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Mott The Hoople and Ian Hunter

Medicine Head CD: Don't Stop The Dance

Sleeve and track listing

Angel Air SJPCD185. (3 stars!)

  1. Don't Stop The Dance
  2. Dark Side Of The Moon
  3. Walkin' Blues
  4. Lay Around
  5. You Gotta Love Somebody
  6. Part Of The Play
  7. Can't Live A Lie
  8. Just Wanna Make Love To You
  9. Come On Over
  10. Mama Come Out
  11. It's Got To Be Alright
  12. Don't Stop The Dance (live)1
  13. One And One Is One (live)1
  14. Rising Sun (live)1

1Bonus track on CD

Review

Medicine Head always were a two man band (John Fiddler and Peter Hope-Evans) but mid-74, when this album was recorded, found them having expanded into a full five-piece band for both live and studio work. With hit singles under their belt, this album should have built upon their new-found commercial success. I say "should have" because this album finds the band unsure what they want to be - a full band or the minimalist two-piece they always were.

As such, this album is neither one nor the other. Hope-Evans felt he was reduced from being half the band to just being the harmonica player and ironically is most clearly audible on the live bonus tracks. The result is an album that isn't bad, but isn't a smash either. Unreleased at the time, the band began to disintegrate shortly afterwards (becoming a two-piece again) but by then it was too late and the momentum had been lost.

This album certainly bears repeated listening, and it would be unfair to place too much emphasis on the "unreleased at the time" tag (meaning there must be something wrong with it). Recommended.