Return to the Mott the
Hoople home page.Village Voice music critic Robert Christgau has compiled all his record reviews from the 1970's and 1980's into two volumes. This page includes his reviews of Mott the Hoople and Ian Hunter albums from the 1970's.
Mott the Hoople Cumulative GPA: 3.24
Ian Hunter Cumulative GPA: 3.10
| Album | Grade | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Mott the Hoople | C+ | Original grade: C. Technically not a 1970's album, because it was released in the UK in late 1969, but since it wasn't released stateside until 1970, perhaps it does count as a 1970's LP. Christgau describes Mott as an "ordinary hard rock combo." |
| Mad Shadows | Not reviewed | N/A |
| Wild Life | Not reviewed | N/A |
| Brain Capers | B | Described as a "heartwarming reverse" with enough originals to make this a worthy effort. |
| All the Young Dudes | A- | Original grade: A. Christgau likes Bowie's production over Stevens', and says that Hunter's piece of self-indulgence, "Sea Diver", is a triumph. |
| Mott | A- | Original grade: B+. He doesn't like "I'm a Cadillac", but he also says that "as rock and roll this is damn near irresistable." |
| The Hoople | B | "Ian Hunter's ego...is crowding out the others." He also disses new guitarist Arial Bender. |
| Rock and Roll Queen | B+ | This album "presents pre-Bowie Mott as an endearingly crude touring band..." |
| Mott the Hoople Live | Not reviewed | N/A |
| Greatest Hits | A- | He doesn't like "Foxy Foxy" but nevertheless acknowledges that this album "fleshes out with real wallop..." |
| Album | Grade | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Ian Hunter | B | Touts "Once Bitten Twice Shy" and "I Get So Excited" as the best of the bunch. |
| All-American Alien Boy | B- | He seems to like "Irene Wilde" and "God (Take 1)". |
| You're Never Alone with a Schizophrenic | B | He seems to penalize Hunter for falling back on mainstream rock, and he doesn't like "Ships" (a hit, but for Barry Manilow) and "Bastard". |
| Shades of Ian Hunter: The Ballad of Ian Hunter and Mott the Hoople | A- | "A genuinely obsessive compilation." Christgau's review is positively upbeat; even the Mott B-sides which he acknowledges are "uneven" are "worth getting to know." |
Return to the Mott the
Hoople home page.