Mott the Hoople – Two Miles From Live Heaven

I’ve been a huge Mott fan since they first hit with “All the Young Dudes” and the fantastic album of that same title. When I discovered their earlier works, while Hunter led them through some Dylan-esque folky territory, I found out that they were also one of the heaviest and noisiest bands around! Brain Capers and Mad Shadows in particular have some incredible moments.

So, I have been grateful for the previously unreleased material that has been uncovered in the CD generation. There have been a number of eye-opening live recordings of very good quality popping up lately and this is another great one! I never got the chance to see them – which I will eternally regret – but by all accounts they were a boggling live act.

This release covers a number of years and tours and is accompanied by a terrific booklet with plenty of info and some fantastic photos that I had never seen before. These cats had a wild r’n’r image and some phenomenal clothes!

This 2 CD set concentrates on live shows with Ariel Bender/Luther Grosvenor, Mick Ralphs replacement, but while I far prefer the studio albums with Ralphs, these live cuts are all quite strong.

There are songs covering their entire career here, and some previously unreleased tunes, all of which are terrific! Not the place to start for novices to the band, but for fans, this is highly recommended!