all the young dudes (1972) – mott the hoople: columbia records, kc 31750

Let’s raise a glass to Glam Rock. That weird, almost unwanted sub-genre of rock that wasn’t quite metal, wasn’t quite folk, wasn’t quite pop, and wasn’t quite prog, but was a bit of all of those wrapped in an emphasis about image and attitude.

One of the bands that best embraced that undefined quality was Mott the Hoople, even though their glamminess wasn’t nearly as extreme or on visual display in the same way it was for acts like Slade or Gary Glitter or Sweet or the New York Dolls or David Bowie.

In fact, if it weren’t for David Bowie being a MtH fanboy, not only would Mott maybe not have been part of the glam scene, but the album All The Young Dudes ccertainly wouldn’t exist (even though the song would), and that would really suck because it is a great album. In fact, Dudes was the album that kept Mott going for a few years longer than they might otherwise have done, and allowed the boys to record the two best (and most glamtastic) MtH albums, Mott and The Hoople.

But more on those in later posts. This one’s all about how Bowie saved Mott by turning them glam and giving us one of rock’s most underrated and underappreciated albums at the same time.

Side 1: Sweet Jane Momma’s Little Jewel All The Young Dudes Sucker Jerkin’ Crocus
Side 2: One Of The Boys Soft Ground Ready For Love / After Lights Sea Diver

So, where to start. First off, Dudes isn’t nearly as heavy as any of MtH’s first four albums (the track Ready for Love, notwithstanding).  In fact, this sounds far more like something from the David Bowie catalog of the early 70s, fitting quite well alongside Hunky Dory, Man Who Sold The World, and Ziggy Stardust. That’s not a surprise when one realizes that along with the members of MtH, Dudes features musicians like Mick Ronson and Mick Bolton (both of whom appear on Ziggy), and that Bowie also worked on the production of the album (which explains the Starman-like guitar flourishes in the background of the otherwise completely un-Bowie Ready for Love).

Oh, and there’s that little bit about songwriting, too. See, although seven of the nine songs were written by some combination of MtH band members, two were not. Sweet Jane is a cover of a Lou Reed song, while the title track is 100% Bowie. Now, we can argue about which song is the strongest on the album, with a case to be made for Jerkin’ Crocus, but conventional wisdom and the hivemind mentality gives Crocus the bronze, Jane the silver, and crowns All The Young Dudes as the Caesar, around which the rest of this record spins (apologies for the violently mixed metaphors there).

It also goes a long way to explaining how MtH went from a basic Rock Band to one of the torchbearers of glam - despite the fact that none of the guys really looked the part at the time. This album sold better than any of the four previous MtH records, and became a UK hit (charting at #21) on the strength of the three songs glammiest songs.  In fact, the single of Dudes peaked at 3 in the UK and 37 here in the USA.  Clearly fans liked the new sound, and were starting to associate Mott the Hoople with the glam scene, and vice versa.  More than that, it resurrected MtH as a band, as Bowie actually intervened to prevent the break-up, even offering them Suffragette City to help their success.

So the transition of Mott the Hoople from rock to glam does make sense.  And the new sound really did suit them better, as well.

Okay, so what did I get out of this most recent listen? Well, it’s hard to say, exactly, because I include a lot of MtH and Ian Hunter in my regular, everyday music (such as at work or on the road or just in the background at home), so I can’t say that it’s been a while since I’ve heard these songs or that this is a way to re-acquaint myself with the band. However, this listening project does provide a different context from the norm, in that I intentionally make time to actually sit and focus on the music and try to remove any potential distractions. With that in mind, I think what I gained from this listen is really a renewed appreciation for both this record and the band. I really do like Mott the Hoople, and it dawned on me that I never really fully acknowledged just how much I like them. When asked about my musical preference I would easily blurt out bands like Genesis or the Clash or Elvis Costello or David Bowie or X, but Mott the Hoople really belongs right up there on my personal Rushmore.

Which means, I suppose, that after this listen, I have finally openly admitted just how much a Mott the Hoople fan I really am. So that’s nice.

Up next: Can a fun evening still be considered a waste?