Mad Shadows [EXTRA TRACKS] [IMPORT] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

Mott the Hoople

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 13, 2003)
• Original Release Date: November 2003
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks, Import, Original recording remastered
• Label: Angel Air
• ASIN: B0000AJ5T8
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #144,639 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

2003 remastered reissue of 1970 sophmore album, that's unavailable domestically, features 9 tracks including 2 bonus tracks, 'It Would Be A Pleasure' & 'How Long? (Death May Be Your Santa Claus)'. Includes 20-page booklet. Angel Air.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Light & Dark of Mott, October 11, 2006

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

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Mott the Hoople had gone through some changes since Forming in June 1969. They recorded the 1st Album, were introduced to their Producer-To-Be: Guy Stevens. And played ton's of Live Gigs in England and Europe to live out the Rock 'N Roll Dream to ever increasing Crowds. The Recording sessions for "Mad Shadows" began in Feb 1970. Well, the First MTH Record was quite good, and Mott The Hoople showed the promise of greater things to come, and one of the Greater things that happened was this Second Album: "Mad Shadows".

Things begin with "Thunderbuck Ram" one of the best songs ever written by Guitarist Mick Ralphs. This opener sets the tone for the album as an whole, as they had already shown on stage Mott came to Rock and they Rock hard here with a million electric guitars, in a word POWER...Next up Ian Hunter's Ballad "No Wheels To Ride" with that BIG organ of Verden Allen and Punchy Bass Guitar of one Mr. Pete Overend Watts and the Fade-Out Solo by the Ralpher is KILLER...Track No. 3 is the uplifting Hunter Ditty "You Are One Of Us" and Great Piano & a bit of Acoustic Guitar are heard as well as are those Power Guitars...Nice. To End the first side comes "Walkin' With A Mountian" the Best known tune on "Shadows" it's just a Rock 'N Roll song, and was a Highlight of MTH Concerts for the next four years...Classic, Mott the Hoople...Classic.

"I Can Feel" a Mick Ralphs tune gently opens side two, with Ian singing at his best here, this is holds up well after all these years. This is CHURCH kids...real pretty, and has some real sweet Guitar by the Ralpher thrown in to Boot. For just a Second Record this Band was Really on Top Of Their Game! Then comes "Threads Of Iron" a haunting number featuring Ian & Mick sharing Vocal Duties, it goes and goes and gets crazy towards the end and then we are left to: "When My Minds Gone" . Welcome to Stoner's Hell, Ian sounds like he is having a nervious breakdown on this one, and I believe HE DID... This Great Song STILL gives me Shivers....Great Closer to a Great Record, Now Remastered and sounding Bigger & Clearer. As a Bonus to this Re-Issue of this Classic, Two Extra Tracks have been added: "It Would Be A Pleasure" a Country Romp from Mick Ralphs that would've sounded good on the Third Album "Wildlife". "How Long" is an early take of "Death May Be Your Santa Claus" that turns up on "Brain Capers" the Fantastic Fourth Release: "Brain Capers".

Mott the Hoople was one of the best in an era of Greats, (1969-1974) and this little CD called "Mad Shadows" is Evidence of that in Spades...Four Stars.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mad Shadows, November 25, 2006

By	Greg Naugle "Chaosmönger" (Sewell, NJ) - See all my reviews

Mott The Hoople have always been one of the best rock bands out there, despite being overlooked and this album proves it. Mott's debut album was very good, but had dissappointing album sales unlike that of their live shows, which gave then producer Guy Stevens the idea to record a "live in the studio" album. The result is this, the very dark, yet powerful Mad Shadows. It gets off to a great rocking start with Thunderbuck Ram, one of the best songs Mick Ralphs has ever written (He also sings lead here). From there we move into another powerful song, No Wheels To Ride, featuring some great organ from Verden Allen, which is then followed nicely by You Are One Of Us. The album then moves into the live concert staple and other out and out rocker Walkin With A Mountain. From there we have I Can Feel, a bit of a slower song, but still excellent, and then into Threads Of Iron, another Ralphs penned song that shines among his best work. The album closes out with When My Mind's Gone, a stream of consciousness song Ian Hunter was prompted by Guy Stevens to make up on the spot, the result is a great closer. Overall, the album features some excellent playing from all members here, whether it be Mick's beautiful guitar playing, Overend's crunchy bass, Buffins thundering drums, Verden's harmonic organ, or Hunters pounding piano, and raw powerful vocals. Despite what many think, I love the feel this album has to it and I think Hunters vocals here are great. My only complaint would have to be Stevens letting a few songs fade out to early, after all its not like this album is very long, for instance on No Wheels To Ride, they sound like there really getting into a jam, and it cuts off, makes me wonder what the rest of it sounded like. Another thing that makes this great is that all the songs are originals by the band themselves, no covers here, and it makes it flow great (although, every cover Mott did always came out excellent). If you don't have it, go out and get this album!

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sophmore effort worth picking up with remastered sound, May 27, 2004

By	Wayne Klein "If at first the idea is not absu... (My Little Blue Window, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

Mott's producer Guy Stevens was a bit of a loon. For "Mad Shadows" he pushed the band to the edge recording them live without any overdubs, had Ian Hunter make up a song for the album on the spot ("When My Mind's Gone")and didn't catch the fact that one of the drummer's pedals squeaked throughout the entire session. In other words, another typical Mott album experience.

Despite all of this, "Mad Shadows" is a worthy and frequently powerful follow up to the band's debut. While the band hated Stevens fly-by-the-seat of the pants production style here (in fact they hated it so much they produced their next album themselves), he was their Phil Spector. His unique production sound fit the band perfectly.

The album opens with the blast of Mick Ralphs' "Thunderbuck Ram". "No Wheels to Ride" and "You are One of Us" catches Hunter eschewing his Dylan fixation and developing his own voice as a singer/songwriter. The single that never was (and there's one on every Mott the Hopple album) is the excellent "Walkin' with a Mountain" written by Hunter and inspired by guitarist/singer Leslie West of Mountain one of the band's favorites and a major influence. "I Can Feel" wouldn't have sounded out of place on a John Lennon solo album and Ralphs' second song "Threads of Iron" features a blistering Hunter vocal. "When My Mind's Gone" is pure balderdash but powerful nevertheless. The sound quality is exceptional and the booklet notes very comprehensive.

The Angel Air edition of the album features two bonus tracks that haven't been available before except their appearence on the MOTT THE HOPPLE boxed set from 1998. Both fit in well with the album. We get Ralphs' demo for "It Would be a Pleasure" and an early verison of the Hunter/Allen co-write "How Long" which would, ultimately, be called "Death May Be Your Santa Claus" and appear on "Brain Capers".