Mott the Hoople--A Bowie Creation

This is a very important album, for a number of reasons. First and foremost, the influence of David Bowie is more than overt--he produced the album, wrote one of the songs, and played all saxaphones. Mick Ronson the innovative lead guitarist for the Spiders From Mars, Bowie's band, arranged the strings and bass on one of the tracks. And, to top it off, Bowie's idol, Lou Reed wrote one of the tunes on this record.

Mott The Hoople was formed in England in the early 1970's. All The Young Dudes was released in 1972, and was the band's debut album. The members of the band, and their contributions, are as follows:

Ian Hunter, vocals, piano
Mick Ralphs, vocals, guitar
Overend Watts, bass
Buffin, drums
Verden Allen, vocals, organ

Here is a list of the songs on the album, and a brief analysis of each:

1. Sweet Jane--This song was written by Lou Reed, but Mott The Hoople's treatment of the song is much different than Lou's heavy, ponderous offering. Mott The Hoople delivers an up-tempo, bright version of the song which starts the album off with a kick. Ian Hunter provides the vocals, and the song closes with some good electric guitar playing by Mick Ralphs.

2. Momma's Little Jewel--Written by Hunter and Watts, this song may be a commentary on the Catholic religion ("fresh from the nuns who made you"). In those days, there were a lot of messages delivered between the lines. Another fine vocal performance by Hunter, whose style was truly inimitable, and a fine sax solo by David Bowie as the song jams to a finish.

3. All The Young Dudes--As Momma's Little Jewel fades, the record skids and we are suddenly hearing the very melodic electric guitar intro to this song, which was written by David Bowie. The song itself is about homosexuality, and the vocal performance by Hunter is again the strongest part of the song. An organ and acoustic guitar provide excellent support, and although Bowie is not listed on the credits as doing any vocals on this album, I can still swear I hear him in the back-up part. Judge for yourself. In my opinion, this song is one of the great rock n' roll classics of our time.

4. Sucker--This a tune with a good, bluesy feel, and the saxaphone that Bowie is playing is double-tracked, giving it that "thick" sound. Hunter again delivers vocally in this song with heavy sexual overtones ("you can smoke my cigar all night..."). The acoustic guitar lead part is a nice contrast to the tugging rhythms of this song, and the electric guitar part is pretty cool, too.

5. Jerkin' Crocus--Another song with a dirty, bluesy feel--it kind of reminds me of Brown Sugar, by the Rolling Stones. I can't say enough about Ian Hunter's vocals--it sounds like his voice is going to crack at any moment. The emotion and feeling are there, and Mick Ralphs provides a wicked guitar solo to complete the effect.

6. One Of The Boys--A wind-up clock of some sort starts this song, and the band slips into a driving rhythm. The electric guitar really provides the pop to this tune, and the result is a pulsating rocker, maybe with homosexual overtones--listen and judge for yourself. The lead guitar at the end is nothing short of wicked. The reprise makes for a cool ending, after you've been tricked into thinking the song is over.

7. Soft Ground--Written by and sung by Verden Allen, a brooding organ opens the song. The guitar and background vocal create a discordant effect, which is enhanced by a time and meter jump at the chord change. This is my least favorite cut on the whole album.

8. Ready For Love/After Lights--Mick Ralphs wrote this one and provided a pretty fair vocal performance. Those of you who are not familiar with Mott The Hoople probably think that this is a Bad Company song--well, it is, Mott The Hoople just did it first. Mick Ralphs later played with Bad Company, so they did it, too. Some good guitar work by Ralphs, and some nice saxaphone fills by Bowie. The piano solo by Hunter is superb, and the tune works well as a good heavy rocker.

The second part of the song, After Lights, is a monotonous instrumental, featuring the electric guitar of Mick Ralphs. His playing is tasteful and just right--he's not too busy, nor is he deficient, which are the attributes of a good guitar player.

9. Sea Diver--The last cut on the album features Ian Hunter on vocals and piano, delivering a beautiful ballad that perfectly takes the edge off of the hard rock n' roll we've just listened to. The strings and brass arrangement by Mick Ronson is simply gorgeous, I guarantee it will send chills up your spine.

It can be argued that Mott The Hoople was the first of the "glam" rock and roll bands that proliferated in the 1970's. I don't consider them to be that type of band, although the band was undeniably influenced by the masters of that movement. Mott The Hoople didn't stick around long, but they were a great band, and were influenced by some great musicians.