Wildlife (Mott the Hoople album)

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Wildlife
Studio album by Mott the Hoople
Released	19 March 1971 (1971-03-19)
Recorded	November–December 1970
Studio	Island, London
Genre	Rock
Length	38:25
Label	Island (UK), Atlantic (US)
Producer	Mott 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)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Rolling Stone	favourable[2]

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

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.^[3]

Critical reception[]

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.^[1]

Track listing[]

Side one[]

1. "Whisky Women" (Mick Ralphs) – 3:42
2. "Angel of Eighth Avenue" (Ian Hunter) – 4:33
3. "Wrong Side of the River" (Ralphs) – 5:19
4. "Waterlow" (Hunter) – 3:03
5. "Lay Down" (Melanie Safka) – 4:13

Side two[]

1. "It Must Be Love" (Ralphs) – 2:24
2. "Original Mixed-Up Kid" (Hunter) – 3:40
3. "Home Is Where I Want to Be" (Ralphs) – 4:11
4. "Keep a Knockin' (live at Fairfield Halls, Croydon, 13 September 1970)" (Richard Penniman) – 10:10*

• *This track is a rock and roll medley that, in addition to "Keep A Knockin'", includes snippets of "I Got A Woman" (by Ray Charles), "What'd I Say" (Charles) and "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" (Jerry Lee Lewis). On the recording, singer Ian Hunter incorrectly introduces "What'd I Say" as being written by Jerry Lee Lewis.

2003 CD bonus tracks[]

10. "It'll Be Me" (Jack Clement) – 2.58
11. "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[]

Mott the Hoople[]

• Ian Hunter – lead vocals (tracks 2, 4, 5, 7, 9), and backing vocals, rhythm guitar, piano
• Mick Ralphs – lead guitar, lead vocals (tracks 1, 3, 6, 8), backing vocals
• Verden Allen – organ, backing vocals
• Pete "Overend" Watts – bass, backing vocals
• Dale "Buffin" Griffin – drums, backing vocals

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[]

• Andy Johns, Brian Humphries, Phill Brown – engineers
• Brian Cooke – photography

Charts[]

References[]