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Quickly, then: The remarkable Ian Hunter

Apparently nobody wants to read (or at least comment) on the killing of chickens.

Music you came for, eh?

Fine. July 21 arrives an album called Man Overboard from Ian Hunter, on the valiant New West label. Get in queue, because you'll want this one. Honest.

Mr. Hunter, of course, was the lead singer of Mott the Hoople, a band best known in these parts for inspiring Alejandro Escovedo's Buick McKane. I guess.

And that song, "All The Young Dudes." That was him. And one of his mates went on to Bad Company, which may or may not be a recommendation, but it is for me.

I lived through the 1970s, and remember most of it, but Mott were never my thing. So I'm not going to pretend, nor can I even explain why I played the advance New West sent me, except that I happened to have opened that package and the CD was on the floor where I almost stepped on it, and one of our writers wrote a very lucid review of the album for the next bookazine.

I always though Buick McKane was sort of a waste of Alejandro's talents, but that only really means that I liked the other side of him and didn't respond so well to the rocker dude within. Or maybe that his songs didn't seem to benefit from all that noise, except that his version of...oh, don't make me look this up...shoot..."I Wanna Be Your Dog," I think...well, that worked, anyhow. (Peter will be along eventually to clean up my mess of a memory.)

Thing is, Ian Hunter is 70, as of June 3, 2009. Seventy freaking years old. I have a well-documented fondness for the broken voices of the older generation, for the strength and courage Johnny Cash revealed in his last sessions, for the sheer class of Ray Price's big band album (yeah, I could look that title up, too, couldn't I?...Time, that one was called, though it took forever to come out). For what Marianne Faithfull is still able to do...and, incidentally, she and Hunter would make for one hell of a duet just now.

Anyhow. I have no particular review to offer, just a suggestion that Hunter suggests possibility for rock that seem almost impossible to reckon with. He's 70. He rocks. Not only that...these are strong, powerful, knowing songs, so good I'm tempted to take a friend's advice and seek out some of his solo work. So good I actually have Mott two-disc compilation cued up ready to play when this one's done.

Tags: Hoople, Hunter, Ian, Mott, alden, the

Comment by Ron Frankl on June 18, 2009 at 6:19pm: Ian Hunter is one of my all-time, lifelong favorites, and he has made some of his best music in the last decade. Remarkably, he's been a professional musician since 1958. I grew up on Mott and Hunter's music, and somehow never their work. Hunter is a remarkably centered and normal guy. He's never taken himself too seriously, and he's always been on my shortlist of people with whom I'd love to have a few beers.

After years of rumor and discussion, Mott the Hoople's original lineup is reuniting for a few UK dates later this year. Can't afford to make the trip, but I'm looking forward to the inevitable DVD.

And Grant, I loved the chicken piece, and thought it was one of the best things you've ever written, but it was so personal that I didn't think I had anything to add. Thanks for writing it.

Comment by Leon Laudenbach on June 19, 2009 at 5:51am: Looking forward to this release, I listened to Mott the Hoople when they where still together back in the early 70's. The thing that caught my ear, is the lyrics where different then most bands during that time. Ian Hunter has always had the ability to draw you in with very honest word play. The last three studio disc's, I am including the Artful Dodger where incredible . Ian should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Comment by Easy Ed on June 19, 2009 at 3:38pm: Regarding All The Young Dudes:
The song originated after David Bowie came into contact with Mott the Hoople's bassist Peter Watts and learned that the band was ready to split due to continued lack of commercial success. When Mott rejected his first offer of a composition, "Suffragette City" (from The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars), Bowie wrote "All the Young Dudes" in short order specially for them, allegedly on the floor of a London flat in front of the band's lead singer, Ian Hunter.

Comment by Ron Frankl on June 19, 2009 at 4:25pm: There's a version of Dudes with Bowie supplying a reference vocal for Hunter to follow. The track sounds pretty close to the final version, as I recall, sans Hunter's lead vocal.

Comment by Easy Ed on June 19, 2009 at 4:40pm: I've heard that demo version somewhere. Also saw Mott perform it in November 1972, Tower Theater Philadelphia...and Bowie played sax and sang backup with them. This will be a release I look forward to. Always liked the band and Ian. Now...I got to check out this dead chicken thing again.

Comment by Ron Frankl on June 19, 2009 at 5:10pm: In many ways Mott's best music was pre-Bowie. They were a terrific straight-ahead rock & roll band with a strong Dylan and folk-rock influence. Their association with Bowie is what got them tossed into the glam rock field, as they were about to break up, and they ran with that for their last three years.

Anyone heard Jeff Tweedy perform "Henry & the H-Bombs, a Hunter composition and Mott outtake? A great song about forming one's first band.

Comment by greasepaint on June 19, 2009 at 8:24pm: A Kentucky boy by birth here, who has thus far been spared from getting up close and personal to the business of a fowl offing. Was fortunate to get up close and personal to an Ian Hunter gig at Headliner's in Louisville in 2001 and there is no question that he can still bring it. At least as good as some of that noisy Alejandro stuff (although Al's decidedly subtle version of Hunter's I Wish I Was Your Mother will take your breath away). Grant - 2001's "Rant"comes very highly recommended. Just amazing songs throughout (with production by Mellencamp's main axe man, Andy York). If you want a rumination on aging in rock that will stand with some of the starkest work of J.C. check out the song "DeadManWalking". "Shrunken Heads "from just a year or so ago doesn't rate too far behind. When Mott the Hoople reunites in October gonna be at the Hammersmith -- mebbe in a chicken suit.

Comment by Ron Frankl on June 20, 2009 at 5:13am: Andy York has been at Hunter's side for a decade or more, both on record and on stage. York is one of those amazing musicians who brings so much to his work as a sideman without getting in the way, and although he's no Mick Ronson, he has done a great job as Hunter's musical sidekick in a variety of settings.

Hunter's abilities as a performer are readily apparent on two DVDs that appeared in the last half-dozen years, Strings Attached, a performance with a Norwegian string orchestra that somehow works well, and Just Another Night. Better than ever.

Comment by greasepaint on June 20, 2009 at 7:12am: Spot on about the DVDs and Mr. York. I shoulda referred to him as "Ian Hunter's axe man" ((althought the demands of his main gig don't allow him to do all of Hunter's tours) In fact, when I spotted him performing at the Obama rama in front of the Lincoln Memorial that is precisely what I thought: "There's Ian Hunter's guitar player."

Comment by Egon Danielson on June 23, 2009 at 8:55am: I was a huge fan of Ian from the first time I heard "All The Youg Dudes", as a matter of fact, the first song I ever performed with a band was "One of the Boys" from that same record (you'd never guess by the music I write nowadays). It's great that he's still making interesting music and has avoided being a parody of his younger self. Oh, BTW, wasn't "Buick MacKane" a Mark Bolan tune? I think it was on "The Slider" .