Mott The Hoople – Mott The Hoople

Mott the Hoople is the debut studio album by the band of the same name. It was produced by Guy Stevens and released in 1969 by Island Records in the UK. Their combination of Stonesy swagger, Kinks-ian crunch, and Dylanesque cynicism is one of the great blueprints for hard rock, and its potential is apparent the moment their monumental instrumental You Really Got Me kicks off the record. This is followed by two covers, Doug Sahm’s At the Crossroads and Sonny Bono’s Laugh at Me, that demonstrate their musicality more than their depth, since all three of these songs sound like they derive from the same vantage point. Then, to cap it off, Ian Hunter turns in Backsliding Fearlessly and Mick Ralphs gives Mott their first anthem with the pile-driving Rock and Roll Queen.