Mott The Hoole [Extra tracks, Import]

Mott the Hoople | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 12, 2009)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks, Import
• Label: ANGEL AIR
• ASIN: B0000AJ5T7
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #93,715 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. You Really Got Me

2. At The Crossroads

3. Laugh At Me

4. Backsliding Fearlessly

5. Rock And Roll Queen

6. Rabbit Foot And Toby Time

7. Half Moon Bay

8. Wrath And Wroll

9. Ohio (Live)

10. Find Your Way (Instrumental)

Editorial Reviews

As the 'Swinging Sixties' limped wearily into its final twelve months, an ambitious (but still flat broke) South Midlands rock band called Silence was preparing for the one last tilt at breaking into the London gig scene. The group at this time consisted of organist Terence Verden Allen, drummer Terence Dale Griffin (Buffin), guitarist Michael Geoffrey Ralphs, bassist Peter Overend Watts and vocalist Stan Tippins. Early in May 1969 Watts spied a likely ad in Melody Maker-'Tough Aggressive bass player required for Island Records group'. A quick phone call identified the group as Free or rather as Paul Kossoff and Simon Kirke, who were looking for new musicians. With Mick Ralph's along for moral support, Watts travelled up to London for the audition, but on arrival at the rehearsal room in Gerrard Street, Soho, he was dismayed to find a long queue of tough aggresive bass players all in German helmets waiting to be seen. Mick Ralphsthought that Guy Stevens, who he had briefly met through Traffis's Dave Mason the previous year, might be at the audition and, so, pushing his way to the front, disappeared into the studio. Moments later he reappeared and ushered Watts inside past what you can only imagine, was an incredulous and none too pleased queue. The audition did not lead to being offered the job,(in fact Free decided to carry on with its original members) but it did provide another connection with Guy Stevens and Island Records. Guy liked the image and asked if I was in a band and I said I was in Silence with Mick. He said he'd like to hear Silence. Stevens arranged for Silence to audition for Island Records in a third floor room at Spot Studio, South Molton Street in London's West End. Shaking their heads like their lives depended on it, Silence ripped through a set, luckily Guy liked them. Guy was impressed by the bands instrumental firepower but felt that Stan did not look the part. On 13th may 1969, the remaining four members of Silence entered Morgan Studios, Willesden, for what was essentially a recording test to decide whether Guy would record an album with them. Guy was satisfied with the results. All they needed to do now was find a singer. An advertisement was placed in Melody Maker. On the evening of 5th June, oblivious to the events happening in Denmark Street, Ian Hunter Patterson was sat in front of the TV when The telephone rang. Bill Farley asked me if I'd seen the advert and said I ought to get down there because they'd run out of apploicants and the job was still vacant - so I relented and said I was on my way. I arrived at Regent Sound, I remember Buff looked about fourteen. In my own primitive way I did impress them enough to offer me the job-though they were very dubious about my appearance. On the evening of 12th June, Guy rang the boys at their Lower Slone Street residence to let them know that they were 'MOTT THE HOOPLE'. On the 20th June, after just 11 days of rehearsal and without playing a single gig. Mott The Hoople entered Morgan Recording Studios, Willesden High Street, London to record their debut album with Guy Stevens producing and Andy Johns as engineer. Although Guy was credited with production, it was Andy Johns who was responsible for how the album sounded. 'Guy really knew nothing about music'. Musicians: DALE GRIFFIN, IAN HUNTER, MICK RALPHS, OVEREND WATTS and VERDEN ALLEN.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Favorite Album, August 29, 2005

By 

James L. Viland "Jim V." (Detroit, MI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mott The Hoole (Audio CD)

This is a great album, with original mix of everything other bands always wanted to be. Mick Ralphs guitar has such personality, they didn't even need lyrics on the Kinks "You Really Got Me". Hunter's voice does have a Dylan quality, but the songs are more musical, and, aiming back at the critics; they aren't even Dylan's songs. This band had great musical intelligence and ability on their own, as well as borrowing tastefully from resources and contemporaries of the time. Producer, Guy Stevens, had a great vision and ear, and although he drove the band nuts, had genious for sound. He was a strong advocate and defender of the band, sadly passing away at such an early age. I enjoy listening to the album with Ralphs guitar, Verden Allen's Hammond organ/Leslie speaker, Ian Hunter's voice and Jerry Lee Lewis style piano, Overend Watt's interesting powerful bass, and Buffin's raucious drumming. Much of the album has an easy listening, swashbuckling tone. "Half Moon Bay" is the cornerstone piece with its rolling, soothing sound of the sea and a classical bridge. I imagined the organ sound reflecting the texture of the lizard on the back of the album. "Rock and Roll Queen" is a great rocker with searing lead guitar by Ralphs that just does not quit. Just when you think it might be peaking out, he kicks it up another notch, and then another, until fading out frantically at the end of the song. A lot of energy that still gets me buzzing when I hear it. "Cross Roads" and "Laugh At Me" are other favorites, building from mellow slow beginnings to rocking high energy finales. I especially liked the tiny backgound voices on "Laugh At Me", singing the band's name, "Mott the Hoople!", just after the intense and colorful lead guitar kicks in. "Cross Roads" ends with slide guitar work that sounds inspred by the Stones, "Monkey Man", which in turn was inspred by the Beatles, "Hey Jude". Any of these songs could have been hits, and could still be today...

I attended a concert in 1971 at the Eastown Theater in Detroit. They played cuts from this album as well as Mad Shadows and the yet to be released Wildlife. We jumped on stage with them during "Rock and Roll Queen" and they seemed to enjoy it. They were playing before Johnny Winter, and had just been preceded by one of their favorite groups, Leslie West and Mountain. Leslie came down into the audience (no seats, just standing room) and I heard him commenting how tight and powerful MTH was on stage. I was thrilled to hear MTH do a live version of Mountain's "Long Red" on the live double album released many years later. It took me instantly back to the concert.

I originally purchased Mott the Hoople's first four albums when they came out, 1970 - 1971. I purchased the original CDs when they became available but was very disappointed in the sound quality. I have waited for 20 years to hear these cds with sound quality like the vinyl original albums had, and now even better. A real treat to have the added previously unreleased tracks, especially Neil Youg's "Ohio", which may have also fitted well on Mad Shadows, where Mick Ralphs had more vocals. Over all this one and Mad Shadows have always been my two favorite albums. This version is great with the sound quality and extensive bigraphical notes from Buffin. Anyone that likes Bob Dylan's sound, the Beatles or early Rolling Stones needs a copy of this finely remastered CD. It seems Angel Air was the missing link this band could have used when making albums.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Silence To Thunder, June 1, 2009

By 

PHILIP S WOLF (SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CA. USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mott The Hoole (Audio CD)

In 1969 the Midlands group: Silence, was in search of a new lead singer. Mick Ralphs, Pete Watts, Verden Allen and Dale Griffin had decided that Stan Tippins, the vocalist for Silence, was not projecting the image and voice that would propel Silence to the top of the charts.

Enter a bass guitarist/vocalist: Ian Hunter Patterson. The group wanted their new singer to play piano and sing a bunch. Ian, could barely play piano but had a rough Dylan voice and style, that the band was searching for. Eleven days after Ian met Silence, the group was in the studio working on this album. Changes were in order. First the name of the new singer was shortened to Ian Hunter, Dale Griffin, became: Buffin, Pete Watts was now: Overend Watts. The band name of Silence was re-christened: Mott The Hoople.

This startling debut record opens with a cover of The Kinks: "You Really Got Me." Not happy with the vocal track, the instrumental track was used as it was deemed more powerful. "At The Crossroads" By Doug Sahm & "Laugh At Me" by Sonny Bono spotlight Ian Hunter's vocal skills as a Bob Dylan type singer as backed by a Rolling Stone's style band. The Ian, penned: "Backsliding Fearlessly" is the first original song on the record, and it is a gem. "Backsliding" features a smoldering vocal and relentless piano that is all anchored by the pounding beat...the first glimse of what Mott The Hoople were to become.

Side two opens with the first classic MTH song: "Rock And Roll Queen." With the guitars of Mick Ralphs, and shared vocals between Ian and Mick, this is now a BAND and here is right where it all begins. "Rabbit Foot & Toby Time" is a short jam that leads in the album's centerpiece: "Half Moon Bay" a sweeping 11 minute ballad orchestrated by the mighty organ of Verden Allen. Ian's voice croaks and cracks, and is very perfect for this music...."Half Moon Bay" is a must-listen for any rock music fan, this is a great, great song. A short bit of studio madness puts a rap on the original album entitled: "Wrath And Wroll" by producer/looney Guy Stevens.

Two bonus tracks are included on this edition of Mott The Hoople's debut. They are: "Ohio" a live version of the Neil Young classic, and an instrumental by Mick called: "Find Your Way." They are nice to have been included, but it is still the original record that is the star here.
Mott The Hoople, would go through lot's of changes in the five years, that they existed as band. But, this over-looked debut of a record, is a great begining for an even greater rock band.
Four Stars !!!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant underground album, November 10, 2007

By 

The Glass Guitar - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mott The Hoole (Audio CD)

Mott the Hoople was definitely not an ordinary rock group, and this first album establishes them as a unique quantity with a lot of nerve. What other group would open up its debut album with an instrumental cover of a famous song? What group would include an eleven minute opus on their debut album? or close their debut album with two minutes of chaotic jamming?

Mott's rendition of "You Really Got Me" pales all other attempts. The other two cover songs, "At the Crossroads" and "Laugh at Me," are very tastefully done. Ian Hunter's first compositon, "Backsliding Fearlessly," is not one of his best pieces musically, but his lyrics are already above and beyond the rock and roll standard: "Three cheers for the innocent, though he is perverse/Three screams for the hangman as he cries for the hearse" is just one brilliant line. Mick Ralphs' contributions are "Rabbit Foot and Toby Time," basically an intro to the epic "Half Moon Bay," and "Rock and Roll Queen," a powerful piece that presages his world famous songs with Bad Company. This is an album that deserves to be redicovered.