IAN HUNTER - SHRUNKEN HEADS - NEW CD

Chrysalis Records (USA)

Cherry Red Records (Japan)

Though Ian Hunter hit his popular peak in the 1970s, as the frontman for Mott the Hoople and with solo favorites such as "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" and "Cleveland Rocks, " fans who have followed his career ever since will find him in fine form here. Co-produced by Hunter and Andy York (guitarist for John Mellencamp), the album mixes the hard-crunching rock 'n' roll, literate lyricism, bittersweet balladry, and self-deprecating humor that have long marked Hunter's best work. Musically, both "Stretch" and the piano-driven "How's Your House" have the dynamics of Mott (though the latter was inspired by the aftermath of Katrina), while "When the World Was Round" and "I Am What I Hated When I Was Young" find Hunter in older-and-wiser mode. After "Brainwashed" attacks consumer culture with a feverish immediacy, Hunter finds soul-stirring redemption in "Guiding Light." --Don McLeese

Raven ( January 01, 2009 ), Genre: Rock & Pop

Though Ian Hunter hit his popular peak in the 1970s, as the frontman for Mott the Hoople and with solo favorites such as "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" and "Cleveland Rocks, " fans who have followed his career ever since will find him in fine form here. Co-produced by Hunter and Andy York (guitarist for John Mellencamp), the album mixes the hard-crunching rock 'n' roll, literate lyricism, bittersweet balladry, and self-deprecating humor that have long marked Hunter's best work. Musically, both "Stretch" and the piano-driven "How's Your House" have the dynamics of Mott (though the latter was inspired by the aftermath of Katrina), while "When the World Was Round" and "I Am What I Hated When I Was Young" find Hunter in older-and-wiser mode. After "Brainwashed" attacks consumer culture with a feverish immediacy, Hunter finds soul-stirring redemption in "Guiding Light." --Don McLeese

Fledg'ling

This is Ian Hunter's first solo album.After leaving Mott the Hoople in early 1975, Ian Hunter quickly threw himself into recording this eponymous solo debut. Not surprisingly, it contains a lot of the glam rock charm of Hunter's old group: "The Truth, the Whole Truth, Nothing But the Truth" and "I Get So Excited" are fist-pumping tunes that combine punchy hard rock riffs with intelligent lyrics in a manner similar to Mott the Hoople's finest moments. However, Ian Hunter pulls off this grandiose sound without the overtly ornate production that defined the final Mott the Hoople albums because Mick Ronson's cleverly crafted arrangements manage to create a big wall of sound without utilizing a huge amount of instruments or overdubs. As a result, Ian Hunter's lyrics shine through in each song and show off his totally personalized mixture of attitude and intelligence: the legendary and oft-covered "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" is a cheeky, clever exploration of rock & roll's ability to corrupt the innocent, and "Boy" is

Vanguard Records (USA)

RPM (UK) ( May 13, 2008 ), Genre: Rock & Pop

New West Records, Inc.