Five excellent albums from the 1970s you may have overlooked 

Ian Hunter - Ian Hunter

Ian Hunter will be known best by many as the lead singer of the early 1970s band Mott The Hoople. His no-nonsense singing style worked perfectly with the band and rock and roll. Although their biggest hit, “All The Young Dudes” was written by David Bowie, Hunter was the main songwriter for the band. 

Hunter was under increasing pressure to write more songs for the band and in late 1974 he collapsed with nervous exhaustion in New York. That was a key trigger for him leaving the band just weeks later. Hunter then collaborated with guitarist Mick Ronson on this self-titled debut solo album, released in 1975 and many others to follow.

The album opens with “Once Bitten, Twice Shy” a great song that was a top 20 UK hit for Hunter as a single. Have you ever heard a cooler, cockier, and cockney-accented opening word on a song as Hunter announcing himself with “Allo” on this track? It follows a simple but effective opening guitar riff and kicks the song off brilliantly. By the time the full guitars and piano have kicked in it's rocking along very nicely indeed.

Have a listen to the gentler and more emotional sound of “Boy” with lyrics about David Bowie. It could have been by Bowie himself. Alongside that epic track from Hunter, there are many more excellent songs, rockers like “I Get So Excited”, the bluesy but upbeat “Who Do You Love”  or a ballad in “It Ain’t Easy When You Fall”, which cleverly links up with a poem by Hunter,  “Shades Off”. 

It’s amazing to think Hunter was feeling pressured about writing songs but then delivered so many for this first album soon after. This is a superb album. It wasn't a huge seller, with modest chart success in the UK at number 21, but only up to 50 in the US. Ian Hunter definitely deserved more from this album.