Mott the Hoople

Has success spoiled Ian Hunter? Last year's Mott received and deserved much acclaim. It
seemed a post-glitter breakthrough, debunking superstardom and demythologizing rock:
"Rock 'n' roll's a loser's game." But since then Hunter and Mott the Hoople have themselves
become stars, and unfortunately they appear to have lost the detached perspective which
distinguished Mott. Instead of self-awareness, The Hoople offers self-pity; instea... More >

"Roll Away the Stone" and maybe "Golden Age of Rock 'n' Roll" are classics in their neoclassical mode, which is also to say that they're nothing new, and the marginal stuff is quite undifferentiated. I suspect that Ian Hunter's ego, which he deserves, is crowding out the others. And I know for sure that Ariel Bender flashes more ego than Mick Ralphs ever did, and that he deserves none of it. (Grade: B)