Mott The Hoople

Rare UK heavy psych hard rock with some progressive rock elements from the early 70s in the vein of Writing On The Wall or Leafhound, though not as outright brutal as those two, and with a nod to Mott The Hoople, Slade, etc. Formed from the ashes of 60s psych band Turquoise, this is classic UK early 70s rock.

"In the Meantime" was a huge hit, and Resident Alien went gold, but Spacehog's debut earned them no critical respect. At any other time, the group's glitzy revival of Bowie, Roxy and Mott the Hoople would have earned kudos, but it arrived at the height of Brit-pop, when other, more celebrated (and, frankly, better) bands were dominating the media spotlight. So, when it came time to deliver their second record, Spacehog knew they had to make a big splash, and The Chinese Album delivers on that promise. A faux song cycle layered with details and hooks, The Chinese Album is a big album conceptually, but the band doesn't quite have the gravity required to make it the sweeping achievement they desire.

Singer/guitarist Jess Roden was born in Kidderminster in England's West Midlands, and his first band was the Shakedown Sounds. In 1967, he joined the Alan Bown Set as their new lead singer. Although their records never charted nationally, he did pick up a fandom in London (and belatedly became something of a star on the Northern Soul scene) with the release of their single "Emergency 999." He remained with the Bown group through 1970, after which he formed the band Bronco, and later worked on Wildlife, the third Mott the Hoople album, and with Keef Hartley on the album Lancashire Hustler…