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Mott the Hoople<\/strong> are one of those bands from the 1970s that are often tarred with the epithet \u201csecond string.\u201d Neither purveyors of a long series of mega-hits nor (quite) one-hit wonders, the British band produced a string of albums, each with its own charms. The group is most well-known for a song it didn\u2019t write (David Bowie<\/strong>\u2019s \u201cAll the Young Dudes\u201d) and a visual style (glam) not fully representative of the band\u2019s true aesthetic.<\/p>\n As such, Mott the Hoople is oft-overlooked when surveying to rock landscape of the 70s. A new documentary The Ballad of Mott the Hoople<\/em> sets out to right this wrong. With cooperation of all surviving members, the film is a fast-placed, comprehensive portrait of the band that is loving and irreverent, sad and funny, subtle and direct.<\/p>\n Making extensive use of both archival footage and contemporary interviews, The Ballad of Mott the Hoople<\/em> traces the group\u2019s start, giving proper emphasis to the important role played by would-be svengali Guy Stevens<\/strong>. Much useful perspective is offered by Stevens\u2019 widow as well as by Mainman mainstay Leee Black Childers<\/strong> and a few others.<\/p>\n But it\u2019s the unalloyed, honest perspective of Ian Hunter<\/strong> and his band mates that help The Ballad of Mott the Hoople<\/em> to rise above a Behind the Music<\/em>-type project. The filmmakers deftly weave vintage footage (home movies, promotional film, concert footage) onto the screen as the original band members provide their unique points of view.<\/p>\n Even hardcore Mott fans (are there such people?) will find much they haven\u2019t seen before. The quality of the music \u2013 and there\u2019s lots of it in The Ballad of Mott the Hoople<\/em> \u2013 is such that a viewer may well find him- or herself thinking, \u201cwait, wasn\u2019t that one a hit too?\u201d<\/p>\n In fact the film gives off the feeling that Mott the Hoople is every band<\/em>, that the experiences its members endured are \u2013 at their core — the same sorts of things that every band has faced. Perhaps it\u2019s the down-to-earth demeanor of the guys in the band, but their working class demeanor seems worlds away from any sort of rock star attitude.<\/p>\n In addition to a full chronicling of the band\u2019s ups and downs, The Ballad of Mott the Hoople<\/em> touches on the group\u2019s celebrated 2009 reunion. In terms of its narrative arc, the film is not wholly dissimilar to New York Doll<\/em>, a biopic about Arthur \u201cKiller\u201d Kane<\/strong>. But there\u2019s less drama, less disaster and more conventionally tuneful music to be found in The Ballad of Mott the Hoople<\/em>. Recommended.<\/p>\n
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