2 fer of 1st and 2nd album by pre-Bowie Mott
Wayne Klein | My Little Blue Window, USA | 05/29/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"There is madness buried in the mix of the band's self titled first album. Ian Hunter had only joined shortly before recording this album and much of the material was either new or remakes of classic rock songs. The vigor and energy that Mott brought to these songs (along with the unproduced Guy Stevens sound)makes this album work. Despite the shortage of originals, Hunter breathes new life into Laugh at Me and At The Crossroads. Ralphs' Rock 'N' Roll Queen is the best of the originals and shows what Ralphs was capable of when he put his mind to it. Hunter's Dylan rethread is undisguished.The second part of this set really catches fire. Almost every song is solid. Ralphs' Thunderbuck Ram and Hunter's Angeline established both songwriters as considerable talents. The slightly deranged closer When My Mind is Gone is a bit much but works within the context of the album.The sound quality seems like a slight improvement over the previously issued versions although there isn't any mention that they've been remastered. Both albums are outstanding in their own way but the self titled debut is definitely the weaker of the two."