enthusiastic crowds all over England, Mott were sinking into debt. Glam-rock figure and longtime Mott fan David Bowie thought this a shame, and he offered the wistfully anthemic "All the Young Dudes" to the band as a final shot at the pop stardom that had thus far eluded it. This was a particularly generous gesture, as Mott had previously turned down Bowie's "Suffragette City" as insufficiently sophisticated. "All the Young Dudes" would go on to become the band's most successful single, just as the Bowie-produced album of the same name would resurrect Mott the Hoople's career.

The record's high points are very high indeed. Of particular note are the soulful version of Lou Reed's "Sweet Jane," which serves as the album's opener; the strutting "Jerkin' Crocus," which recalls the Stones' "Tumbling Dice," of the same era; and the oddball "Sea Diver," which closes the record in a rather quizzical fashion. While All the Young Dudes does feature a few clinkers among its nine tracks - organist Verden Allen's heavy-handed "Soft Ground" is particularly hard to stomach - the disc is a central document of the glam era, a time when English rock wore its reckless heart on its sleeve in a truly endearing fashion.

ADAM BRESNICK
(RS 895 - May 9, 2002)