Mott The Hoople

Artist:  Mott The Hoople
Origin:  Herefordshire, England
Genre:  Hard Rock, Glam Rock

Original line-up:

Pete Overend Watts:  Bass, Vocals, Guitar
Ian Hunter:  Vocals, Guitar, Piano, Bass
Mick Ralphs:  Guitar, Vocals, Keyboards
Verden Allen:  Organ, Backing Vocals
Dale "Buffin" Griffin:  Drums, Backing Vocals

Mott The Hoople are an English Rock Band and are one of the great in the Rock & Roll history with strong R&B Roots, and Popular in the Glam Rock Era of the early to mid-1970, Hard Rock and voice of Bob Dylan's style, formed in 1969 by Pete Overend Watts (Bass, Guitar), Ian Hunter (Vocals, Guitar), Dale "Buffin" Griffin (Drums) and Verden Allen (Organ).  They are probably best known for the song "All The Young Dudes", written for them by David Bowie in 1972.

Title:  Mental Train - The Island Years 1969-71 (Box Set)  (2018)
Genre:  Hard Rock, Glam Rock
Label:  Island Records
Rating:   *****

Disc 1:  

Title:  Mott The Hoople (Originally released in 1969 by Island Records)

Tracks:

 1.  You Really Got Me  (2:56)
 2.  At The Crossroads  (5:33)
 3.  Laugh At Me  (6:32)
 4.  Backsliding Fearlessly  (3:47)
 5.  Rock And Roll Queen  (5:10)
 6.  Rabbit Foot & Toby Time  (2:04)
 7.  Half Moon Bay  (10:39)
 8.  Wrath And Wroll  (1:46)

Bonus Tracks:

 9.  If Your Heart Lay With The Rebel (Would You Cheer At The Underdog?)  (3:50)

Instrumental:

10. Rock And Roll Queen (Single A-Side)  (3:20)
11. Road To Birmingham (Single B-Side)  (3:31)
12. Road To Birmingham (Guy Steven Mix)  (3:54)

Full Take:

13. You Really Got Me  (11:17)
14. You Really Got Me (Guy Stevens Vocals Mix)  (2:54)
15. Rock And Roll Queen (Guy Stevens Mono Mix)  (3:24)
16. Rock And Roll Queen (Kitchen Sink Instrumental)  (5:25)
17. Little Christine (Recorded 24 June 1969)  (3:13)

Personnel:

Ian Hunter:  Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Piano
Pete Overend Watts:  Bass, Backing Vocals
Mick Ralphs:  Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocals on Track 9
Verden Allen:  Organ, Backing Vocals
Dale "Buffin" Griffin:  Drums, Backing Vocals

Disc 2:  

Title:  Mad Shadows (Originally released in 1970 by Island Records)

Tracks:

 1.  Thunderbuck Ram  (4:50)
 2.  No Wheels To Ride  (5:50)
 3.  You Are One Of Us  (2:26)
 4.  Walkin' With A Mountain  (3:49)
 5.  I Can Feel  (7:13)
 6.  Threads Of Iron  (5:12)
 7.  When My Mind's Gone  (6:32)

Bonus Tracks:

 8.   Thunderbuck Ram BBC Session 21 February 1970) (3:43)
 9.  Thunderbuck Ram (Original Take With Oragan Solo) (4:54)

Demon Version:

10. No Wheels To Ride  (6:33)

11. Moonbus (Baby's Got A Down On Me)  (5:28)

Vocal Rehearsal:

12. The Hunchback Fish   (6:04)

Take 9:

13. You Are One Of Us  (5:16)

Recorded 16 January 1970:

14. Going Home (R  (3:06)

Studio Version - Take 2:

15. Keep A Knockin'  (2:31)

Personnel:  

Ian Hunter:  Lead Vocals on Tracks:  2-5, 7-9, Rhythm Guitar, Piano
Pete Overend Watts:  Bass, Backing Vocals
Mick Ralphs:  Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocals on Tracks:  9, 16
Verden Allen:  Organ, Backing Vocals
Dale "Buffin" Griffin:  Drums, Backing Vocals

Additional Musician:  

Guy Stevens:  Psychic Piano, Spiritual Percussion

Disc 3:  

Title:  Wildlife (Originally released in 1971 by Island Records)

Tracks:

 1  Whiskey Women  (3:40)
 2.  Angel Of Eight Avenue  (4:32)
 3.  Wrong Side Of the River  (5:18)
 4.  Waterlow   (3:02)
 5.  Lay Down  (4:13)
 6.  It Must Be Love  (2:22)
 7.  Original Mixed Up Kid  (3:40)
 8.  Home Is Where I Want To Be  (4:11)

Live At Fairfield Halls:

 9.  Keep A Knockin'   (10:10)

Single A-Side:

10. Midnight Lady (4:33)

Single B-Side:

11. The Debt   (4:23)

Single A-Side:

12. Downtown  (3:02)
13. Brain Haulage (Whiskey Woman)  (3:57)

Take 10:

14. Growing Man Blues  (3:43)

Demon:

15. Lone Red  (3:54)
16. The Ballad Of Billy Joel  (3:42)

Take 8:

17. Lay Down  (5:08)

Personnel:

Ian Hunter:  Lead Vocals on Tracks:  2, 4, 5, 7, 9, Rhythm Guitar, Piano
Pete Overend Watts:  Bass, Backing Vocals
Mick Ralphs:  Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocals on Tracks:  1, 3, 6, 8
Verden Allen:  Organ, Backing Vocals
Dale "Buffin" Griffin:  Drums, Backing Vocals

Disc 4:  

Title:  Brain Capers (Originally released in 1971 by Island Records)

Tracks:

 1.  Death My Be Your Santa Claus  (4:56)
 2.  Your Own Backyard  (4:13)
 3.  Darkness Darkness  (4:32)
 4.  The Journey  (9:15)
 5.  Sweet Angeline  (4:53)
 6.  Second Love  (3:47)
 7.  The Moon Upstairs  (5:02)
 8.  The Wheel Of The Quivering Meat Conception  (1:19)

Bonus Tracks:

 9.  Mental Train (The Moon Upstairs)  (5:18)
10. How Long (Death May Be...)  (4:13)
11. Darkness Darkness  (3:05)

Complete Take:

12. Your Own Backyard   (4:14)

Backing Track:

13. Where Do You All Come From?  (3:17)

Take 2:

14. One Of The Boys  (4:24)
15. Movin' On  (2:48)

Recorded 24 January 1972:

16. Black Scorpio (Momma's Little Jewel)  (3:42)

Personnel:

Ian Hunter:  Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Piano
Pete Overend Watts:  Bass, Backing Vocals
Mick Ralphs:  Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals
Verden Allen:  Organ, Backing Vocals
Dale "Buffin" Griffin:  Drums, Backing Vocals

Additional Musicians:

Jim Price:  Trumpet on Track 6
Guy Stevens:  Piano

Disc 5:  

Title:  The Ballads Of Mott The Hoople (Originally released in 1971 by Island Records)

Tracks:

 1.  Like A Rolling Stone (Fragment)  (1:33)
 2.  No Wheels To Ride (1st House Fairfield Halls)  (7:53)
 3.  Angel Of Eight Avenue  (5:23)
 4.  The Journey  (10:26)
 5.  Blue Broken Tears  (3:16)

Full Ralphs Version:

 6.  Black Hills  (4:10)
 7.  Can You Sing The Song That I Sing?  (15:56)

Recorded 11 April 1971:

 8.  Till I'm Gone  (3:19)

BBC Session, Mike Harding, 16th March 1971:

 9.  The Original Mixed Up Kid  (2:55)

Recorded 14th April 1971:

10. III Wind Blowing  (4:01)

Rehearsal:

11. I'm A River  (10:43)

Recorded 24 January 1972:

12. Ride On The Sun (Sea Diver)  (3:44)

Personnel:

Ian Hunter:  Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Piano
Pete Overend Watts:  Bass, Backing Vocals
Mick Ralphs:  Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals
Verden Allen:  Organ, Backing Vocals
Dale "Buffin" Griffin:  Drums, Backing Vocals

Disc 6:

Title:  It's Live And Live Only  (Fairfield Hall, Croydon, 13th September 1970)

Tracks:

 1.  Rock And Roll Queen  (4:33)

 2.  Ohio  (4:33)

 3.  No Wheels To Ride/Hey Jude  (8:13)

 4.  Thunderbuck Ram  (5:46)

 5.  Keep A Knockin'  (7:59)

 6.  You Really Got Me  (9:53)

BBC Radio 1, In Concert, 30th December 1971:

 7.  The Moon Upstairs  (6:04)

 8.  Whiskey Women  (4:40)

 9.  Your Own Backyward  (5:00)

10. Darkness, Darkness  (7:36)

11. The Journey   (8:54)

12. Death May Be Your Santo Claus  (5:07)

Personnel:

Ian Hunter:  Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Piano

Pete Overend Watts:  Bass, Backing Vocals

Mick Ralphs:  Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals

Verden Allen:  Organ, Backing Vocals

Dale "Buffin" Griffin:  Drums, Backing Vocals

Mental Train - The Island Years 1969-71 is the collection Box Set by Mott The Hoople, released on November 2, 2018 by Island Records, in 6 CD, including 30 previously unreleased recordings, 52 page book features a brand new essay by Kris Needs, also includes rare and previously unseen photographs.