Welcome

[Tony Smith]

if it were me .i would go for the mott the hopple cd.
cheers
tony

[Allan Heron]

if it were me .i would go for the mott the hopple cd.
cheers
tony

Agreement from the Paisley jury 

[John Bannon]

Tony, May go for this, have memories of them being a decent band before they went all Glam Rock, I particularly remember an album with a cover in the style of artist M.C. Escher, haven't got a clue to the name of the album, crocodiles coming off the page, I think. Remember one of my mates having this and it never being off the turntable.
Many Thanks for the CD going to give it a few plays before I make my mind up as to whether it's better than the album Blue, on initial playing its very good.

[Martin Daughton]

Phew, tough one. If forced to choose it would probably be the Mott, especially if it has Thunderbuck Ram on it.
I like the articles listing the top 40 or 50 collectibles in Record Collector.
The forum should compile the top 40 collectibles to celebrate Man's 40th and get it published.

[Tel]

It's their first album - Mott The Hoople. There were four Island Albums Nott The Hoople, Wildlife, Mad Shadows and Brain Capers. Tghunderbuck Ram is the opening track on Mad Shadows.

[Martin Daughton]

There's a better mix of Thunderbuck Ram on Bumpers.
The first LP is available as two pink label versions; the first one was a mistake with the wrong tracks which was quickly withdrawn and then the correct release.

[John Bannon]

Many thanks Tel, I think this part of the new forum is going to cost me a fortune, going to have to get that Mott the Hoople first album now.

Martin, I have Bumpers, going to put Thunder Buck Ram on right now....looks like it's going to be Mott for the free CD.

[John Bannon]

Martin, Are you talking about Bumpers and the rarity of that track. My album cost me 29 shillings and 11 old pence, which at the time equated to the pay from a morning and evening paper round and part of a weekend milk round... times were hard back then.
The number on my Bumpers LP is IDP 1, please tell me its the rare one.

[Martin Daughton]

Hi John
Sorry, the rare one is the first LP ILPS 9108 with the A side matrix ILPS + 9108 + A
No retirement to the Bahamas today...

[Tel]

Martin, Are you talking about Bumpers and the rarity of that track. My album cost me 29 shillings and 11 old pence, which at the time equated to the pay from a morning and evening paper round and part of a weekend milk round... times were hard back then.
The number on my Bumpers LP is IDP 1, please tell me its the rare one.

Ahh those four great Island samplers - You Can All Join In, Nice Enough To Eat, Bumpers and El Pea. Great albums all of them.

[John Bannon]

If anyone missed the albums Tel lists and has an interest in the music, a compilation 3xCD was issued in 2005, Strangely Strange but oddly Normal an Island Anthology 1967-1972 and has some of the tracks from these albums and also a history of Island Records booklet.

[Rob the Organ]

I think that the first three Mott The Hoople LPs are all first class examples of Anglo-Americana. Shame they didn't sell!

For me, a good potted 20-minute retrospective of this would be "Backsliding Fearlessly" and "At The Crossroads" from the first one; "Thunderbuck Ram", "No Wheels To Ride" and "Walking With a Mountain" from "Mad Shadows" and then "Original Mixed Up Kid" from "Wildlife". Great Dylanesque feel from Hunter, with matching "Al Kooper" type organ from Verden Allen.

Then they did "Brain Capers" which I don't like at all, and were lost completely to glam rock thereafter.

A good shout for those Island samplers, though. Great stuff from Traffic, Fairport, Free, Tull...who can forget Heavy Jelly's "I Keep Singing That Same Old Song"? For different reasons, who can eradicate "Gungamai" by Quintessence. Most pretentious award must surely go to If for "I'm Reaching Out On All Sides". I remember wanting to throw up at the lyric "I want it said when I am gone...he moved the world just one step on". Oh, please.

[Allan Heron]

Then they did "Brain Capers" which I don't like at all, and were lost completely to glam rock thereafter.

Oy, that's my favourite MTH album.   What's not to like about an album with "Death May Be Your Santa Claus", "The Journey", "The Moon Upstairs" and an excellent version of "Darkness, Darkness".   The other stuff's not too bad either with probably only Second Love being in any way off the pace

[Martin Daughton]

I only have the first 2 MTH LPs so I thought "Death May Be Your Santa Claus" was an album by Second Hand who did the excellent LP "Reality".
Aaah. Heavy Jelly. I still find it diificult to choose between the single mix and the sampler mix. Written by Skip Bifferty's bass player I've been told.

[Allan Heron]

.......I thought "Death May Be Your Santa Claus" was an album by Second Hand........

It is!!