Wildlife (Mott the Hoople album)

The album was recorded in November and December 1970 at Island Studios in London. It was produced by Guy Stevens and Mott the Hoople. The engineers were Andy Johns, Brian Humphries, and Phill Brown. ==Release==

The album was released on vinyl in 1971; in the UK by Island Records and in the US by Atlantic Records. It was subsequently re-released on CD by Angel Air in 2003. It was the band's third album since their debut, Mott the Hoople, in 1969. ==Reception==

Ben Edmonds, reviewing for Rolling Stone in June 1971, felt that the band and singer Ian Hunter had moved on from the Bob Dylan comparisons of the first two albums, and had added a country music influence, to produce an album with "more than enough solid music" to warrant some attention in America. The album reached No. 44 in the UK Albums Chart in April 1971.{{cite book ==Legacy==

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic gave the album four stars out of five and stated: ==Track listing==

• *This track is a rock and roll medley that, in addition to "Keep a Knockin'", includes snippets of "I Got a Woman" (by Ray Charles), "What'd I Say" (Charles) and "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" (Jerry Lee Lewis). On the recording, singer Ian Hunter incorrectly introduces "What'd I Say" as being written by Jerry Lee Lewis. ;2003 CD bonus tracks • "It'll Be Me" (Jack Clement) – 2.58 • "Long Red" (Leslie West, Felix Pappalardi, John Ventura, Norman Landsberg) – 3.47 ;2018 CD bonus track In 2018, as part of a boxed set of Island era material, "Whiskey Women" was issued under its original title of "Brain Haulage". This is an unedited take, with the guitar power-chords mixed higher. It's heavier, and closer to the live versions of the song. ==Personnel==

;Mott the Hoople • Ian Hunter – vocals, piano • Mick Ralphs – guitar, vocals • Verden Allen – organ • Pete "Overend" Watts – bass • Dale "Buffin" Griffin – drums ;Additional personnel • Jerry Hogan – steel guitar on "It Must Be Love" and "Original Mixed-Up Kid" • Jess Roden – background chorus on "Lay Down" • Stan Tippins – background chorus on "Lay Down" • Michael Gray – string arrangements and conductor on "Waterlow" • Jim Archer – violin on "Angel of Eighth Avenue" ;Technical • Andy Johns, Brian Humphries, Phill Brown – engineers • Brian Cooke – photography ==Charts==