Old Records Never Die: The Mott the Hoople/Ian Hunter Anthology

RELEASE
August 26, 2008
LABEL
Shout! Factory
GENRES
Pop/Rock, Rock & Roll, Hard Rock, Glam Rock, Album Rock

Album Review

After all these years, Mott the Hoople and their iconoclastic frontman, Ian Hunter, may not have gotten the true box set they deserve, but finally there is a cross-licensed double-disc anthology courtesy of Shout Factory. These two discs contain 32 cuts referencing Mott from the hardscrabble Atlantic years through their Columbia Records heyday and into Ian Hunter's critically celebrated solo career (he did score a hit album with 1979's You're Never Alone with a Schizophrenic), which was immortalized by the hit "Cleveland Rocks," a version of which became the theme song for The Drew Carey Show. The first disc is completely devoted to Mott, showcasing one tune each from their Atlantic albums (including "Death May Be Your Santa Claus," "Rock and Roll Queen," and "Walking with a Mountain"). The set then dives headlong into the glorious Columbia albums and virtually every song you'd ever want is here -- "All the Young Dudes," "Sweet Jane," "Roll Away the Stone," "Honaloochie Boogie," "All the Way from Memphis," etc. -- with the exception of two: missing are the sultry original Mott version of the Bad Company hit (writer Mick Ralphs was in both bands) "Ready for Love" and the poignant lament "I Wish I Was Your Mother." These are tough omissions, but you won't notice when listening. Disc two is devoted to Ian Hunter's solo material, again across label lines, so Columbia as well as Chrysalis tracks are here -- including a cut each from the never issued in the United States LPs All American Alien Boy and Overnight Angels, all the way through to his Yep Roc debut, 2007's Shrunken Heads. Sure, there are a few cuts that might have made the grade but that's quibbling, since all of what's here does deserve to be. This is an excellent collection with great sound and good historical notes, and is sold for a dynamite price point.
Thom Jurek, Rovi

Track Listing

  1. Rock and Roll Queen
  2. Walkin' with a Mountain
  3. Whisky Women
  4. Sweet Angeline
  5. Death May Be Your Santa Claus
  6. All the Young Dudes
  7. Sweet Jane
  8. Sucker
  9. All the Way from Memphis
  10. Honaloochie Boogie
  11. Violence
  12. Ballad of Mott the Hoople (26th March 1972, Zürich)
  13. Roll Away the Stone
  14. Crash Street Kidds
  15. The Golden Age of Rock 'n' Roll
  16. Saturday Gigs
  17. Once Bitten Twice Shy
  18. Who Do You Love
  19. 3,000 Miles from Here
  20. You Nearly Did Me In
  21. Justice of the Peace
  22. Cleveland Rocks
  23. Just Another Night
  24. Ships
  25. When the Daylight Comes
  26. Old Records Never Die
  27. Central Park N' West
  28. Speechless
  29. Women's Intuition
  30. The Artful Dodger
  31. Still Love Rock and Roll
  32. Words (Big Mouth)