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"…Gotta Work…"
After three albums on Island between 1970 and
1971 that saw constant touring, critical acclaim but little chart action
("Mad Shadows", "Wildlife" and "Brain Capers") –
Mott The Hoople were about to throw in the towel when they finally hit paydirt
with the David Bowie assisted "All
The Young Dudes" Single and LP in the heady days of 1972 (the height of
Glam Rock in the UK). With the mercurial Bowie a fan and his star exploding
everywhere – the timing and the song was perfect. And that’s where this wicked
2006 Expanded CD Remaster comes swaggering in. Here are the Dude-ish details...
UK released April 2006 – "All The Young
Dudes" by MOTT THE HOOPLE on Columbia/Legacy 82796938092 (Barcode
827969380925) is an 'Expanded Edition' CD Remaster and breaks down as follows (72:57
minutes):
1. Sweet Jane
2. Momma’s Little Jewel
3. All The Young Dudes
4. Sucker
5. Jerkin' Crocus
6. One Of The Boys [Side 2]
7. Soft Ground
8. Ready For Love/After Lights
9. Sea Diver
Tracks 1 to 9 are their 4th studio album
"All The Young Dudes" – released September 1972 in the UK on CBS
Records S 65184 and November 1972 in the USA on Columbia KC 31750
BONUS TRACKS:
10. One Of The Boys (Demo Version)
11. Black Scorpio (Demo Of "Momma's Little
Jewel")
12. Ride On The Sun (Demo Version of "Sea
Diver")
13. One Of The Boys (UK 7" Single Version)
– released August 1972 on CBS Records S 8271 as the B-side to "All The
Young Dudes"
14. Sucker (Live 1973 At The Hammersmith Odeon,
London)
15. Sweet Jane (Live 1973 At The Hammersmith
Odeon, London)
DAVID BOWIE originally produced the album and
also plays Sax on some tracks (doesn’t say which). KEITH SMITH – Editor of the
MTH Fanzine "Two Miles From Heaven" - provides the liner notes but I
have to say that its 8-pages feels disappointingly slight – sporting centre
spread liner notes by Ben Edmonds, recording details and precious little else…
But the meat and potatoes lies in a fantastic new remaster by tape wizard VIC
ANESINI whose credits include Simon & Garfunkel, Stevie Ray Vaughan, The
Jayhawks, Elvis Presley, Carole King, Hall & Oates, The Isley Brothers and
Santana to name but a few. His name is a mark of Audio Quality I actively seek
out.
It opens with a great cover of Lou Reed's
"Sweet Jane" (lyrics above) where Mick Ralphs puts in some
fantastically fluid Guitar playing. The muscle on the piano and guitar of the
"Don’t Stop!" Intro to "Momma's Little Jewel" is just great
as is Verden Allen’s slightly Prog Rock organ soloing throughout. It’s the
first properly cool Hunter song on the album (co-written with Bass player
Overend Watts). I’d have to admit a possible travesty here – I’ve always
loathed the title track – it seemed hammy to me then and still does now – and
it hung around the band's musical neck for decades. But at least it got the job
done.
Far better is the menace of "Sucker"
and the fabulous snotty British Rock 'n' Roll of "Jerkin' Crocus" (a
B-side to the USA 7" single of "Sweet Jane"). It's back to Prog
Organ for Verden Allen's "Soft Ground" where he unwisely ruins the
song by taking Lead Vocals. Better is the Mick Ralphs double "Ready For
Love/After Lights" where you can 'so' hear the beginnings of Bad Company
(Hunter and Ralphs share vocals on this one). It ends on a short but poignant
Ian Hunter piano balled "Sea Diver" – for me a real highlight - and
like "Trudi's Song" on 1974's "The Hoople" – a hidden gem
in their catalogue.
The bonus tracks are shockingly good – especially
"Black Scorpio" which is a pumping Rock Demo Version of "Momma's
Little Jewel" and "Ride On The Sun" which is an equally delicate
demo of "Sea Diver" but with different lyrics. It's still odd to hear
David Bowie actually sing "All The Young Dudes" - but it actually
suits him more. In fact what a single this previously unreleased duet between
Bowie and Hunter would have made (as a double credit perhaps?). The reissue
finishes with the huge guitar punch of "Sucker" and "Sweet
Jane" - a track that will thrill fans of the Lou Reed live classic
"Rock 'n' Roll Animal" – both recorded before a triumphant crowd at
London’s Hammersmith Odeon.
So there you have it – a great album and a
properly fab trip down Rock’s Memory Lane. It's a real shame that the booklet
doesn’t celebrate "Dudes" a bit more (an Indie label would have
splashed out 20-pages or more) but what is on offer is sonically brilliant - a
fantastic remaster by Anesini.
With principal song-writer and singer Ian
Hunter still at the helm – the band would go on to even better things with the
beautifully presented "Mott" album in 1973 and the underrated 6th LP
"The Hoople" in 1974 (see reviews). Now in 2015 - this remastered
Mott The Hoople CD is cheaper than a stick of eyeliner at Boots. Get this nugget
into your home right away...
