If Mott the Hoople's debut album cheerfully careened all over the place, their second, Mad Shadows, has one direction -- downward into dense murk.
Cutting out most of their humor and ratcheting up the volume, the group turns out seven songs that alternate between thundering rockers and sludgy introspection.
This all sounds good on paper, but Mad Shadows isn't a thrilling journey into the darkside, simply because the band and producer Guy Stevens are so unfocused that it barely holds together, despite such fine moments as the rampaging "Walkin' with a Mountain" and the closing ballad "When My Mind's Gone." Any record with songs as strong as these is worth hearing, and it's possible to find the confusion itself rather fascinating, but only if you're dedicated enough to delve into darkness with the band.
Otherwise, this is primarily of interest as a transitional affair, with its best moments showcased on the excellent compilation, Backsliding Fearlessly.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thunderbuck RamMick Ralphs | Mott the Hoople | Play | 04:49 | 11 MB | 30 MB |
| 2 | No Wheels to RideIan Hunter | Mott the Hoople | Play | 05:49 | 13 MB | 36 MB |
| 3 | You Are One of UsIan Hunter | Mott the Hoople | Play | 02:25 | 5 MB | 15 MB |
| 4 | Walkin' with a MountainIan Hunter | Mott the Hoople | Play | 03:49 | 8 MB | 26 MB |
| 5 | I Can FeelIan Hunter, Mick Ralphs | Mott the Hoople | Play | 07:12 | 16 MB | 44 MB |
| 6 | Threads of IronMick Ralphs | Mott the Hoople | Play | 05:11 | 11 MB | 34 MB |
| 7 | When My Mind's GoneIan Hunter | Mott the Hoople | Play | 06:31 | 14 MB | 33 MB |
| 35 mins | 82 MB | |||||
| 35 mins | 221 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Verden Allen | Group Member, Keyboards, Organ |
| 2 | Terry Buffin | Drums, Group Member |
| 3 | Dale "Buffin" Griffin | Drums |
| 4 | Ian Hunter | Composer, Group Member, Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals |
| 5 | Andy Johns | Engineer |
| 6 | Mott the Hoople | Primary Artist |
| 7 | Gabi Nasemann | Photography |
| 8 | Mick Ralphs | Composer, Group Member, Guitar, Vocals |
| 9 | Peter Sanders | Cover Design, Design |
| 10 | Ginny Smith | Cover Design, Design |
| 11 | Guy Stevens | Percussion, Piano, Producer |
| 12 | William Strutt | Paintings |
| 13 | Pete Watts | Bass, Group Member, Guitar (Bass) |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |