Mott (album)

Mott
Studio album by Mott the Hoople
Released	20 July 1973 (1973-07-20)
Recorded	February–April 1973 (except track 1, 22 December 1972)
Studio	AIR (London) Abbey Road (London)
Genre	Glam rock
Length	43:00
Label	CBS (UK), Columbia (US)
Producer	Mott the Hoople
Mott the Hoople chronology
Rock and Roll Queen (1972) Mott (1973) The Hoople (1974)
Singles from Mott
"Honaloochie Boogie" Released: 25 May 1973[1] "All the Way from Memphis" Released: 31 August 1973[2]
Alternative cover
U.S. album cover

Mott is the sixth studio album by British rock band Mott the Hoople. It peaked at No. 7 in the UK Albums Chart.^[3] It is the last album to feature guitarist Mick Ralphs, and the first without organist Verden Allen; because of Allen's departure, most organ and other keyboard parts are played by Ralphs.

"All the Way from Memphis", an edited version of which was released as a single, received considerable airplay on U.S. radio and captured the band overseas fans, as well as reaching the UK Singles Chart.

Packaging

The album featured different album covers in the U.K. and U.S., as well as remastered tracks on some editions. The U.S. cover featured a photo of the four band members with the word "MOTT" on it, with "Mott The Hoople" written in the O. The U.K. front cover featured an illustration based on a bust of Roman emperor Augustus, the band's name written in a typeface simultaneously evocative of a 1920s Art Deco font and the "Future Shock" font inspired by computer-readable punch cards.^{[citation needed]} Initial copies had a gatefold sleeve with the Augustus image printed on a transparent plastic sheet.^{[citation needed]} The emperor would appear again on the inner sleeve of The Hoople, the band's next and final album in both the United States and the United Kingdom.^{[citation needed]} A remastered and expanded version was released by Sony's Columbia/Legacy imprint in the United States in 2006.^{[citation needed]}

Reception

In 2003, the album was ranked number 366 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time,^[4] and 370 in a 2012 revised list.^[5]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[6]
Christgau's Record Guide	A−[7]
Pitchfork	7.4/10[8]
PopMatters	favourable[9]
Rolling Stone	very favourable[10]

Track listing

All songs written by Ian Hunter, except where indicated

Side one

1. "All the Way from Memphis" – 4:55
2. "Whizz Kid" – 3:05
3. "Hymn for the Dudes" (Verden Allen, Hunter) – 5:15
4. "Honaloochie Boogie" – 2:35
5. "Violence" (Hunter, Mick Ralphs) – 4:37

Side two

1. "Drivin' Sister" (Hunter, Ralphs) – 4:42
2. "Ballad of Mott the Hoople (26th March 1972, Zürich)" (Hunter, Dale "Buffin" Griffin, Peter Watts, Ralphs, Allen) – 5:40
3. "I’m a Cadillac / El Camino Dolo Roso" (Ralphs) – 7:40
4. "I Wish I Was Your Mother" – 4:41

LP track times from 1973 UK release (CBS 69038). Published track times for the US release (Columbia 32425) differ slightly.^[11]

2006 CD release

1. "All the Way from Memphis" – 5:02
2. "Whizz Kid" – 3:25
3. "Hymn for the Dudes" (Allen, Hunter) – 5:24
4. "Honaloochie Boogie" – 2:43
5. "Violence" (Hunter, Ralphs) – 4:48
6. "Drivin' Sister" (Hunter, Ralphs) – 3:53
7. "Ballad of Mott the Hoople (26th March 1972, Zürich)" (Hunter, Griffin, Watts, Ralphs, Allen) – 5:24
8. "I’m a Cadillac / El Camino Dolo Roso" (Ralphs) – 7:50
9. "I Wish I Was Your Mother" – 4:52

Bonus tracks (2006 reissue)

10. "Rose" (Hunter, Ralphs, Watts, Griffin) – 3:56 B-side of "Honaloochie Boogie"; produced by Mott The Hoople
11. "Honaloochie Boogie" (Demo version) – 3:07
12. "Nightmare" (Demo) (Allen) – 3:36
13. "Drivin' Sister" (Hunter, Ralphs) – 4:30 Live 1973 at the Hammersmith Odeon; produced by Dale "Buffin" Griffin

Personnel

Mott the Hoople

• Ian Hunter – lead vocals (All tracks except 8); piano (All tracks except 5); acoustic guitar (Tracks 3, 7, 9); rhythm guitar (Track 6); echo vamper (Tracks 7, 9); arrangements
• Mick Ralphs – lead guitar (All tracks except 9); backing vocals (Tracks 1, 2, 4); organ (Tracks 3, 5, 7, 8); Moogotron (Track 2); mandolins (Track 9); tambourine (track 1); acoustic guitar (Track 8); lead vocals (Track 8)
• Pete "Overend" Watts – bass guitar (All tracks); backing vocals (Track 4); fuzz bass (Track 8)
• Dale "Buffin" Griffin – drums (All tracks); backing vocals (Tracks 1, 3, 4, 6)

Additional personnel

• Paul Buckmaster – electric cello on "Honaloochie Boogie"
• Morgan Fisher – piano, synthesizer, backing vocals on "Drivin' Sister" (live)
• Mick Hince – bells on "I Wish I Was Your Mother"
• Andy Mackay – tenor saxophone on "All The Way from Memphis" and "Honaloochie Boogie"
• Graham Preskett – "insane" violin on "Violence"
• Thunderthighs (Karen Friedman, Dari Lalou, Casey Synge) – backing vocals on "Hymn for the Dudes"

Technical

• Dan Loggins – production supervisor
• Alan Harris, Bill Price, John Leckie – engineer
• Roslav Szaybo – art direction, design

Charts

Chart (1973-74)	Peak position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[12]	57
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[13]	43
UK Albums (OCC)[14]	7
US Billboard 200[15]	35

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[16]	Silver	60,000^^
^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. Hung, Steffen. "Mott The Hoople - Honaloochie Boogie". Hitparade.ch.
2. Hung, Steffen. "Mott The Hoople - All The Way From Memphis". Hitparade.ch.
3. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 381. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
4. "500 Greatest Albums of all Time". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 14 September 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
5. "500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time". Rolling Stone. 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
6. Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Mott". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 March 2012.
7. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: M". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
8. Joe Tangari (27 April 2006). "Mott the Hoople: All the Young Dudes / Mott". Pitchfork. Retrieved 11 March 2012.
9. Whitney Strub (10 March 2006). "Mott the Hoople: Mott and All the Young Dudes". PopMatters. Retrieved 11 March 2012.
10. Bud Scoppa (13 September 1973). "Mott". Rolling Stone.
11. "All the Way from Memphis" 4:58, "Whizz Kid" 3:25, "Hymn for the Dudes" 5:20, "Honaloochie Boogie" 2:42, "Violence" 4:49, "Drivin' Sister" 3:51, "Ballad of Mott..." 5:22, "I'm a Cadillac..." 7:47, "I Wish I Was Your Mother" 4:52
12. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 381. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
13. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4920". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
14. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
15. "Mott the Hoople Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
16. "British album certifications – Mott the Hoople – Mott". British Phonographic Industry.