Wikipedia

Wildlife (Mott the Hoople album)

Wildlife is the third album by the British band Mott the Hoople.

Wildlife
Studio album by
Mott the Hoople
Released19 March 1971 (1971-03-19)
RecordedNovember–December 1970
StudioIsland, London
GenreRock
Length40:05
LabelIsland (UK), Atlantic (US)
ProducerMott the Hoople (tracks 1, 2, 4, 6–8)
Guy Stevens (track 3)
Mott the Hoople/Guy Stevens (tracks 5 and 9)
Mott the Hoople chronology
Mad Shadows
(1970) 		Wildlife
(1971) 		Brain Capers
(1971)

The album was originally released in 1971; in the UK by Island Records (catalogue number ILPS 9144) and in the US by Atlantic Records (cat. no. SD 8284). It was subsequently re-released by Angel Air in 2003 SJPCD159.

It reached No. 44 in the UK Albums Chart in April 1971.[1]

Recording

edit

The album was recorded in November and December 1970 at Island Studios in London. It was produced by Guy Stevens and Mott the Hoople. The engineers were Andy Johns, Brian Humphries, and Phill Brown.

Release

edit

The album was released on vinyl in 1971; in the UK by Island Records and in the US by Atlantic Records. It was subsequently re-released on CD by Angel Air in 2003. It was the band's third album since their debut, Mott the Hoople, in 1969.

Reception

edit

Ben Edmonds, reviewing for Rolling Stone in June 1971, felt that the band and singer Ian Hunter had moved on from the Bob Dylan comparisons of the first two albums, and had added a country music influence, to produce an album with "more than enough solid music" to warrant some attention in America.[2]

The album reached No. 44 in the UK Albums Chart in April 1971.[1]

Legacy

edit

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic gave the album four stars out of five and stated:

Since they had little success and seemed to be going off the tracks, Mott the Hoople was encouraged to produce their third album with anyone that wasn't Guy Stevens. Eventually, they chose themselves, creating a record that is bright and punchy, standing in direct contrast to Mad Shadows' enveloping fog. They wound up with Wildlife, a record that still seems a little transitional, yet is considerably more confident, unified, and enjoyable.[3]

Track listing

edit
Side one
  1. "Whisky Women" (Mick Ralphs) – 3:34
  2. "Angel of Eighth Avenue" (Ian Hunter) – 4:25
  3. "Wrong Side of the River" (Ralphs) – 5:14
  4. "Waterlow" (Hunter) – 3:00
  5. "Lay Down" (Melanie Safka) – 4:02
Side two
  1. "It Must Be Love" (Ralphs) – 2:15
  2. "Original Mixed-Up Kid" (Hunter) – 3:35
  3. "Home Is Where I Want to Be" (Ralphs) – 4:07
  4. "Keep a Knockin'" (live at Fairfield Halls, Croydon, 13 September 1970) (Richard Penniman) – 9:50*
2003 CD bonus tracks
  2. "It'll Be Me" (Jack Clement) – 2.58
  3. "Long Red" (Leslie West, Felix Pappalardi, John Ventura, Norman Landsberg) – 3.47
2018 CD bonus track

In 2018, as part of a boxed set of Island era material, "Whiskey Women" was issued under its original title of "Brain Haulage". This is an unedited take, with the guitar power-chords mixed higher. It's heavier, and closer to the live versions of the song.

Personnel

edit
Mott the Hoople
Additional personnel
  • Jerry Hogan – steel guitar on "It Must Be Love" and "Original Mixed-Up Kid"
  • Jess Roden – background chorus on "Lay Down"
  • Stan Tippins – background chorus on "Lay Down"
  • Michael Gray – string arrangements and conductor on "Waterlow"
  • Jim Archer – violin on "Angel of Eighth Avenue"
Technical

Charts

edit
Chart (1971) Peak
position
UK Albums (OCC)[4] 44

References

edit
  1. ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 381. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  2. ^ Ben Edmonds (10 June 1971). "Wildlife". Rolling Stone.
  3. ^ Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Wildlife". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 March 2012.
  4. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wildlife_(Mott_the_Hoople_album)&oldid=1247987430"