Customer Reviews

Hoople

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Of all of the rock acts of the 1970's, Mott The Hoople was the band that experienced the most versitile creative changes of it's day. "The Hoople" is Mott's third and final release, completing the cycle that began with "All The Young Dude's" and continued with "MOTT."

Critics hated this album upon it's release in 1974 but for me this album is their defining moment. No disrespect to guitarist Mick Ralphs who left before this recording to form "Bad Company" but Ariel Bender (Luther Grovesnor formerly of Spooky Tooth) added the missing element from the Hoople's sound on all of their previous releases. His licks on this record remind me of the sound of other bands of this time including Queen and Sparks. Morgan Fisher who replaced original keyboardist Verdi Allen proved to be a superior musician and not nearly the head case that the explosive Allen could be.

Ian Hunter's songwriting, progresses on this recording in leaps and bounds. "Marionette," " Through the Looking Glass" and "The Golden Age of Rock N Roll" are just a few of the great songs that give us a peek into what would later become an outstanding solo career for Ian.

If you are a "Hoople" fan from the the 1970's as I am, then you probably already have a copy of this. However if you are a younger fan of bands like "The Darkness" or "Keane" then you might want to get back to the roots with this all-time classic release.

Also Recommended:
"Kimono My House" by Sparks
"A Night At The Opera" by Queen
"Desolation Boulevard" by Sweet

Song by song for my money, this is a superior album to "Mott". It may not have the more guitar heavy tracks associated with some of MTH's Mick Ralphs era, but the songwriting is top-notch. In fact, were it not for the "Mott" tracks Drivin Sister, and I'm a Cadillac/ El camino Doloroso, it's essentially a very similar album.

It's not that this record is generally disliked, but it lives in the shadow of it's predocessor, not to mention that albums' predocessor, All the Young Dudes. It just seems unfair when you consider all of the unsung brilliance on this album. Anyone who knows Mott will tell you Golden Age of Rock n' Roll is right up there with All the Way from Memphis, and Marionette is considered by Ian Hunter (not to mention myself) to be the greatest thing Mott ever recorded. Then of coarse there's the Mott classic Roll Away the Stone, always great (though the albums legacy may have faired better were the track presented earlier in the sequence letting Through the Looking Glass end the record.

But aside from the more well known tracks on the album, there are two particular songs that really bring the whole piece together. The first is Alice, a very upbeat signature Ian Hunter pop gem complete with a quirky verse, two pre-choruses, and a very solid chorus.

The other is my favorite MTH song next to Whizz Kid and Marionette- Pearl and Roy (england). An incredible energy that reminds me of a great rowdy band playing in a pub (mostly because of the rowdy pub crowd noises at the beginning of the song.) Amazing guitar work you'd almost not even notice if you weren't listening, awesome piano riff, and a perfectly singable chorus.

Everything else here is perfect as it needs to be, the weakest track being Trudi's song, however indisposable. The bonus tracks on the import are excellent and very essentiall if you don't already have them on another MTH or Ian Hunter set. Especially the Single a-sides Foxy, Foxy, and the Mick Ronson on guitar shouldabeena classic Saturday Gigs.

THE HOOPLE is yet another masterpiece for Mott The Hoople, completing a cycle that started with ALL THE YOUNG DUDES and continued with the psychodrama of MOTT. This CD includes seven bonus cuts, some featuring guitarist Mick Ronson, who'd replaced Ariel Bender (Luther Grosvenor) following the latter's mid-tour departure. Elsewhere, Bender proves himself as worthy a guitarist as HIS predecessor, Mick Ralphs. If you buy this CD along with MOTT, ALL THE YOUNG DUDES, IAN HUNTER, YOU'RE NEVER ALONE WITH A SCHIZOPHRENIC, WELCOME TO THE CLUB, RANT, and SHRUNKEN HEADS, you'll have yourself the perfect Ian Hunter/Mott The Hoople library.

Back before rock music got boring, bands of the Glam era made some interesting albums. Ian Hunter and his "Hoople" were at the forefront.

Great disc, shipped quick and secure. Wife got this for me for Christmas along with seven others. This is fast becoming a fave of mine on my new CD Changer...used digital optical connections and it (the disc) sounds awesome. If your a Bowie or Mott fan this album is a must for your collection.

Mott (The Hoople) / "The Hoople" (bonus tracks edition): This is a good album but it is not a great album. It is enjoyable but not essential, with the exception of the hit "Roll Away The Stone". Fun to listen to but it is not terribly memorable. The numerous bonus tracks are a nice addition but not enough to change the feel of the album. It is Just good enough to get Four Stars.

There seems to be a new resurgence of interest in 1970s music, particularly among today's 15 - 25 year olds. I grew up in the 70s and my friends' teenage sons are regularly asking me for recommendations of lesser known 1970s bands. They all know about Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and the like, but they are not familiar with most of the lesser known 1970s bands.

To assist others looking for lesser known 1970s music, I'm posting recommendations of 1970s bands and albums that aren't very well known but are worth the attention of a new generation of listeners.

Mott The Hoople's "The Hoople", released in 1974, is one such album.

Mott The Hoople had released several albums between 1969-1971 but didn't gain much recognition until their 1972 release,All The Young Dudes, which was produced by David Bowie. All The Young Dudes was their breakthrough album; following its release, Mott The Hoople became one of the leading British bands of the era.

All The Young Dudes was followed in 1973 by Mott, which firmly established the band as one of the top glam bands of the day.

After Mott was released, lead guitarist Mick Ralphs left the band to form Bad Company with former Free vocalist Paul Rogers and Free drumer Simon Kirke. Ralphs was replaced by former Spooky Tooth guitarist Luther Grosvenor, who used the stage name Ariel Bender while he was with Mott The Hoople.

The Hoople was the last album Mott The Hoople released before frontman Ian Hunter left the band to pursue a solo career. This is a really good album. It's certainly worth having if you're exploring 1970s music. This release of The Hoople has the original album tracks along with some studio out takes and a few tracks that weren't released on the original album.

There are three Mott The Hoople albums you should check out: All The Young Dudes, Mott and The Hoople. If you like these, you should also check out Ian Hunter's solo career. Hunter released 4 albums in the late 1970s. If you're interested in checking him out, start with his 1979 release, You're Never Alone With A Schizophrenic. If you like that one, buy his first solo album, released in 1975, titled, Ian Hunter.

Ian Hunter is still active. He released two albums in the last five years, Shrunken heads and Man Overboard. Both are excellent.

For those exploring 1970s music, the three Mott The Hoople studio albums released between 1972-74 -All The Young Dudes, Mott and The Hoople - are all worth your attention. There's really good material on all three albums. Don't bother with the earlier Mott The Hoople releases or the albums released after Ian Hunter left the band.

Although Mott The Hoople is not very well known today, it was one of the leading glam rock bands during 1973-74. If you're exploring 1970s music, this album, along with All The Young Dudes, Mott and Ian Hunter's solo releases are worth your attention.

Mott's last studio album was made with a new lineup as founding member Mick Ralphs had departed for Bad Company in late 1973. Ariel Bender replaced him but Ian Hunter was left to his own devices and as a result `The Hoople' isn't as good as `Dudes' or `Mott'. That's just my opinion but it seemed that the band was missing the chemistry that was the Ralphs/Hunter partnership (as well as Verden Allen as well who also left during the making of `Mott'). Ralphs does make contributions to the current LP as pre-release single "Roll Away the Stone" features his striding rhythm guitar (it was a `Mott' left over) while Bender's lead was overdubbed onto it. "Stone" is probably my favorite song on the record along with nostalgia tribute "Golden Age of Rock n'Roll" which served as the opener. "Marionette" is `The Hoople''s showpiece and is very much another side of the theme Hunter explored in the `Ballad of Mott' about the pain and frustration that show business can bring along with the glory. Good record, solid way to end the Mott story but ultimately unsatisfying for me as the prior two records were better.

when I was in 8th grade (a million years ago) I discovered this album. It was still contemporary, I think right about the time Ian Hunter left the band. I loved this record, still do. The first four songs are as good as anything Glam ever gave us, but I think Mott the Hoople rose above glam rock. They were, in their own right, an awesome rock band, absolutely worth being members of the rock and roll hall of fame.
I think if anyone came from the school of classic rock listening, i.e. the Stones, Beatles, the Who, Led Zeppelin then you'd have no trouble savoring this offering by one of the most underrated bands in history, dare I say.

It's all been said, "Mick Ralphs" (absolutely irreplaceable) "appeared to be in Bad Company" (that, as per the album itself)...well, he and Paul Rodgers were working mircles, allright, but the lead-into-gold miracle that Ian Hunter salvaged out of "The Hoople?" Well, "Marionette," must have, indeed, "influenced" Queen who were touring with them (you know, "Bohemian Rhapsody," and all that...) And song #3, ALice," is astounding for its leslie'd bass (leslie'd bass, now!) intro and underpinning. And let's be nice and kinda ignore Born Late '58," because that was INDEED a "glimpse into the future," as what "Mott" would sound like when Ian Hunter left, taking "Ariel Bender" (AKA Luther Grosvenor) and, yeah, Mick Ronson with him. But STILL: the ALL TIME #1 'IN YOUR FACE' "lead guitar" solo is presented here by Mr. Bender on the album's first - incandescent! - track, "The Golden Age Of Rock And Roll." STONES-rock and roll...but then...the guitar solo: and ARiel eschews the current guitar cliches, and presents a - can I say it, Amazon? - masturbatory "solo" of false notes and completely gratuitous finger exercise. - BRILLIANT! For a band abot 30 minutes to being - PFFT! - completely gone, "The Hoople" is simply BRILLIANT. And despite my falling out with Ian Hunter recently, over his "post-Ronno" output, he shone like a July 4th firecracker here.