We continue our look back at the music of 50 years ago….
They were about a year away from talking about breaking up…a year away from David Bowie jump starting a run at stardom by handing them “All The Young Dudes”. But in early 1971 Mott The Hoople was looking for direction as they released their 3rd LP “Wildlife”.
The band, fronted by Ian Hunter and featuring the guitar work of a pre-Bad Company Mick Ralphs, had released two LP’s with little success. They decided to produce this one themselves and the result is certainly better. The problem is what kind of band were they? One minute the English folk-rock vibe was there, sounding sort of like the Kinks….the next it was a tune that could have easily been on a Neil Young record…and then they pulled out the steel guitar and actually sound like Poco (I kid you not). The album is a mixture of tunes written and sung by Hunter and Ralphs, and they sound like two different bands when each takes the lead.
I like this record. It includes a cover of Melanie’s Woodstock anthem “Lay Down, Candles In The Rain” and also a 10 minute live medley of of 50’s rockers from Little Richard, Ray Charles and Jerry Lee Lewis.
It’s a record of a band looking for it’s meaning…the glam stuff wouldn’t really come for another year. Give it a listen with ears knowing that they will achieve a measure of stardom soon down the road.
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