Bit of a strange one this,
catching Ian Hunter in a bit of a flux
in his career, having just completed touring
the highly successful “Ian Hunter” album
all over Europe and America (Ian’s first
solo work), and having the hit single
“Once Bitten Twice Shy” reaching the upper
reaches of the singles charts. Ian Hunter’s
side kick for the previous eighteen months,
that Rock ‘n’ Roll Gypsy Mick Ronson,
decided to take his guitar and production
talent off and join Bob Dylan’s Rolling
Thunder tour. (Ronson’s work on that tour
can be heard on the fabulous “Hard Rain”
album.) So Ian disbanded the band and
moved lock, stock, and smoking barrel
to America, where he still lives today.
Hence the title to this his second solo
work.
The completed album was built thematically
around Hunter’s move. Recorded over three
weeks, several of the tracks were first
or second takes, all the material was
written, arranged and produced by the
man himself. Unusually, most of the lyrics
were written in the third person, and
it appeared that the move stateside had
made him look towards Bob Dylan, Randy
Nowman, and possibly another English exile,
John Lennon, for some of his inspiration.
Hunter had also become infatuated, it
seemed, with the mythology of America
and the excitement he had discovered there,
giving the album new creativity and maturity.
He certainly didn’t play safe with the
subject matter of this discerning and
at times somewhat disturbing record, as
Hunter tackled subjects as diverse as
Britain, America, Young Love, the Mafia,
Rapists, Anti-drugs, Political corruption,
Rock ‘n’ Roll life styles and God. All
head on. Lyrically this is the most mature
and potent record in the Hunter canon,
each and every track deserving careful
listening.
So 5 stars rating for lyrical content,
but the slight stumbling block is that
although Hunter had assembled a glittering
array of session musicians around him
to record the tunes, they never had the
chance to become a band or sound like
one. And here lies the problem, all the
players turn in a polished performance,
but that is exactly how it sounds very
smooth, but also somewhat clinical and
sterile. Most Ian Hunter albums sound
as if the band are running through a prospective
live set with a beginning, middle, and
end, whereas this is just a good set of
songs laid down in any old order. Even
the only rocker on the album, “Restless
Youth” (the only track heavy enough on
the album you would dare to request in
the famous Tahitian Queen’s Rock ‘n’ Roll
Happy Hour on Friday), sounds as if everybody
is frighten to actually let rip incase
they offend someone.
Nevertheless, the album does have some
of Hunter’s classic songs on it. The opening
number, “Letter To Brittania From The
Union Jack”, a lovely lolloping song that
would have been better off as a center
piece to the album, was a song Ian addressed
to his homeland, sounding a slightly discordant
note of national pride and a plea for
England to “Get Its Act Together”. He
was at the same time critical of the country
of his birth, but also sorrowful of the
state the country had got itself into.
“Irene Wilde” was a song to a girl from
Hunters youth, a poignant fragile ballad
of un requited love, which has remained
in his live set to this day. His teenage
dream girl rejects him in this autobiographical
true story of a “Barker Street Station
non Affair”, which pushes him on towards
ambition and stardom, away from his hometown
of Shrewsbry.
Hunters previous band, Mott the Hoople,
had done two tours of both the States
and U.K with Queen as support, so it is
nice to hear them adding backing vocals
to the hymnlike “You Nearly Did Me In”.
Ian Hunter’s “All American Alien Boy”
was released in June 1976. As Hunter did
not tour the album and label C.B.S gave
only minimal promotion (no obviously single
to promote), the album sunk more or less
without trace, although it remains Hunter’s
own favorite amongst his solo work.
But just around the corner the “Overnight
Angels” were gathering.
Pawed by Mott The Dog
Remastered by Ella Crew
E-mail: review@mott-the-dog.com
