Ian Hunter is a very much underrated songwriter and made some great records solo as well as with the fab Mott The Hoople. And what we have here is his diary/journal in the very key year when they are breaking into a bigger audience via the help of David Bowie. The book is very much of Hunter expressing his joys, anger, and frustration of touring America circ. 1972. "All The Young Dudes" is in the air, and Mott is riding on the wave via that song. I think any person who picks up a guitar or snare drum as a profession will enjoy this memoir. Because Hunter is not offering something unique in that world, in fact its pretty much so-so hotel and its very so-so food, and the physical strain of keeping yourself in order to perform and deal with a lot of cancelled gigs. So there is nothing romantic here or even sexy, its basically a job. A nice job of sorts, but nevertheless a job. Reading this I wanted something more funny or crazy, but the truth is ....nothing happens on a tour of this scale (struggling of course) and it is really waiting between flights, dealing with the lack of a sound check, and weird and very foreign urban situations, that is a first for a British citizen. What's kind of cool is that the whole band checked out hock shops looking for music gear. I find that endearing. And yes, I think this book is a must for the man ( a very much a man's world then) and woman who picks up an instrument and play for whatever currency that's out there.
Mott the Hoople "All The Young Dudes"
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