Listening to a 'sounds from England' segment on a local FM station several months ago, there was, surprisingly, what sounded like an outtake from the four-year-old Blonde on Blonde. The song was 'Laugh at Me,' a Sonny Bono original of the same period. Dylan singing Sonny and Cher?
Not very likely. At its conclusion, the disc jockey said simply, 'That was Mott the Hoople,' Now, the group has released their American (Atlantic) album.
Mott the Hoople is a staggering work, and it's built from a unique concept. The album explores that area of cerebral rock originally developed by Dylan's first electric ventures, 'Highway 61 Revisited' and the aforementioned 'Blonde on Blonde' (and overlapping, lyrically at least, into 'John Wesley Harding'). This region, characterized by the richly textured structures of organ and piano, and by surreal, introspective lyrics, is also the mainspring of Procol Harum, The Band, and much of the Rolling Stones' recent work. This five-piece English group has gathered together the most vibrant elements of this rock idiom and juxtaposed them for maximum impact. Pianist-singer Ian Hunter combines a masterful Dylan-like inflection with his own powerful delivery; organist Verden Allen presents a collage of distinctive riffs from Al Kooper and Procol Harum's Matthew Fisher; and guitarist Micks Ralphs' chorded runs are on the same energy level as Keith Richard's Chuck Berry moves. Together with the straight-ahead bass lines and cymbal-filled drumming of Overend Watts and Buffin, respectively, Mott the Hoople may remind the listener from moment to moment of Dylan's 'Like a Rolling Stone,' the Stones' 'Stray Cat Blues' and 'Gimme Shelter,' The Band's 'Chest Fever,' and Procol Harum's 'Repent Walpurgis,' and 'The Devil Came from Kansas'.
But this isn't actually an album of steals. It's more a carefully constructed exposition of an entire rock-style. Although it might easily have turned into a parody, Mott the Hoople's obvious reverence and enthusiasm for this music has made it, instead, an unusually enervating tour de force. The group members understand the character of the music so well that it comes off as clever, vital, and awesomely powerful as well. They literally roar into the many crescendos, obviously impatient to blast away in unison. It's rare to find a collection of songs so high on both energy and thoughtfulness.
While other English bands were busily trying to do to American blues what M the H eventually accomplished with the middle-Dylan school, a four piece band from rural Hereford met a singer-pianist-composer from equally rural Shrewsbury, and the foundation of the Mott the Hoople's sound was set. Ian Hunter, the Shrewsbury native, is a Dylan-freak with a special love for 'Hwy. 61' and 'B on B'. Moving his piano into the group also meant that Mott the Hoople had the same instrumentation as Dylan's 'B on B' back-up band (which included Kooper and Michael Bloomfield), The Band, and Procol Harum, so most of the elements of the subsequent album were already in place and had only to be tapped
The album was made in July of last year for Island Records and had been out for several months in Great Britain by the time Atlantic got around to releasing it here. The English press and public are already very excited about this relatively new band. And several British musicians, including, surprisingly, Mike Heron of the Incredible String Band, list the album among their Current favorites. The second LP, already completed, will undoubtedly move the band into fresh territory, since the first album clearly covered its intended concept. Given the awesome power of their music plus the fact that most of the tracks are first takes, Mott the Hoople should be truly astounding in live performance.
In direct comparison with its source material, the differences begin to come to the surface. Mott the Hoople is a good deal less elegant than Procol Harum and much less subtle than the Band. And Ian Hunter's voice is fuller than the nasal Dylan vocals of the 'Blonde on Blonde' period. What this band has in spades is sheer drive. Everything is calculated toward tension-release through musical explosion. As time goes on, this aspect of M the H will become increasingly apparent. But for now, we have a unique chronicle of one of rock's most significant areas, and an immensely enjoyable album on its own terms. If you treasure the music that inspired this album, you'll surely have to hear this one.