Mott The Hoople

Four solo albums from the guitarist and songwriter Mick Ralphs who was a founder member of two of the most important rock bands of the 1970s; Mott The Hoople and Bad Company. Mick Ralphs wrote many key songs across seven Mott The Hoople albums, followed by six records with Bad Company; these included 'Rock and Roll Queen', 'Ready For Love', 'Can't Get Enough', 'Good Lovin' Gone Bad' and 'Movin' On'. Bad Company took a break following 1982's 'Rough Diamonds', and after a stint playing alongside David Gilmour on his About Face tour, Mick embarked on a solo career in 1984 with 'Take This!' (CD1) which featured bassist Micky Feat and fellow Bad Company founder, drummer Simon Kirke, with a live band that consisted of guitarist Dave "Bucket" Colwell (later to join Ralphs in a reformed Bad Company), Uriah Heep drummer Chris Slade and Ozzy Osbourne keyboard player Lindsay Bridgewater.

This two-CD reissue of Ducks Deluxe's first two albums differs from the previous Edsel two-on-one release, as no tracks were omitted due to space constraints. In retrospect, these recordings seem more relevant after the passage of time, as they provide a clearer linkage between British blues-based album rock and late-'70s punk and post-punk new wave. In fact, the influences of British pub rock span back to '50s rock & roll and R&B. Their take on Eddie Cochran's "Nervous Breakdown" bears an uncanny resemblance to perhaps his biggest hit, "Summertime Blues." But it's Ducks Deluxe's original pieces that evoke echoes of artists like the Rolling Stones, Them, and Mott the Hoople. "Fireball" sounds like a direct outtake from All the Young Dudes or Mott, while the R&B-rich "Falling for That Woman" suggests Van Morrison at his soulful best. "Rio Grande," from Taxi to the Terminal Zone, wouldn't sound out of place on Bob Dylan's Blood on the Tracks.