Track 4:-->"Career" - Mott - (Shouting and Pointing) - (1976)


"There's no such thing as me or you.
Just the feeling someone had
when they saw shadows on the wall."
Mott


Let me be upfront...and let your slings and arrows land where they may. "Shouting and Pointing" is a pretty good record.

Not perfect. Not a 5-star LP. But certainly better than most rock critics would have you believe.

"Mott" was, of course, the off-shoot of the legendary band...Mott the Hoople. The band was trying their best to carry on...after three of the original bandmates...Ian Hunter, Mick Ronson and Mick Ralphs had left. Talk about taking a hit!

However..."Shouting and Pointing" (their final album)...shows Mott surprisingly having more fun and rocking harder than many LPs previously. And their energy is contagious.

Sadly...no one was buying what they were selling.

Choosing Mott as their new moniker...obviously hoping to keep their old fans......played a large part in their demise.

Most of the "...Hoople" followers jumped ship soon after Ian Hunter left. And those who thought "...Hoople" was crap anyway...wasn't about to give Mott a chance.

Finally, the younger music fans coming up...believed Mott to be rock-n-roll dinosaurs and spent their money elsewhere.

The end was inevitable. Too bad.

"Shouting and Pointing" is a lot of fun. Sounding like a cross between Slade and Humble Pie...guitars slice and churn throughout...while pounding piano attacks the ears like an M-16.
Add some crazy vocals and you have yourself a fine RnR barbecue.

A glimpse of Rock-n-Roll in America circa 1974 shot by Morgan Fisher.
(legendary keyboardist with Mott the Hoople & Mott)
9 minutes and absolutely fascinating.

Of the nine tracks...a few standouts...
"Collision Course" is a burner with churning guitar and tasty hooks.
"See You Again" is a mid-tempo number with acoustical runs that remind me of an Alice Cooper sound.
"Storm" is a blister ready to burst. A freight train.
"Shouting and Pointing" sets the table nicely with some tasty "in-your-face" keyboard...overtaken by guitar.

Track 4:-->"Career" is a very nice change of pace ballad. A weary look at life on stage. A rather sweet acceptance of the inevitable. Again...very nice.

Would have cutting their ties to the past made a difference? Hard to say. The musical flavor of the day was changing so rapidly. Disco, Punk and New Wave.

Sadly...Mott has become a nearly forgotten rock-n-roll footnote.

But when revisiting this album...it appears that Mott's..."Shouting and Pointing" was unfairly assigned to the local bargain and cut-out bins.
They deserved "Mottch" better.
Good stuff!

Casey

Mott:-->"Career" (Shouting and Pointing) <--Import Only) (1976) (Own It)

Comments

WZJN said…
Right on spot about Mott. I am a die hard Mott fan and I really enjoyed this album.

Thanks for spotlighting it!
August 13, 2008 at 5:44 AM
Anonymous said…
GREAT post! Already have the cd, but this is a really good lp that's definitely worth a listen....some may snobbisly ignore the post-Ian Hunter era, but they're missing some great material here including a super cover of the Easybeats....and to think that Nikki Sixx from Motley Crue play with singer Nigel Bemjamin, post Mott!!! Yow!!! jim
August 14, 2008 at 3:11 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Interview:-- Joan Staley (Actress - Classic Movies & Television)

Image
  "Elvis,  do you really want me to slap you?"  ~ Joan Staley ~     So my friends and I were talking about first crushes. First tv and movie crushes.  For me, it was easy.  It was Alma. (Joan Staley)   I broke into the double-digit age of 10 in 1993.  That was the summer I discovered my favorite Don Knotts movie while flipping thru cable one Saturday morning... "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken." Everyone has seen it.  It was a funny haunted house story similar to an episode on Andy G. with a cast of familiar characters, trippy organ music, and the prettiest girl I had ever seen...Alma. She was beautiful alright.  I was love-stung so bad, I swear I could smell flowers coming out of the TV set.  And best of all, she was nice.  She didn't like the smart alec, the wise guy, or the show-off.  Alma was digging Luther (Don Knotts) and that just made her that much prettier.  And from then on... But unfortunately, time and puberty wouldn't let her wait
Read more

Interview:--> Terry Kirkman (The Association)

Image
"...Not only learned to think, but to care.  Not only learned to think, but to dare." ~ The Association ~  With one of the most bad-ass songs about the herb that no one was quite sure about, yet everyone understood...to the anti-war homage that was both beautiful and pointed... The Association . From gentle psych pop spinneries that tease the mind...to the lush vocal and instrumental arrangements that melt the heart... The Association. The Association were all of these and none of these. Lead by co-founder Terry Kirkman, it was never an "either/or" about the music.  No pigeonhole here.  It was simply "all" about the music.  And having at least 3 of the most radio-played songs in history...I'd say The Association were on to something. TERRY KIRKMAN INTERVIEW  01/26/2015 Casey Chambers:  In the summer of '67, The Association had the opportunity to perform at the iconic Monterey Pop Festival.  How cool was that? Terry Kirkma
Read more

Interview -- Henry Lee Summer (Singer/Songwriter)

Image
"I just always have played music.  For better   or worse, I banked my whole life on it." ~ Henry Lee Summer ~     It's strange how music lets you travel through time as if there truly was no time.  I played the shit out of this album growing up.  Nothing deep or complicated.  Nothing outta bounds.  Nothing to get hung about.  It's deceptively simple.  But here's the thing... Henry Lee Summer  is serving aces all over this heartland square. This is the 35th anniversary of Henry Lee Summer's self-titled album and this one falls under that sweet spot between raucous and chill.  It's a large cup of iced coffee with a nice soulful blend.  Not usually my type of go-to and yet this album easily fills a void I didn't know I had.  Let this spin be your own private Idaho.  " Check it out, Leroy!"   Henry Lee Summer... Go get you some. Henry Lee Summer Interview -- August 2023 Henry Lee Summer Casey Chambers:  Well, this is the 35th anniversary of you
Read more