Every
time that Hunter and Ronson got together
to make an album’s worth of material there
was always a lot of magic in the air.
Unfortunately this only happened three
times. Once for Ian Hunter's first solo
album in 1975, then four years later in
1979 with the fabulous "Your never
alone with a Schizophrenic". It was
not for another eight years that the two
of them finally got back together. The
recording process was only undertaken
after the Band had been on the road with
a set that included nearly all the material
to be recorded for "YUI ORTA"
(the title being a play on the old Three
Stooges catchphrase). So if there is a
live feeling to this album it is hardly
surprising. With Producer Bernard Edwards
at the controls, the whole album was recorded
over a seven week period at the Power
station in New York City.
Hunter's songwriting throughout is nothing
short of superb, but the overall feeling
of greatness that is put across cannot
be laid entirely at the songwriters feet.
The rest of the band is so tight they
make identical twins look like strangers.
Micky Curry plays them drums as though
they are a lead instrument, instead of
a time keeping device. Pat Kilbride really
comes of age here as one of Rocks leading
Bassists, keeping the groove of the album
going in one continuous whoosh. The great
Tommy (Mad Dog) Mandel handles the keyboards,
and is best served whilst bash out the
rhythms on piano, which always suited
Hunter's songs the best anyway. Here Mandel
can be heard at the height of his powers
before he was later submerged in the Bryan
Adams Band. Then, of course, on every
instrument with six strings there was
Mick Ronson. (In many people’s opinion
Bowie has done nothing of real merit since
he parted company with his main collaborator
when he split up The Spiders from Mars.)
Whether playing some quiet tasteful licks
behind Hunter’s ballads 'Livin in a Heart',
where Hunter sings of the regrets he harbors
for the breakup of his first marriage
and the regret and guilt that he feels,
or the straight ahead party time Rock
'n' Roll of 'Big Time', every note is
perfect, making each song come alive.
Add to this some of the finest songs to
come from the pen of Ian Hunter, during
his long and illustrious career, you have
here an album worthy of the tag 'Milestone
in Rock 'n’ Roll. Nowhere will you find
a finer rapid fire salvo of opening tracks
than 'American Music' with it's references
to British radio, which only played Rock
'n' Roll music very occasionally in the
late fifties and early sixties, and completely
at random so you had to listen to an awful
lot of dross whilst hoping for a bit of
Jerry Lee Lewis. Follow this with 'The
Loner' (one of Hunter’s favorite songs)
and then the hard rock of 'Women's Intuition',
a song of vengeance concerning the theme
of injured love, and you are left breathless
by track four. And believe me, there is
a lot more to come including this Dog’s
favorite ever Hunter song, the gut wrenching
'Beg a Little Love', plus the album’s
closing song, a guitar instrumental of
the Don Gibson song 'Sweet Dreamer”, which
was originally a hit for Dolly Parton,
but in the hands of Mick Ronson it becomes
a thing of rare beauty.
With Hunter’s redoubtable songwriting
skills and idiosyncratic vocals and the
snap, crackle, pop, and flash of Ronson's
guitar playing, this album is a timely
reminder of the talents of two of rock’s
mavericks, whose influence is still recognized
by many of today’s young Buckaroos. I
will leave you now with some of the lyrics
to 'Beg a Little Love'
"Life
takes a little piece of you away
Everyday of your life
You learn to get wise, you learn to
compromise -
You learn to criticize yourself
I guess we all grow up 'cos one day
everything -
Seems further from the truth
And you try find yourself - in this
endless youth
You try find yourself - and you
Beg a little love
When my mind had gone
When both of my minds had gone
When all of my minds had gone". |
Pawed by Mott The Dog
Remastered by Ella Crew
E-mail: review@mott-the-dog.com
