All The Young Dudes 1972 Album

Mott The Hoople

Up to this point of their career, the oft-maligned and oddly-named Mott The Hoople had knocked out four uneven records without much success. On the verge of a breakup, David Bowie – who was a fan – offered them the stately glam rock anthem "All The Young Dudes" - and the rest was history...except that there was a whole other record of tracks under the same title that was rather in line with Mott's aesthetic and fit snugly with the then-burgeoning glam rock movement. This was/is a pretty damn fine record, with an excellent choice of cover ("Sweet Jane") meeting up with some thick and heavy original band material. Remember the Bad Company track "Ready for Love"? You'll find it here in its' original form as "Ready for Love/After Lights" and I'd argue it's in better condition. "One of The Boys" was another notable track – in fact, with the glut of glam rockers around it makes ballads like "Sea Diver" seem a bit trite in comparison. All in all, easily the best Mott record to this point.