5 out of 5 Stars!

I don’t typically buy singles, unless they include a hard-to-find track or tracks not included on any album. And so I purchased this single, not for “Honaloochie Boogie” itself, which is a catchy, fun, and decent track in its own right (but since I have the album Mott, I didn’t need the track), but for the excellent B-Side “Rose.” Why this track was never released on the Mott album is a mystery to me.

I’m a huge fan of most Ian Hunter ballads, and “Rose” (along with “The Journey” from the Brain Capers album) is probably my favorite. As with many of Hunter’s ballads, this one is also crammed with emotion and features beautiful piano-playing during the verses. The touch of organ during secondary verses adds extra mood, and when the entire band kicks in during the choruses, the power is grand! The track sort of reminds me of the equally impressive “Broadway,” from Hunter’s solo Overnight Angels album.

Anyway, “Rose” truly shows the flip-side (no pun intended) of Mott The Hoople, a band that could turn out both killer rockers and stunning ballads with ease.  I love this track!!!