Customer Reviews

Two Miles From Live Heaven

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

 

 

I attended Mott's Santa Monica Civic concert on April 13 1974 to celebrate my 21st birthday. It was broadcast on local FM (KMET) and therefore survived in superior fidelity to most boots. I refused to purchase a bootleg version though, since the band wouldn't receive a nickel. I was therefore ecstatic when it was finally released commercially as part of this two-CD set on Angel Air. The first CD is taken from 1971 and 1973 live performances and is above average, especially the tight versions of "Walkin' With a Mountain" and "Whiskey Women". There are also some studio outtakes from Mott's early days that I found only mildly interesting.

The second CD is the FM radio broadcast mentioned above. If you are a Mott the Hoople fan, you'll love it, since it includes numerous songs ("Roll Away the Stone", "Golden Age of Rock N' Roll", etc.) not included on the Mott the Hoople Live album. After several listens, however, I cannot rate this recording as highly as Mott's 1972 live Philadelphia show (available on the "Tale of Two Cities" CD). First, Verden Allen was a superior keyboardist to Morgan Fisher, if only because he served as the glue holding the band together. Second, while Ariel Bender was a great live showman, he was a marginally talented guitarist and his limitations are evident on the 1974 recording. Mick Ralphs' guitar work during the 1972 concert was compelling and makes that release superior to these ears. Finally, Ian Hunter's voice was hoarse at the beginning of the Santa Monica show and grows progressively worse. I know these will sound like quibbles to Mott's hardcore fans, but they deserve mention.

I`ve waited a long time for this collection of live concerts, partically for the last tour which followed the release of The Hoople. Sadly though disc2, which contains most of that tour, the overall performance and sound quality are lacking. Overend Watts bass distorts and drowns out the band at times ,Ariel Bender`s guitar solos are ok, but Ian hunters rythm guitar is almost non existant and his voice is a little horse and breaks up at times.

Disc1 starts off good,Walking With A Mountain is exceptionally good( Mick Ralph`s smokes on lead giutar) but from track 5 on the sound quality takes a downward spiral.As for as the bonus tracks, only Death May Be Your Santa Claus is a real jem! However, if your a hardcore fan of the band, it has its moments and is an essential part of any Mott The Hoople collection.

For many years, there has been insufficient live material from one of the more important and innovative bands of the early '70s. The EU label Angel Air has been doing their best to correct this. As noted in the official review, this is from the archives of band members. With a few exceptions, it is a fantastic chronicle of one of the great live acts of the '70s. If you love Free, Bad Company, and David Bowie, this recordings will be a welcome addition to your collection.

For those who only thought they were Mott The Hoople fans! Until you experience the raw power of Ariel Bender's guitar live, you will never understand the extent to which they influenced the following onslaught of the Punk Era. This album is raw energy highlighting the best rock band in the world at it's very peak. While Ian is horse through some of disc two, the music more than makes up for this shortfall. They don't make music like this any more, and it's a shame!