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 Shadow's enveloping fog.
They wound up with Wildlife, a record that still seems a little transitional, yet is considerably more confident, unified, and enjoyable.
Ironically, even if this is a much better record, few songs are as immediately gripping as "Walkin' with a Mountain," but both Mick Ralphs and Ian Hunter turn out some fine rockers, while driving the group toward some interesting territory, like the string-drenched "Waterlow," the country-tinged "It Must Be Love," and the ambling "Original Mixed-Up Kid," or even the surprisingly straight and faithful reading of Melanie's "Lay Down." These give the record a slightly rural feel, lending credence to the title, and the album is unique in Mott's decidedly urban body of work for that very reason -- it's lighter, quirkier, and more friendly than the rest.
Of course, it didn't widen their audience, and they returned to brutal rock with Brain Capers, but in retrospect it's a charming anomaly in their catalog.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Whiskey WomenMick Ralphs | Mott the Hoople | Play | 03:37 | 8 MB | 27 MB |
| 2 | Angel of Eighth AvenueIan Hunter | Mott the Hoople | Play | 04:30 | 10 MB | 30 MB |
| 3 | Wrong Side of the RiverMick Ralphs | Mott the Hoople | Play | 05:16 | 12 MB | 38 MB |
| 4 | WaterlowIan Hunter | Mott the Hoople | Play | 03:00 | 6 MB | 18 MB |
| 5 | Lay DownMelanie, Melanie Safka | Mott the Hoople | Play | 04:12 | 9 MB | 31 MB |
| 6 | It Must Be LoveMick Ralphs | Mott the Hoople | Play | 02:20 | 5 MB | 17 MB |
| 7 | Home Is Where I Want to BeMick Ralphs | Mott the Hoople | Play | 04:09 | 9 MB | 29 MB |
| 8 | Keep a Knockin'Little Richard | Mott the Hoople | Play | 10:07 | 23 MB | 75 MB |
| 9 | Original Mixed Up Kid | Mott the Hoople | Play | 03:38 | 8 MB | 25 MB |
| 10 | It'll Be Me | Mott the Hoople | Play | 02:56 | 6 MB | 22 MB |
| 11 | Long Red | Mott the Hoople | Play | 03:47 | 8 MB | 27 MB |
| 47 mins | 109 MB | |||||
| 47 mins | 345 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Verden Allen | Keyboards, Organ |
| 2 | James Archer | Violin |
| 3 | Philip Brown | Engineer |
| 4 | Terry Buffin | Drums |
| 5 | Brian Cooke | Photography |
| 6 | Mal Cooke | Artwork |
| 7 | Richard Digby | Assistant Engineer |
| 8 | Michael Gray | Arranger, Conductor, String Arrangements |
| 9 | Dale "Buffin" Griffin | Drums |
| 10 | Gerry Hogan | Guitar (Steel) |
| 11 | Brian Humphries | Engineer |
| 12 | Ian Hunter | Choir/Chorus, Composer, Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals |
| 13 | Stephen Innocenzi | Mastering |
| 14 | Andy Johns | Engineer |
| 15 | Howard Kilgour | Assistant Engineer |
| 16 | Little Richard | Composer |
| 17 | Melanie | Composer |
| 18 | Mott the Hoople | Primary Artist, Producer |
| 19 | Tony Platt | Assistant Engineer |
| 20 | Mick Ralphs | Choir/Chorus, Composer, Guitar, Vocals |
| 21 | Jess Roden | Choir/Chorus, Vocals, Vocals (Background) |
| 22 | Melanie Safka | Composer |
| 23 | Guy Stevens | Producer |
| 24 | Stan Tippens | Vocals |
| 25 | Stan Tippins | Choir/Chorus, Vocals (Background) |
| 26 | Pete "Overend" Watts | Bass, 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). |