Ian Hunter Albums (16)
What The Critics Say
Ian Hunter sounded younger than his years on 2007's Shrunken Heads, but on its 2009 sequel, Man Overboard, he shows signs of age in his weathered rasp as well as the album's slower tempos and greater emphasis on ragged acoustic arrangement. Older doesn't necessarily mean any less vigorous, though, at least not in Hunter's case. He writes and sings like a man who thinks he might have seen it all but isn't quite sure, so he keeps going, turning out tunes that feel familiar in form but fresh in substance. Since Man Overboard doesn't always rock as furiously as Shrunken Heads, it's easier to appreciate his songcraft and how deeply felt the performances are, whether Hunter is nimbly leading his band of pros through the country-rock ramble of "The Great Escape," cranking up the boogie on "Up and Running," writes a rock & roll love song as funny and knowing as "The Girl from the Office," or turning in another finely honed bittersweet epic on the closer, "River of Tears." Nothing here is flashy, which is keeping in a long tradition of Hunter's and is yet another reason why he's often called underrated, but when he's making records as rich and resonant as Man Overboard at the age of 70, it's hard not to listen with not a small degree of wonder. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Even when he was a young man Ian Hunter was the crankiest guy in rock & roll, so old age suits him, since it gives him a guilt-free license to be a curmudgeon -- but that doesn't mean he's settling into complacency. Far from it, actually, as his absolutely tremendous 2007 album Shrunken Heads proves. Hunter is thrillingly alive on Shrunken Heads, producing an album that's as vital as the best of his work with Mott the Hoople. His achievement is all the more remarkable because it has nothing to do with musical reinvention but rather reclamation, as he finds new depths in his signature rock & roll, equal parts Dylan and the Stones but sounding not quite like either. That's always been true of Hunter, but there's a down-and-dirty, lived-in depth to Shrunken Heads that gives it muscle and immediacy as pure music. On that level alone the album would be more than worthwhile, but there's also a reason that his backing band -- featuring producer/guitarist/keyboardist Andy Burton, drummer Steve Holley, keyboardist Andy Burton, bassist Graham Maby, guitarists Jack Petruzzelli and James Mastro, plus cameos from Jeff Tweedy and Soozie Tyrell -- sounds so vigorous: they're playing one of Hunter's best sets of original songs. With its crunching hard rock and handful of wistful ballads born out of Blonde on Blonde, the album may stir up memories of his older work, but this is surely a contemporary record, roiling with anger at the state of the world today. Perhaps it took a songwriter born in Britain to see the soul of modern America as clearly as Ian Hunter does, for no other songwriter in the 2000s has addressed the disarray of modern life as directly, or as savagely, as he does here. He bristles at consumer culture, seethes about the celebration of stupidity, rails against disastrous response to Hurricane Katrina, gripes about how he liked it better "When the World Was Round," since there's too much information now, finally coming to the self-deprecating conclusion that "I Am What I Hated When I Was Young." This is furious stuff, but in typical Hunter fashion, it's witheringly funny, tremendously hard rocking, and above all, a whole bunch of fun, even when things get serious. That's because Ian Hunter always plays for keeps: he's always been a true rock & roll believer. It's what's sustained him throughout his career, and it's what makes him capable of delivering an album this timely, this fearless, and this good as he approaches his 70th birthday. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'Strings Attached'
Release Date 8/9/2004
Tracks 19
Label Universal International
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
While Mott the Hoople were one of the greatest British rock bands of the 1970s, they were also a band unafraid to wear their hearts on their sleeves, and it's hard to imagine any other group of pile-driving boogie merchants who could have gotten away with songs as emotionally naked as "Sea Diver," "Hymn for the Dudes," or "I Wish I Was Your Mother." Nearly 30 years after Mott the Hoople called it a day, frontman Ian Hunter was still rocking out, but he hadn't lost touch with his inner softie either, and this live album, recorded during a pair of Oslo concerts in early 2002, gives him the chance to put his more personal side front and center for an evening. Recorded with a primarily acoustic band and a large string section helping out, Strings Attached features a set of Mott the Hoople classics and great songs from Hunter's solo career as he demonstrates the blend of hard-edged sentimentality and street smarts that has informed so much of his best work. In typical neo-Unplugged fashion, Strings Attached doesn't rock much, but it has a bit more backbone than you might expect -- the stripped-down versions of "All the Way From Memphis" and "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" are good rollicking fun -- and it finds Hunter in strong voice, calling up the sort of passion that marks his best music. Part of what makes Hunter's songs so effective is the way he can tap into the deeper and more complex emotions that lurk inside even the toughest rocker's heart, and put them into song in a way that honors their delicacy without sounding mushy or saccharine. Strings Attached gives Hunter the space to honor this side of his repertoire, and the results are both good fun and emotionally potent stuff. So go on, grab a beer, sing along, and don't fight that lump in your throat -- that's what Ian Hunter wrote these songs for in the first place. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The musical statement that is Rant includes textures and ideas that pick up where Brain Capers by Mott the Hoople left off. "Still Love Rock and Roll" ignites this set; it rocks with an authority that "All the Way From Memphis" only hinted at. As Dion DiMucci's Shu Bop album redefined the position of a '60s artist and delivered the goods, Hunter's Rant reveals a '70s artist refining his philosophy. Rant he does, with eloquence and a new fire. Every track works, entertaining and enlightening, taking the listener through curves and turns, reaching the zenith in track ten, "Ripoff." From the "that's all you've got to live for" lyric to the song title itself, this song is a perfect pop tune, full of anger, passion, slashing guitar sounds, a condescending vocal, and hooks that are real magnetic grabbers. With production that is absolutely topnotch, Hunter bids adieu to his homeland. Although "Ripoff" is guaranteed to keep "Sir" from being added to Hunter's name, he should still be knighted for delivering a kick-in-the-pants rock & roll song that every car radio should be blasting. The Rolling Stones haven't injected this much majesty into a single tune, let alone an album, in over a decade. R.E.M. could learn a thing or two from "Knees of My Heart"; it has the jangle jangle guitar, but where R.E.M. seems stuck in some past groove, Hunter utilizes that Nick Lowe/Bob Dylan/Byrds melancholic musical essay to great and satisfying effect. This album smartly moves sounds from guitar to keys, shifting moods, making a grand musical statement. "No One" is Hunter delivering a ballad with drive. This isn't "Ships," his Barry Manilow hit, nor is it Mad Shadows' pre-"All the Young Dudes" composition "You Are One of Us"; this has flavors of early British pop, guitar sounds from the George Harrison textbook, and a meaningful vocal from this rock & roll troubadour. Rant is a record that transcends so much of what is going on right now in music, a record that is much too good for radio today. The Columbia/Legacy compilation Once Bitten Twice Shy delivered 38 Ian Hunter solo titles in the year 2000, giving the world a clear picture of his post-Hoople work and paving the way for this sensational recording. ~ Joe Viglione, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Dirty Laundry is actually a glorious accident, as Ian Hunter originally intended to record only a few songs at Abbey Road, but was swept up in the energy from a knock-out band, resulting in one of his best works. As Hunter's output lessens, every nugget dispensed from this sultan of snarl has merit, but all 12 of these tracks are quality songs, most written on-the-spot in the studio. Hunter seems relaxed and happy to jam with an all-star band of talented unknowns. One of Hunter's many enduring and endearing traits is his unwavering knack for writing slight, meaningless rock tunes. His gift for garnishing the obvious is laced with gnarly slide and female backup for a great opener, "Dancing on the Moon." The hidden prize is the prime "Psycho Girl" by pseudo-legend Honest John Plain, who also provides the golden "Good Girls (a single)." "Another Fine Mess" (evoking the spectre of late soulmate Mick Ronson) and "Scars" are the types of hangover meditation Hunter always pulls off. "Invisible Strings" maintains Dirty Laundry's pick-up pub feel, but the playing holds together and no cut goes on too long. "Junkee Love" showcases smokin' guitar and the Bo Diddley beat. Dirty Laundry doesn't lapse into depression until the close, because no one wants to go home. Hunter proves to be one of the most consistently strong singer/songwriters yet. His status as king of the cut-out bins adds credibility to his lyrics and believability to his singing. His music is now essential listening -- collector's items teetering on the brink of obscurity; but there will always be a place for a genuine treasure like Ian Hunter. ~ Doug Stone, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Ian Hunter and Mick Ronson were coming back from half a decade of semi-retirement when they toured without a record contract in early 1989. But at the time of their stop at the Dominion Theatre in London on February 15, chronicled on this 73 1/2-minute, 13-track disc, they had already begun to compile the new material that would be included on their excellent Y U I ORTA album. So, the show consisted of old Hunter favorites like the U.K. Top Ten hit by his old group Mott The Hoople, "All The Way From Memphis," and his own U.K. Top 40 hit "Once Bitten Twice Shy," plus six songs that would turn up on the album, including powerful Hunter compositions like "Following In Your Footsteps" and "Big Time" (which was misidentified here as "You're Never Too Old To Hit The Big Time"--the chorus line is actually "You're never too small to hit the big time"). The Hunter/Ronson live sound previously had been displayed on the 1980 album Welcome To The Club, with which this set shared many selections, and it remained an effective combination, with Ronson playing powerful hard rock lead guitar to support Hunter, the frontman, and his plaintive, autobiographical songs. If anyone feared that the/two had lost their rock 'n' roll fervor after the lay-off, this concert dispelled that notion. It's no surprise they earned another record contract soon after. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
After being intermittently active during the mid-'80s, Ian Hunter returned full force to the world of rock & roll with this 1989 album. As usual, Mick Ronson plays an important role, making a substantial contribution to the songwriting and supplying an array of tasty guitar licks. The result is a strong outing that brings Hunter's classically styled rock up to date: the standout example of this is "American Music," a heartfelt tribute to the music that inspired "Hunter" as a child that combines power chords with a slickly harmonized chorus to create a punchy slice of pop-flavored rock & roll. YUI Orta is the slickest-sounding album in Hunter's catalog thanks to the efforts of Bernard Edwards, the producer best known for being half of the creative brain trust behind Chic and producing slick outings for the Power Station and Robert Palmer. This pairing might seem odd in concept but it results in an effective sound that rocks hard but offers enough ear candy elements to make the whole package listener friendly. For instance, Edwards adds a serpentine horn riff to "Cool" that cleverly enhances its soulfulness without taming the song's hard rock edge. YUI Orta also benefits from a strong, thoroughly engaging positivity in Hunter's lyrics: examples include "The Loner," a song that points out how it's a good thing to stand apart from the crowd, and "Big Time," an exuberant, rollicking tune that tells the listener, "you're never too small to hit the big time." Although it never achieved the sales it deserved, YUI Orta remains an exciting album that is worthy of rediscovery by both anyone interested in Ian Hunter's work and anyone interested in good, old-fashioned rock & roll. ~ Donald A. Guarisco, All Music Guide
'All of the Good Ones Are Taken'
Release Date 1/1/1983
Tracks 10
Label Columbia
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
With its slightly dated and stiff sound, All of the Good Ones Are Taken is a step down from the vibrant Short Back and Sides, yet a handful of songs manage to break free of the restrictions placed on them by the production. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'Short Back and Sides'
Release Date 1/1/1981
Tracks 10
Label Chrysalis
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Ian Hunter had been revitalized by punk rock, as Short Back and Sides shows. Featuring the Clash's Mick Jones on guitar, the music is a tougher and spikier take on Hunter's rock & roll, and his songwriting is at a near-peak. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
