The 500 - #370 - Mott - Mott The Hoople

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

Album # 370 

Album Title: Mott

Artist: Mott The Hoople

Genre: Glam Rock, Hard Rock

Recorded: AIR and Abbey Road Studios, London, England 

Released: July, 1973

My age at release: 8, as was my Guest Blogger Claudio Sossi

How familiar was I with it before this week: I knew one song

Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: All The Way From Memphis

US Album Cover for Mott by Mott the Hoople

This week, I welcome back Claudio Sossi to Guest Blog for the record, Mott, the sixth studio release by the British glam rock quartet, Mott The Hoople. Claudio shared his thoughts with us last July for record #413, Double Nickels On The Dime by The Minutemen. 

Claudio works from home and sometimes livens his day with entertaining and often humorous anecdotes through social media posts. A few months ago he shared his love of Mott the Hoople, along with a picture of Brain Capers, the group's fourth record. It was a no-brainer to invite him back for his take on album #370 Mott. 

Here's Claudio:

There are a lot of personal “firsts” I associate with Mott The Hoople’s 1973 masterpiece Mott. Yeah, I was barely eight year's old when I first heard it and was completely taken. What in the world would possess a young Canadian lad to forego a ballgame in the park and a swim in his rich friend’s pool to listen to a bunch of Brits singing about a world that might as well be another planet.

Claudio at ten, pointing to his Mott The Hoople Poster

The first “first” up – there ARE bands other than Led Zeppelin. 

When I grew out of Gary Lewis, The Archies and other assorted "bubblegum" bands, I became obsessed with the mighty Zep -- Led Zeppelin. This was largely due to having a brother, Ezio, who was eight years my senior and a Zeppelin fan. Ezio was a huge influence on me, and rock-and-roll became a way to “fast-track” my way to being a cool teenager. 

Led Zeppelin performing in concert (1974)

I owned three records before Mott -- and they were all Led Zeppelin releases. When I heard my brother’s borrowed copy of Mott, I was thrilled that, “Hey, I can like this too?!”

Another “first”? - I discover the poetry of D.H. Lawrence

Well, where else was I going to find out about D.H. Lawrence if not for his poem, A Sane Revolution, printed on the album’s back cover? 

Mott - UK and Canadian release with A Sane Revolution poem

Then there was Ballad Of Mott The Hoople. A band singing about themselves. What? Is that allowed? And All The Way From Memphis was surely the first time I ever heard of someone being “on the dole”. I’m sure I thought it had some kind of banana or pineapple relevance. It would be a few years before I realized it was a British colloquialism for unemployment benefits.

I Wish I Was Your Mother could very well have been my first exposure to the notion of questioning one's gender. My young brain was doing cartwheels....like, doesn’t that mean he wishes he was a girl? As Bart Simpson said years later, “That’s where cooties come from!”

Well, it ain’t all about me, right? 

Mott also marked several firsts for the band. Self-produced, it happens to be their finest-sounding record. It was their first without keyboardist Verdon Allen and their last with Mick Ralphs, who went on to co-found the group Bad Company. We also witnessed guitarist and singer Ian Hunter solidify his status as a first-rate songwriter and frontman. 

(L-R) Ralphs, Hunter, Dale Griffin & Pete (Overend) Watts

Credit has been given (rightfully so) to David Bowie for saving the band’s career. After all, it was Bowie who was responsible for the production and title track on the previous album All The Young Dudes, (#484 on The 500). However, this time, Mott The Hoople didn’t have Ziggy (Bowie) at their disposal. Baby had to stand on its own two feet – and they did. Profoundly so.

Hunter would only hang-in to lead the band through one more record, The Hoople, before embarking on a successful solo career. The band gave it a go without him for a while, but nothing could really match the point in time captured on Mott. In my opinion, it’s a nice place to go – and one I visit often.