2007’s Shrunken Heads was widely-acclaimed as something of a peak in Ian Hunter’s 35-year solo career since leaving Mott The Hoople. Still buzzing, he continued writing and, returning to Hall & Oates’ upstate New York studio with his longtime band and co-producer Andy York, took just a week to record an album which effortlessly equals its predecessor, if not tops it for sheer quality of songs and performance.
Hunter’s autobiographical outings are more detailed and reflective than ever, while the beautiful These Feelings and Way With Words (as always, for wife Trudi), rank among his most affecting love songs, shot with the simple honesty which underscores the album. The heartfelt crevices of Hunter’s life-marinated voice have rarely been better captured (courtesy of engineer Pete Moshay), straddling anything from humour in the youthful escapades of The Great Escape, to drunken defiance in the title track’s bleaklyresigned alcoholic role-playing. Only Hunter could make the factory-lust singsong of Girl From The Office sound so engaging, while rockers such as Up & Running whip up the traditional storm.
Forty years ago Hunter got stick for his unashamed Dylan fixation. Now running in a similar ballpark, it seems – as Hunter turns 70 – that he might have trumped his old hero, producing a solid gold classic with much less fanfare. Hopefully the upcoming Mott reunion will highlight, rather than overshadow, this very personal triumph.
