Mott - Without any of The Hoople-la
“And I take notice...”
Were the first four words uttered by Mott singer Nigel Benjamin on the opening number (‘By Tonight’) of their 1975 album Drive On.
Unfortunately, not enough of us did take notice, and Drive On, along with the follow up Shouting and Pointing, became two of the most under-rated and under-the-radar rock albums of the seventies.
By Tonight (1975)
“And I take notice...”
Were the first four words uttered by Mott singer Nigel Benjamin on the opening number (‘By Tonight’) of their 1975 album Drive On.
Unfortunately, not enough of us did take notice, and Drive On, along with the follow up Shouting and Pointing, became two of the most under-rated and under-the-radar rock albums of the seventies.
By Tonight (1975)
The great British rock and glam band Mott the Hoople had, in effect, disbanded at the end of 1974 when their legendary and charismatic front man Ian Hunter left to form a collaborative partnership with guitarist Mick Ronson, who had joined the Hoople earlier that same year.
It would seem impossible that any form of Mott the Hoople could continue without Hunter, such is his association with the band since their 1969 debut, but in 1975 the Hoople-less 'Mott' surfaced to continue a brand of glam hard pop and roll that their predecessors had so successfully performed during the early seventies.
Replacing Hunter and Ronson were Nigel Benjamin and guitarist Ray major, while original Hoople musicians Pete ‘Overend’ Watts and Dale ‘Buffin’ Griffin were still very much driving the rhythm of bass and drums respectively.
Keyboard player Morgan Fisher, who had joined Mott the Hoople in 1973, completed the quintet.
Mott released two albums in two years but with punk just around the corner, and many believing the Hoople story to be over when Hunter left, they were never given the recognition they deserved.
Drive On charted, but charted low (#45, and #160 in the States), a poor showing in comparison to the Hoople’s last two studio albums which had been top 10 and top 20 successes (and both made top 40 on the other side of the pond).
However numbers can be deceptive, and as I’ve written in many musical articles before this one, good doesn’t always equate with fashionable, or successful.
Whatever the success, or lack thereof, there is no questioning the level of high energy fun rock and roll contained within the grooves of those two records, and neither were short in the great hooks and catchy choruses departments.
In many ways they were a forerunner of what Cheap Trick would create and become famous for only a couple of years later.
Drive On and Shouting and Pointing are both excellent little albums, and primary songwriter Overend Watts came up with some great hard pop, a ballad or two, and a few proto-punk pieces, all backed by a pretty able band.
Benjamin’s vocal could be an acquired taste if truth be told, although high tenor singers would soon be more than acceptable in rock and roll.
Although he never had the range of the Geddy Lee’s of the rock world, and was slightly thinner in overall delivery, he wasn’t as 'shrill' as the Rush vocalist, certainly when comparing Lee’s vocal from around the same time-frame.
It would seem impossible that any form of Mott the Hoople could continue without Hunter, such is his association with the band since their 1969 debut, but in 1975 the Hoople-less 'Mott' surfaced to continue a brand of glam hard pop and roll that their predecessors had so successfully performed during the early seventies.
Replacing Hunter and Ronson were Nigel Benjamin and guitarist Ray major, while original Hoople musicians Pete ‘Overend’ Watts and Dale ‘Buffin’ Griffin were still very much driving the rhythm of bass and drums respectively.
Keyboard player Morgan Fisher, who had joined Mott the Hoople in 1973, completed the quintet.
Mott released two albums in two years but with punk just around the corner, and many believing the Hoople story to be over when Hunter left, they were never given the recognition they deserved.
Drive On charted, but charted low (#45, and #160 in the States), a poor showing in comparison to the Hoople’s last two studio albums which had been top 10 and top 20 successes (and both made top 40 on the other side of the pond).
However numbers can be deceptive, and as I’ve written in many musical articles before this one, good doesn’t always equate with fashionable, or successful.
Whatever the success, or lack thereof, there is no questioning the level of high energy fun rock and roll contained within the grooves of those two records, and neither were short in the great hooks and catchy choruses departments.
In many ways they were a forerunner of what Cheap Trick would create and become famous for only a couple of years later.
Drive On and Shouting and Pointing are both excellent little albums, and primary songwriter Overend Watts came up with some great hard pop, a ballad or two, and a few proto-punk pieces, all backed by a pretty able band.
Benjamin’s vocal could be an acquired taste if truth be told, although high tenor singers would soon be more than acceptable in rock and roll.
Although he never had the range of the Geddy Lee’s of the rock world, and was slightly thinner in overall delivery, he wasn’t as 'shrill' as the Rush vocalist, certainly when comparing Lee’s vocal from around the same time-frame.
"...two of the most under-rated and under-the-radar rock albums of the seventies..."
It’s hard to make a call between the two albums, and although Drive On probably edges it in consistency, Shouting and Pointing arguably contains Mott's finest musical moments, such as the highly charged title track.
Shouting and Pointing (1976)
Shouting and Pointing (1976)
The Mott album varied between the in-yer-face rock of songs like 'She Does It' and the melodic pop rock and roll of tunes such as ‘Stiff Upper Lip', which musically, lyrically and title-wise only a British rock and roll band could have come up with.
The album also featured the the wonderful ‘Monte Carlo’, a catchy little number that in a different timeline would have been a great soundtrack for those classic British ‘cops and robbers’ Ealing Comedies of the fifties.
Monte Carlo (1975)
The album also featured the the wonderful ‘Monte Carlo’, a catchy little number that in a different timeline would have been a great soundtrack for those classic British ‘cops and robbers’ Ealing Comedies of the fifties.
Monte Carlo (1975)
Mott also delivered some great rock ballads, including 'I’ll Tell You Something' and 'Here We Are' from Drive On, but possibly the pick of the bunch is ‘Career (No Such Thing as Rock and Roll)’ from Shouting and Pointing.
Career is almost autobiographical, telling the tale of artists that are promised the world, or know they are good enough to have a piece of the pie, only to be shafted one way or another – a song and sentiment that never ages, sadly.
Career (1976)
Career is almost autobiographical, telling the tale of artists that are promised the world, or know they are good enough to have a piece of the pie, only to be shafted one way or another – a song and sentiment that never ages, sadly.
Career (1976)
Shouting and Pointing also contains little gems such as the acoustic sing-along number 'See You Again' which borders on country rock, and the ridiculously infectious honky tonk rock of 'Too Short Arms (I Don't Care)'.
Too Short Arms (1976)
Too Short Arms (1976)
But with Shouting and Pointing a non charter the writing was on the wall, and Benjamin left later in 1976 to be replaced by John Fiddler.
The band subsequently became the British Lions, but had even less success than Mott during their short performing and recording life.
However, good bands and good albums are good bands and good albums no matter what the sales figures say, and I’m pleased to say that as I write this little retrospective Mott songs are back in fashion, and getting an airing via another rock and roll source…
Prior to that 2010 ‘cover’ story however, Mott’s material had already got a deserved re-release via Wounded Bird Records, who re-issued both albums in CD some ten years after the unheralded CD issue of the late nineties.
Then, in 2009, the original members of Mott the Hoople got together for a select number of highly successful reunion shows, with the 70 year old Hunter out front to Roll Away the Stone, and the years.
Joe Elliott, Def Leppard’s front man and a huge Mott the Hoople fan, put together the Down ‘n’ Outz to open for Hoople on the last of their London reunion shows.
Such was their own success that in 2010 Elliott recorded an album with the Down ‘n’ Outz featuring tracks by Ian Hunter, the British Lions, and Mott.
By Tonight (2010) - Joe Elliott's Down 'n' Outz (from 'My ReGeneration')
The band subsequently became the British Lions, but had even less success than Mott during their short performing and recording life.
However, good bands and good albums are good bands and good albums no matter what the sales figures say, and I’m pleased to say that as I write this little retrospective Mott songs are back in fashion, and getting an airing via another rock and roll source…
Prior to that 2010 ‘cover’ story however, Mott’s material had already got a deserved re-release via Wounded Bird Records, who re-issued both albums in CD some ten years after the unheralded CD issue of the late nineties.
Then, in 2009, the original members of Mott the Hoople got together for a select number of highly successful reunion shows, with the 70 year old Hunter out front to Roll Away the Stone, and the years.
Joe Elliott, Def Leppard’s front man and a huge Mott the Hoople fan, put together the Down ‘n’ Outz to open for Hoople on the last of their London reunion shows.
Such was their own success that in 2010 Elliott recorded an album with the Down ‘n’ Outz featuring tracks by Ian Hunter, the British Lions, and Mott.
By Tonight (2010) - Joe Elliott's Down 'n' Outz (from 'My ReGeneration')
The Down 'n' Outz will also perform at the High Voltage rock festival in London, later in July, and it would be nice to think that when Mr Elliot shouts "And I take notice", more people will this time, some three and a half decades after the fact.
Ross Muir
July 2010
The audo tracks have been provided to accompany the article.
No infringement of copyright is intended.
Ross Muir
July 2010
The audo tracks have been provided to accompany the article.
No infringement of copyright is intended.