Mott The Hoople Mental Train: The Island Years 1969-1971 è il box sui Mott The Hoople.

Dopo lo splendido, ma inavvicinabile box (28 CD!!) uscito nel 2016 dedicato all’opera omnia solista di Ian Hunter, prosegue il lavoro di recupero e rivalutazione del rocker inglese, con una nuova uscita che copre il primo periodo della discografia dei Mott The Hoople, di cui era già uscito nel 1998 un triplo retrospettivo, edito dalla Columbia, che se intitolava All The Young Dudes The Anthology, che copriva in realtà anche il periodo sotto la Island Records. Per l’occasione la Universal Records ha affidato allo specialista Andy Pearce (l'uomo dietro le uscite degli album di Free, Taste e Rory Gallagher) la rimasterizzazione dei quattro dischi del periodo, cui sono stati aggiunti altri 2 CD, ricchissimi di materiale inedito e live, realizzato dalla formazione originale dell’epoca che vedeva allineati Ian Hunter – Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals, Mick Ralphs – Lead guitar, Vocals, Pete Watts – Bass, Vocals, Verden Allen – Keyboards, Vocals e Dale “Buffin” Griffin – Drums, Vocals.

Ecco la tracklist completa di Mental Train: The Island Years 1969-1971 in uscita il prossimo 26 Ottobre.

CD1: Mott The Hoople – Originally released November 22 1969 (UK), 1970 (US)
You Really Got Me
At the Crossroads
Laugh at Me
Backsliding Fearlessly
Rock and Roll Queen
Rabbit Foot and Toby Time
Half Moon Bay
Wrath and Wroll
Bonus Tracks:
If Your Heart Lay with the Rebel (Would You Cheer the Underdog?) (Instrumental Take 2)
Rock and Roll Queen (Single A side)
Road to Birmingham (Single B side)
Road to Birmingham (Guy Steven’s Mix)
You Really Got Me (Complete take)
You Really Got Me (Vocal mix)
Rock and Roll Queen (Guy Steven’s Mono Mix)
Rock and Roll Queen (Kitchen Sink Instrumental)
Little Christine (2 Miles)

CD2: Mad Shadows – Originally released September 1970
Thunderbuck Ram
No Wheels to Ride
You Are One of Us
Walking with a Mountain
I Can Feel
Threads of Iron
When My Mind’s Gone
Bonus Tracks:
Thunderbuck Ram (BBC Session)
Thunderbuck Ram (Original Take with Organ)
No Wheels to Ride (Demo)
Moonbus (Baby’s Got a Down on Me)
The Hunchback Fish (Vocal Rehearsal)
You Are One of Us (Take 9)
Going Home (2 Miles)
Keep A-Knockin’ (Studio version)

CD3: Wildlife – Originally released March 1971
Whiskey Women
Angel of Eighth Avenue
Wrong Side of the River
Waterlow
Lay Down
It Must Be Love
The Original Mixed Up Kid
Home Is Where I Want to Be
Keep A-Knockin’ (Live)
Bonus Tracks:
Midnight Lady (Single A side)
The Debt (Single B side)
Downtown (Single A side)
Brain Haulage (Whiskey Woman)
Growing Man Blues (Take 10)
Long Red (Demo)
The Ballad of Billy Joe
Lay Down (Take 8)

CD4: Brain Capers – Originally released December 1971 (UK), 1972 (US)
Death May Be Your Santa Claus
Your Own Backyard
Darkness, Darkness
The Journey
Sweet Angeline
Second Love
The Moon Upstairs
The Wheel of the Quivering Meat Conception
Bonus Tracks:
Mental Train (The Moon Upstairs)
How Long? (Death May Your Santa Claus)
Darkness, Darkness
Your Own Backyard (Complete Take)
Where Do You All Come From (Backing Track)
One of the Boys (Take 2)
Movin’ On (2 Miles)
Black Scorpio (Mommas Little Jewel)

CD5: The Ballads of Mott The Hoople – Unheard and previously unreleased music from the Island archive
Like a Rolling Stone (Fragment)
No Wheels to Ride (1st House)
Angel Of 8th Avenue (Tape 816)
The Journey
Blue Broken Tears (Tape 816)
Black Hills (Full Ralph’s Version)
Can You Sing the Song That I Sing (Full Take)
Till I’m Gone (2 Miles)
The Original Mixed Up Kid (BBC Session)
Ill Wind Blowing (2 Miles)
I’m A River (Vocal Rehearsal)
Ride on The Sun (Sea Diver) (2 Miles)

CD6: It’s Live And Live Only
Fairfield Hall, Croydon – September 13, 1970:
Rock and Roll Queen
Ohio
No Wheels to Ride / Hey Jude
Thunderbuck Ram
Keep A-Knockin’
You Really Got Me
The Moon Upstairs
Paris Theatre, London (BBC Radio One In Concert Session) – December 30, 1971:
Whiskey Women
Your Own Backyard
Darkness, Darkness
The Journey
Death May Be Your Santa Claus