's Russell Hall|) When Mott the Hoople entered Air London Studios in April 1973 to record Mott, their sixth album, they were a band with something to prove. Less than a year earlier, thanks to the patronage of David Bowie, the group had scored their first major hit with the Bowie-penned single, "All the Young Dudes." A glam-pop anthem, "Dudes" became the centerpiece of the album that bore its name, but the song also saddled Mott the Hoople with an ill-fitting image as burgeoning glitter-rock stars. More importantly, music scribes attributed the group's success solely to Bowie's involvement, and speculated that without Bowie at the helm, the band would falter and lose its way.

"After we made the All the Young Dudes album, all the British press was saying, 'Well, they can't do it without David,'" frontman Ian Hunter explained in a 2001 interview. "I got really aggravated about that. That was when I upped things to the next level, where we started to have hits on our own."

To say Mott "upped things" is to put it mildly. Kicking off with "All the Way from Memphis," a song that's since attained classic status, Mott left no doubt about Hunter's emergence as a master songwriter. Powered by percussive, Jerry Lee Lewis-style piano from Hunter, and muscular lead work from guitarist Mick Ralphs, the song set the tone for the rest of the disc. "Whizz Kid" kept things moving forward in loosely the same fashion, while the Beatles-esque "Honaloochie Boogie" showcased Hunter's newfound strength as a composer of memorable melodies. - more on this story

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