Ian Hunter: Shrunken Heads (2007)
I'm a little torn on whether I like this album simply on its own merits, or because it just feels good to hear the former frontman of Mott the Hoople coming up with something so solid some 40 years into his recording career. Maybe a little bit of both? As a longtime fan of both Mott and Hunter, I have to admit his post-Mott solo career is pretty hit and miss. Yes, he's got some tremendous singles--I'd say "Once Bitten Twice Shy," "Just Another Night," "Cleveland Rocks," and particularly my personal favorite, "All Of The Good Ones Are Taken," are at least as good as anything he did with his original band, and arguably better. But the long-players, that's a different story. Sure, there are some decent ones that pop up here and there in his discography (1979's You're Never Alone With A Schizophrenic was a particular standout); and his willingness to move among styles (from glam to new wave to post-punk to classic FM-band midd