London To Memphis

As a definitive overview of Mott the Hoople's seminal glam years, Sony Music Special Products' London to Memphis comes up short, but what is surprising is what a good sampler it is, considering that it's a budget-priced collection. All of the truly major songs are here -- "All the Way from Memphis," "Sweet Jane," "Honaloochie Boogie," "All the Young Dudes," "Ballad of Motto the Hoople," "Roll Away the Stone," "The Golden Age of Rock 'n' Roll" -- along with such great album cuts as "One of the Boys," "Ready for Love/After Lights" and "Jerkin' Crocus." For many casual listeners, that will be enough, since they won't notice "Sucker," "Violence," "Whizz Kid" and "I Wish I Was Your Mother" are missing -- and the kind of fan who will miss those songs shouldn't even be considering acquiring a disc like this in the first place. As a result, London to Memphis is a worthwhile budget-priced sampler that will satiate some curious listeners while whetting the appetites of others. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine|