Mott (album)
Mott is the sixth studio album by British rock band Mott the Hoople. It peaked at No. 7 in the UK Albums Chart.[1] It is the last album to feature guitarist Mick Ralphs, and the first without organist Verden Allen; because of Allen's departure, most organ and other keyboard parts are played by Ralphs.
Mott | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 20 July 1973 | |||
Recorded | February–April 1973 (except track 1, 22 December 1972) | |||
Studio |
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Genre | Glam rock | |||
Length | 43:00 | |||
Label | CBS (UK), Columbia (US) | |||
Producer | Mott the Hoople | |||
Mott the Hoople chronology | ||||
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Singles from Mott | ||||
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Alternative cover | ||||
"All the Way from Memphis", an edited version of which was released as a single, received considerable airplay on U.S. radio and captured the band overseas fans, as well as reaching the UK Singles Chart.
Packaging
The album featured different album covers in the U.K. and U.S., as well as remastered tracks on some editions. The U.S. cover featured a photo of the four band members with the word "MOTT" on it, with "Mott The Hoople" written in the O. The U.K. front cover featured an illustration based on a bust of Roman emperor Augustus, the band's name written in a typeface simultaneously evocative of a 1920s Art Deco font and the "Future Shock" font inspired by computer-readable punch cards. Initial copies had a gatefold sleeve with the Augustus image printed on a transparent plastic sheet. The emperor would appear again on the inner sleeve of The Hoople, the band's next and final album in both the United States and the United Kingdom. A remastered and expanded version was released by Sony's Columbia/Legacy imprint in the United States in 2006.
Reception
In 2003, the album was ranked number 366 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time,[2] and 370 in a 2012 revised list.[3]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [4] |
Christgau's Record Guide | A−[5] |
Pitchfork | 7.4/10[6] |
PopMatters | favourable[7] |
Rolling Stone | very favourable[8] |
Track listing
All songs written by Ian Hunter, except where indicated
Side one
- "All the Way from Memphis" – 4:55
- "Whizz Kid" – 3:05
- "Hymn for the Dudes" (Verden Allen, Hunter) – 5:15
- "Honaloochie Boogie" – 2:35
- "Violence" (Hunter, Mick Ralphs) – 4:37
Side two
- "Drivin' Sister" (Hunter, Ralphs) – 4:42
- "Ballad of Mott the Hoople (26th March 1972, Zürich)" (Hunter, Dale "Buffin" Griffin, Peter Watts, Ralphs, Allen) – 5:40
- "I’m a Cadillac / El Camino Dolo Roso" (Ralphs) – 7:40
- "I Wish I Was Your Mother" – 4:41
LP track times from 1973 UK release (CBS 69038). Published track times for the US release (Columbia 32425) differ slightly.[9]
2006 CD release
- "All the Way from Memphis" – 5:02
- "Whizz Kid" – 3:25
- "Hymn for the Dudes" (Allen, Hunter) – 5:24
- "Honaloochie Boogie" – 2:43
- "Violence" (Hunter, Ralphs) – 4:48
- "Drivin' Sister" (Hunter, Ralphs) – 3:53
- "Ballad of Mott the Hoople (26th March 1972, Zürich)" (Hunter, Griffin, Watts, Ralphs, Allen) – 5:24
- "I’m a Cadillac / El Camino Dolo Roso" (Ralphs) – 7:50
- "I Wish I Was Your Mother" – 4:52
Bonus tracks (2006 reissue)
- "Rose" (Hunter, Ralphs, Watts, Griffin) – 3:56 B-side of "Honaloochie Boogie"; produced by Mott The Hoople
- "Honaloochie Boogie" (Demo version) – 3:07
- "Nightmare" (Demo) (Allen) – 3:36
- "Drivin' Sister" (Hunter, Ralphs) – 4:30 Live 1973 at the Hammersmith Odeon; produced by Dale "Buffin" Griffin
Personnel
Mott the Hoople
- Ian Hunter – lead vocals (All tracks except 8); piano (All tracks except 5); acoustic guitar (Tracks 3, 7, 9); rhythm guitar (Track 6); echo vamper (Tracks 7, 9); arrangements
- Mick Ralphs – lead guitar (All tracks except 9); backing vocals (Tracks 1, 2, 4); organ (Tracks 3, 5, 7, 8); Moogotron (Track 2); mandolins (Track 9); tambourine (track 1); acoustic guitar (Track 8); lead vocals (Track 8)
- Pete "Overend" Watts – bass guitar (All tracks); backing vocals (Track 4); fuzz bass (Track 8)
- Dale "Buffin" Griffin – drums (All tracks); backing vocals (Tracks 1, 3, 4, 6)
Additional personnel
- Paul Buckmaster – electric cello on "Honaloochie Boogie"
- Morgan Fisher – piano, synthesizer, backing vocals on "Drivin' Sister" (live)
- Mick Hince – bells on "I Wish I Was Your Mother"
- Andy Mackay – tenor saxophone on "All The Way from Memphis" and "Honaloochie Boogie"
- Graham Preskett – "insane" violin on "Violence"
- Thunderthighs (Karen Friedman, Dari Lalou, Casey Synge) – backing vocals on "Hymn for the Dudes"
Technical
- Dan Loggins – production supervisor
- Alan Harris, Bill Price, John Leckie – engineer
- Roslav Szaybo – art direction, design
Charts
Album
Year | Chart | Position |
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1973 | UK Albums Chart[1] | 7[10] |
1973 | AUS Kent Music Report | 57[11] |
1973 | Billboard 200 | 35[12] |
Single
Year | Single | Chart | Position |
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1973 | "All the Way from Memphis" | UK Official Charts | 10[10] |
References
- Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 381. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- "500 Greatest Albums of all Time". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 14 September 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
- "500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time". Rolling Stone. 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
- Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Mott". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 March 2012.
- Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: M". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved 8 March 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- Joe Tangari (27 April 2006). "Mott the Hoople: All the Young Dudes / Mott". Pitchfork. Retrieved 11 March 2012.
- Whitney Strub (10 March 2006). "Mott the Hoople: Mott and All the Young Dudes". PopMatters. Retrieved 11 March 2012.
- Bud Scoppa (13 September 1973). "Mott". Rolling Stone.
- "All the Way from Memphis" 4:58, "Whizz Kid" 3:25, "Hymn for the Dudes" 5:20, "Honaloochie Boogie" 2:42, "Violence" 4:49, "Drivin' Sister" 3:51, "Ballad of Mott..." 5:22, "I'm a Cadillac..." 7:47, "I Wish I Was Your Mother" 4:52
- "Official Charts - Mott the Hoople". Official Charts. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
- Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 210. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- "Billboard 200 - Mott the Hoople". Billboard. Retrieved 13 January 2018.