"You can't live in Texas unless you've got a lot of soul." -- At the Crossroads (1969)Mott the Hoople gives a unique demonstration in its first, eponymous album: How to cover Bob Dylan without covering Bob Dylan.
There are no Dylan covers here, not even "Blowing in the Wind," the coda of which was performed in many early MTH concerts. But that's not to say that song after song don't sound like Bob. They do.
"Backsliding Fearlessly" does. "Laugh at Me" makes a Sonny Bono cover sound as if it came from the Dylan catalogue. And "At the Crossroads" covers Doug Sahm, himself a Dylan mentor.
MTH strays from Dylan on "Rock N Roll Queen," channeling the Rolling Stones instead. (OK, hands. Who thinks it sounds like "Bitch?")
The point is that MTH at its genesis wore its influences and inspirations on its sleeves. For the most part, it worked here. The style piques your interest.
They carried it too far by kicking off the disk with a version of the Kinks' "You Really Got Me." I don't understand the point of that. Why make your first song an instrumental cover of a recent song by a band for whom you frequently open? I think the other instrumental, the MTH-composed "Rabbit Foot and Toby Time," is superior.
The Kinks cover gives the feeling that this was a hastily put together effort, without enough MTH-written songs nor any nod to what worked in their live performances. There's one MTH classic, "R&RQ," and some glimpses of what the band and Ian Hunter will offer in the future.
Other than that, I wouldn't consider it a strong debut.
SONG RATINGS (OUT OF FIVE)
You Really Got Me (1.5)
At the Crossroads (2.5)
Laugh at Me (3.5)
Backsliding Fearlessly (2.5)
Rock N Roll Queen (4)
Rabbit Foot and Toby Time (2.5)
Half Moon Bay (2)
Wrath & Roll (1)
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