In terms of combining the attitude, gang shouts, punk energy, and classic rock burn of the band, things couldn't be better - Monroe sounds phenomenal, the McCoy/ Suicide guitar team comes up with some great riffs and even better trade-offs, and the Yaffa/ Razzle rhythm section keep it all chugging.
Given that Hanoi Rocks never made any pretense at being immediate and catchy, it's hardly a case of selling out, more a matter of a pro making everything better - and that he does. He also seemed to have his hand in all the band's doings - nearly all the songs on the album are co-written efforts between Ezrin and various bandmembers, while he contributes everything from percussion to vocals. Working with Bob Ezrin was the more notable change here with Dale Buffin Griffin and "Overend" Pete Watts having given Hanoi Rocks their best production yet with Back to the Mystery City, the legendary hard rock producer showed he still had the touch with his work on Two Steps from the Move. "Up Around the Bend" may have been little more than an easy way of getting a chart hit, but they still got one nonetheless, and the energetic way the band handled the CCR classic showed they were no slouches with the material. As it is, Two Steps from the Move will have to remain a testimony to what might have been instead of a further springboard. Had Razzle not died so tragically, there's every reason to believe that Hanoi Rocks could easily have taken things to the next level of hard rock glory.
And those albums were a soundtrack to our lives - Thank you mum and dad for giving me life in 1953 cos I was the right age to immerse myself in all this -Ħ9 yrs old now and still love this stuff -What a band. The UK music scene in the 70's was something of a central core for invention, from Prog, alt folk, blues rock, heavy rock and glam rock. Somehow it convey's what every self respecting wannabe rocker in the early 70's wanted to say and with 'Starman' they both became a template for some of the greatest music ever put on vinyl. ĭare I say it but is 'All The Young Dudes' the greatest rock anthem ever written ?. Summation - Without Bowie and Mott, the whole music scene, especially in the UK would be a totally different animal. That's it game over, the band tried without Hunter but hey, it was never going to work. I love 4 four albums - Mad Shadows, All The Young Dudes, Mott and The Hoople. The rest as they say is history, thanks for Friars eh without whom things could have been so different. 'All The Young Dudes' was born 'dear Dave decided to give them the song'. On the verge of splitting, Bowie attended a gig at 'Friars' and talked to Ian Hunter, he had written a song and recorded it but felt it would be a good idea for the band to try it out. At the time the band were unable to put down on vinyl anything like the amazing atmosphere generated live. Saw them twice, Fairfield Hall Croydon (1970) when their main amp blew, they were wonderful and again at the Friars Club (1970) in Aylesbury. Mott's early albums pre Mad Shadows and post were a bit patchy. Went out and bought 'Mad Shadows' and fell in love with the band.
I first heard Mott on the Island records sampler 'Bumpers' in 1970.