Mott - Mott The Hoople > Reviews > The Rock 'n' Roll circus is in town

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks	Flawless
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Outstanding
Value for Money	Good

Advantages:	Best album the band recorded .  Still sounds fresh after 30 years .
Disadvantages:	Short, but everything was in those days .

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

I can't believe that no-one has picked this up to review.
It's a classic piece of early seventies pop. I first heard this in about 1973. A close school friend borrowed it from a friend and lent it to me. That was the only way you could hear new music in those days apart from the radio. (there was no internet, i-pods etc).

The CD has been repackaged. It now has a picture of the band on the front whereas the original packing was a pink cover with a cut out head of Hermes printed onto a piece of see-through polythene. But don't let this put you off. The content remains the same.

Mott the Hoople were a pop/rock band of the early seventies. They were touring for years, managed to get a recording contract, but chart success was still elusive. They were on the point of breaking up when David Bowie wrote a song for them called "All the Young Dudes". This gave them a chart hit and success followed shortly afterwards.

This album has 9 tracks:-

1. All the Way from Memphis.
2. Whizz Kid
3. Hymn for the Dudes
4. Honaloochie Boogie
5. Violence
6. Drivin' Sister
7. Ballad of Mott The Hoople
8. I'm a Cadillac/ El Camino Dolo Roso
9. I Wish I was Your Mother.

A short description of each track follows.

All the Way from Memphis.

This concerns the band's tour of the US. An upbeat song about the trials and tribulations of touring in a rock band. Specifically about Mott but could be applied to any band touring at the time.

Whizz Kid

A little pop song about a groupie from New York who attached herself to the band. Offering all kinds of services to the band in the hope that she could share in the "Rock 'n'Roll Lifestyle". Ultimately a sad song. This must have relevance even in today's music scene.

Hymn for the Dudes.

A song about the pitfalls of being a "Rock Star". It's not all glamour, fame and money. Mott were in a postion to know what it's like to fail in the "Fame Game" and this song documents the feelings of failure even when you're trying your hardest. Public taste is a fickle thing and remaining top of the heap is a hard slog.

Honloochie Boogie.

The single taken from this album. Wonderful piece of pop. No deep message, just a sing a long song for all ages. Lasts less than three minutes- perfect pop song.

Violence.

This is probably my least favourite track of the bunch. It's not a great sociological examination of the problems of urban violence but it's not meant to be. Has a great violin solo and a great guitar solo, but also has a mocked up fight scene which sounds a bit camp. It did when I first heard it and thirty odd years later it still doesn't quite work.

Drivin' Sister.

A straight piece of soft rock about cars and the people who drive them. Good squealing brakes sounds bouncing around the stereo system, but quite throwaway.

Ballad of Mott The Hoople.

This track (together with Hymn for the Dudes) are the most poignant pieces on the album. Concerning the band themselves, it tells the story of the band from the early misses to the success that they finally managed. A sad song about how dreams can turn sour. "All that glisters.... etc.

I'm a Cadillac / El Camino Doro Paso.

A light rock song about cars which segues into an acoustic instrumental piece . Very pleasant. Has a nice acoustic guitar solo in the middle . Quite atmospheric.

I Wish I was Your Mother.

The final track on an all too short album. It starts with a mandolin riff which builds into a steady rock tune, played on a guitar. The lyrics are nothing to write home about. A little piece of Rock 'n' Roll nonsense.

Most of the songs were written by Ian Hunter.

I think some of his best work with Mott the Hoople is contained on this album. He did go on to record some solo stuff which was passable, but not as timeless as this set of songs.
Mott the Hoople were a huge influence on the young Mick Jones before he went on to form The Clash. What greater recommendation do you need?