Mott The Hoople-Brain Capers

On what should be the first installment of an ongoing series entitled “If you’re truly a fan of rock and roll, then you need to get this album,” Glam-Racket introduces Mott The Hoople’s incredible fourth album, “Brain Capers.” I would venture to guess that even the relatively few people that have even heard of Mott The Hoople have even heard of this album, but I would also venture to guess that anyone who’s a fan of David Bowie’s early 70’s output and who hears this album will realize where he got a substantial portion of his sound from. Short answer: Brain Capers.

Mott should really be billed as Mott The Fucking Hoople on this one. In terms of performance, the band smokes. Around 30 seconds into the incredible opener “Death May Be Your Santa Claus” you’ll understand what I mean. “How long before you realize what you missed/How long before we go out and may get pissed.” Hunter asks, in an almost perfect summation of where the band was at when they actually recorded this album. Ignored by the public, the band was on the verge of tapping out. “Brain Capers” sounds like a “Fuck it, let’s rock fellas and then go get loaded” type of album.
With nothing left to lose, what’s amazing is how structurally sound “Capers” is. This isn’t an anarchic effort; it’s fully realized and perfectly executed. Right down to the drummer losing his sticks at the end of “Santa Claus” before letting out a final “Wooo!”
Part of this is thanks to Producer Guy Stevens, best known as the madman behind The Clash’s “London Calling” sessions. Stevens simply rolls tape and lets Mott rock, understanding that his sole role is to capture the best performance and stay out of the way.
Ian Hunter also comes of age with this effort, delivering some of his most witty lyrics ever. Like the feel of the album, he eloquently captures the band’s state of mind. “The Journey” sounds like a road-worn band reaching the end (“Well I can see the end for the very first time…I guess I lost just a little bit on the journey/Yeah I guess I lost just a little bit on the way”) and downright bitter (“I swear to you before we’re through/you’re gonna feel our every blow/We ain’t bleeding you we’re feeding you/but you’re all to fucking slow”) by the time “The Moon Upstairs” towards the end of the album.
Bowie gave Mott “All The Young Dudes” and a second lease on life (just as he did with Lou Reed and The Stooges) but you can hear it for yourself: Mott had everything right well before he brought them back from the brink. And “Brain Capers” shows us that sometimes breaking up can sound pretty fucking good.